Sakaratul maut

A police officer in a Muslim country wrote the following letter to a Shaykh (Religious leader) describing the events that led to his return to Allah (SWT). He recalls: Seeing accidents and crash victims was a normal part of my day, but one incident was different. My partner and I had parked on the shoulder of the highway and began to chat. In a random second, the scene shattered to the hideous sound of metal bodies becoming one. We threw our heads back to see what had happened. It was a head-on collision, the result of a vehicle slipping into the lane of the oncoming traffic. We couldn't describe the carnage. Two young men sprawled in the first car, both in critical condition. We carried them gently away from the car and rested them on the ground. Quickly we returned to assist the owner of the second car. He was dead. Back we went to the two young men lying side by side on the pavement. My partner began dictating the Shahadah to them. Say "Ash Hadu an La Ilaha Illallah (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah) ..." Their tongues wouldn't acknowledge it. They started humming the hypnotic lyrics of some song. I was terrified. My partner had experience however, and he kept repeating his instruction. I stood up watching, no movement, eyes locked. Never in my life had I seen anything similar to what was going on before me. In fact, I've never actually seen someone die, and never, in such a satanic way. My partner continued to instruct them to say the Shahadah but there was no use. The hum of their song came to a slow silence, slowly. The first one stopped and then the other. Not a stir but Dead. We carried them to our patrol car; my partner made no effort to speak. Not a whisper between us two as we carried the corpses to the nearest hospital. The police officer fell back into routine, as he narrates, and started to drift away from Allah (SWT). But another event happened to him that sealed the return. He continues: What an odd world. After some time, about six months, a strange accident took place. A young man was moving along the highway normally, but within one of the tunnels leading to the city, he got a flat tire. To the side of the tunnel he parked and stepped to the back to remove the spare tire. The whistle of a speeding car could be heard from behind. In a second, it collided with the crippled car, with the young man in-between. He fell to the ground with critical injuries. I rushed to the scene, myself and another partner other than the first. Together we carried the young man's body into our patrol car and phoned the hospital to prepare for his arrival. He was a young adult in his blossom years. Religious, as you could tell from his appearance. He was mumbling when we carried him, but in our rush, we had not paid attention to what he was saying. However, when we placed him on his back in the patrol car, we could make it out. Through the pain, his heart was reciting Noble Qur'an! He was so immersed in the recitation. Subhan Allah, you would have never said that this person was in intense pain. Blood had soaked his clothes crimson red, his bones had clearly snapped in several places. To tell the truth, he looked like he was staring into the eyes of death. He continued to read in his unique, tender voice, reciting each verse in proper rhythm. In my entire life, I had never heard any recitations like it. I said to myself, "I'm going to instruct him to say the Shahadah just like I saw my friend doing," especially since I had previous experience." My partner and I listened intently to that soft voice. I felt a shiver shock my back and up my arm the hair stood. Suddenly, the hymn ceased. I watched silently as his hand rose softly. He had his index finger pointed upward to the Heaven, saying the Shahadah (Ash Hadu an La Ilaha Illallah - I bear witness that there is no god but Allah). Then, his head slumped. I jumped to the back seat, felt his hand, his heart, his breathing. He was dead! I couldn't stop staring at him. A tear fell but I hid it in shame. I turned back to my partner and told him that the boy's life had ceased. He burst out loud crying. Seeing a man cry like that, I could not control myself and my partner faded away behind the fall of my own tears. The patrol car fogged from the emotions. We arrived at the hospital. As we rushed through the corridors, we told all the doctors, nurses, and onlookers what had happened. So many people were affected by what we said, some stood there speechless and tearful. No one wanted to lose sight of the boy, until they had been assured of the time and place he would be buried. One of the hospital staff phoned the boy's home. His brother picked it up and was told of the accident. His brother told us about him: He used to go out every Monday to visit his only grandmother outside of town. Whenever he visited her, he made sure to spend time with the poor children idling on the streets, and the orphans. The town knew him; he was the one that would bring them the Islamic books and tapes. His dusty Mazda would be filled with rice and sugar and even candies - couldn't forget the candies - for those families who were in need. He would not stand for anyone to discourage him from the long journey to that town. He would always politely reply that the long drive gave him time to review his Noble Qur'an and to listen to Islamic lectures on his cassette deck and that with every step to the town, he hoped for the reward he would find with Allah (SWT). Rasool Allah - Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam gave the example of a man who loses his camel in the desert and in that wasteland loses hope of life. In that state, he sits down awaiting death to come. Then, he opens his eyes and finds his camel standing beside him with all the provisions to take him home. In his extreme happiness he cries out, "O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord!" He says it wrong from the bliss of happiness. Rasool Allah - Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam said that verily Allah (SWT) is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than this man is upon finding his camel!

We complain soo much about how hot the sun is, we can't even stand the heat, we have to get something cold to drink or put on the air conditioner or fan or any source that will provide us comfort


Brothers and sisters, let us reflect on our lives, let's think of yaumul qiyammah. Let us fear the day the sun will be placed directly over our heads(subahanallahi) how yawmul Qiyammah has been brought to our knowledge, the sun will be directly on us. The pleased will be of the seven who have been mentioned to be under the arsh(Shade) of our mighty and everlasting lord Allah(SWT). Let's make sacrifices in this duniya and pray to Allah to make us part of those under His shade on the day of judgement. Ya Allah help us, guide us, protect us.

Death(Matt) the ultimate reality

Once Prophet Ibrahim / Abraham (pbuh) asked Malakul Maut, Hazrat Izrael (the angel of death) to show their form with which they appear in front of the one who is being departed, a believer and a sinner. Malakul Maut asked Prophet Ibrahim / Abraham (pbuh) to turn around. And when Prophet Ibrahim / Abraham (pbuh) turned back and looked at Malakul Maut, he said, 'O Izrael! If a person saw you in this state, he will certainly faint.' indicating the horror of their appearance that they looked fierce and balls of fire were coming out from each of their hair. Then, Malakul Maut asked Prophet Ibrahim / Abraham (pbuh) to turn around. And when he looked at Malakul Maut this time said, 'O Izrael! If a crying person saw you in this state, he will start smiling.' Their former state is adopted when they head towards a sinner while the latter is adopted when they come to a believer. Imam Zayn Al-Abidin (as) said: "The death of a faithful (Momin) may be described as if he has cast off his dirty garments and has put on clean and tidy ones; and they, with our love in their hearts, are called doers of good deeds. For a faithful death is like his being released from a dark and stuffy dungeon and entering a spacious and fertile garden; and for the infidel, going from this world is like being taken to a jail. For the faithful, the world is like a jail." Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (as) said: "For the faithful death is like a sweet fragrance which bestows freshness and delight upon him and removes all worldly vexation and dejection. The pain at the time of death is as if all the parts of the body are being torn apart and nails are being hammered therein. In death the torture is as if a delicate silken cloth has been thrown on a thorny bush and dragged through it and its fibres are torn apart. But death for a faithful is not severe." Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "For the faithful the example of death is like a dirty cloth being beaten on a stone slab, in order to clean it. Similarly, at the time of the agony, the faithful is subjected to severity to purify him."