[أم مُعاذ]

Lessening the Punishment



However, there are several things which ameliorate such punish-


ment. In one hadeeth, the Prophet ris reported to have said,



“When a man dies no further reward is recorded for his actions,


with three exceptions: Sadaqah(16) and knowledge from which


benefit continues to be reaped, and the supplication of a right-


eous son for his deceased father.” [Muslim]



This punishment and torture that we will receive is inevitable, and


only those who are misled it.



When we die, we should always make sure we leave a written will


behind so that what Allah Ihas given us in this world is dis-


tributed to those in need and those to whom we are in debt, and


so we can leave this world with a clear conscience. If we cannot


find Muslims as executer of our will, then we should engage


non-Muslims.



Allah Isays in the Qur'aan



}يِا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ شَهَادَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ أَوْ آخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَأَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةُ الْمَوْتِ تَحْبِسُونَهُمَا مِن بَعْدِ الصَّلاَةِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِاللّهِ إِنِ ارْتَبْتُمْ لاَ نَشْتَرِي بِهِ ثَمَناً وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى وَلاَ نَكْتُمُ شَهَادَةَ اللّهِ إِنَّا إِذاً لَّمِنَ الآثِمِينَ{



“O believers! When death approaches any one of


you, let two just men from among yourselves act as


witnesses at the time of making your last will; or


from the non-Muslims if you are traveling through


the land and the calamity of death overtakes you. If


you doubt their honesty, detain them after prayer


and let them both swear by Allah, ‘We will not sell


our testimony for any price, even to a relative, and


we will not hide the testimony which we will be giv-


ing for the sake of Allah; for we shall be sinners if


we do so.’”


[Surah al-Maa'idah (5):106]



When a person is in his last moments, his last words before his


death should be ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.’(17) If you are present at the


scene of a Muslim’s last moments, you should advise him to say


it. Do not strain him to say those words, and do not make him


repeat it unless he says something after it. It should be loud


enough that he himself can hear it. Also close his eyes in his last


moments and do not let them remain wide open.



This is an example of one Muslim whom Allah Ihelped to be


steadfast at the time of death. His name was Abu Zur'ah ar-Raazi,


one of the Imams of the scholars of ahaadeeth. Abu Ja'far


Muhammad ibn 'Ali Warraaq said:



We were with Abu Zur'ah in Shahraan, one of the villages of


Ar-Riyy, at the time of his death. Abu Haatim, Ibn Warraaq,


al-Mundhir ibn Shaadhaan and others were with him. They


remembered the hadeeth, “Tell those who are dying to say


‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah’,” but they felt too shy to tell Abu Zur'ah


to say it. They said “Let us mention the hadeeth.” Ibn Warraaq


started by conveying the chain of narrators, “Abu 'Aasim nar-


rated on the authority of Abdul-Hameed ibn Ja'far, who told


us that Saalih…” and he started to say, “ibn Abi…” but he


could not go any further. Then Abu Haatim said, “Bandar nar-


rated on the authority of Abu 'Aasim, who told us that Abdul-


Hameed ibn Ja'far related from Saalih…” but he could not go


any further, and the rest remained silent. Then Abu Zur'ah,


whilst he was dying, opened his eyes and finished the hadeeth


by saying, “Bandar narrated on the authority of Abu 'Aasim,


who told us that Abdul-Hameed related from Saalih ibn Abi


Ghareeb, on the authority of Katheer ibn Murrah that


Mu'aadh ibn Jabal said, ‘The Messenger or Allah r said,


‘Whoever says as his last words La ilaaha ill-Allah, will enter


Paradise.’ ’ ” Then his soul departed, may Allah Ihave mercy


on him. [Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa', 13/76-85]



This is what Allah Isays about such pious believers in the


Qur'aan,



}‏ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ {



“Verily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah (Alone),’


and then they stood straight (followed Islam truly),


on them the angels will descend ( at the time of their


death) (saying), ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive


the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been


promised!’ ”


[Surah Fussilat (41):30]



Du'aa:(18)



O Allah, make us among them. O Allah, we ask You to make us


adhere to Islam with determination and wisdom, and our final


supplication is Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.


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(16) Sadaqah: Voluntary charity.



(17) Laa ilaaha ill-Allah: trans. ‘There is no true deity, beside Allah’.



(18) Du'aa: To invoke Allah. Supplication.