031  The death of the believer


Dear Readers,

In my last article, basing on the Rasulullah’s (s.a.w.) orders, I had stated that always keeping ablution, performing the salats with congregation, praise, patience and consent to predestination were the most important indicators of faith. In reality, every thing that Rasulullah (s.a.w) associated with faith is important to migrate to the Hereafter with faith.


# Situations and behaviors associated with faith

Some of them are as follows:

"I swear that the one who doesn’t like my Ahl al-bayt, can not have faith in his heart." [I. Ahmad]

"The supreme practice of religion is faith. The supreme faith is knowing that Allah is always beside you ." [Tabarani]

"The best one among you in terms of faith, is the one who is the best in terms of morality." [Hakim]

"The one who betrays to custodial thing is an unbeliever" [Tabarani]

"The one who is not merciful is an unbeliever." [Tabarani]

"Cleanliness is half of faith." [Fayzu'l-kadir]

"Shame is an indicator of faith." [Bukhari]

"Struggling for keeping honesty is an indicator of faith." [Daylami]

"Loving country is an indicator of faith." [Imam-i Rabbani]

"Alcoholic drink and faith don’t exist together, one move away the other one." [Bayhaqi]

As seen, these matters; such as love of ahl al-bayt, cleanliness, good morality, showing respect for trust, mercy, shame, struggling for keeping honesty, love of country are indicators of faith and we shouldn’t compromise on these issues. We should know that Allah is always beside us, and we should keep away from such things like alcoholic drink, gamble. We shouldn't deal with useless and unnecessary affairs. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that good morality was to go to those not coming to you, giving those not giving you, forgiving those behaving cruelly towards you.


# We shouldn’t be in doubt about our faith

Dear readers, We shouldn’t be in doubt and suspicious about our faith. These kind of apprehensions of heart are the most obvious indicators of being a believer. An unbeliever does not remember Allah that’s why he doesn’t worry about his faith for no good reason.

"Some of Sahaba-al-kiram asked Rasulullah (s.a.w.) that:

- Ya Rasulullah, some of us hear such kind of voices inside them that they prefer burning until being coal completely or being thrown from the sky to the ground rather than saying it (consciously). Does these apprehensions damage us? Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

- This is real faith." [Muslim, Abu Dawud]

Dear readers, considering the multitude of sins, we shouldn’t have fears of dead. We should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness immediately and have recourse to His mercy, and attempt to increase our good deeds. Death is a gift for believers. Death oriented disease problems and sufferings of the moment of death are the penances to the believer's sins. In addition, Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that the believer wouldn’t have any suffering at the moment of death.

"Death is a gift and penance for believers."

"The believer see angels of mercy when he dies, he doesn’t feel any sufferings of dying. His spirit goes out of body in a easy way, he obtains benefactions." [Bazzar]


# The greatest help to be held for a person

Dear Readers,

The greatest help to be held both for a person who is engaged in daily business confusion and doesn’t get interested anything except for his own businesses, and for a patient convicted to death on his bed, surely, is to remind Allah. In this way, it will be ensured that they will remember Allah once again, who is sole creator and sole owner of material and spiritual worlds, the only Rab, lord, and god of the human, and their faith will be refreshed through accepting His supreme existence and submission to him. This submission is called as "Islam", and this belief is also called as "Belief of Tawhid". Belief of Tawhid is essential principle of faith. It is stated in the words of "Lailahe illallah". All prophets were sent for it. This basic reality has been emphasized throughout Quran. The most enjoyable thing to Rab is acceptance and approval of this reality wholeheartedly. The most disliked thing to Rab is denial of this basic reality, in other words, it is unbelief. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that:

"The supreme thing that I and other Prophets uttered is Lailahe illallah." [Tirmidhi]

The human who placed belief and mentioning of Rab into his heart with love, will consent and approve everything from Rab with the same affection.

I had stated in my previous articles that it is a logical necessity to accept that this order has a creator and owner, for every person apprehending the order he lives in correctly. But heart approval is essential on this subject.

Dear readers, as all other entities in divine order, natural disposition of the human also doesn’t change.


# Only faith changes the natural disposition of human

The studies have revealed that brain stem have managed automatic life, some parts of brain have managed practical life, and some other parts of it have managed theoretical life. According to which sections the human used more active, the human are divided into two major groups as practical (self oriented) type and theoretical (mental) type.

Self oriented type are practical ones, desires of whom stand in the forefront. Whatever their self desires, they just do it. They are such kind of types created for bodily working, eating, drinking and touring. They produce instant solutions to each problem. Due to their active work life, their attention is always extrovert. They show concern for everything, They're curious about everything. However, mental types are theoretical types basing on mental thinking on everything. They attempt doing everything by thinking and planning in the smallest details. They are organized and systematic at all their business. They are rational and careful at all their behaviors. You can distinguish these two type people even by the way of their shoe taking off in front of the door.

Dear readers, these disposition properties of human never change until they die. The only thing that changes these disposition properties is "faith". That is to say, the natural disposition of the human changes only with faith. Because, although before having faith, self oriented types are always subject to desires of their selves and mental types are always subject to their mentalities, after having faith, one type by leaving a side of desires of their selves and the other type by leaving a side of their mentalities, both types begin to follow the “Religious Rules” communicated by the prophets.

Making more plain, for example since self oriented types are self centralized, they don’t care of anything except themselves, but after having faith, they become more altruist. Because Rasulullah ordered that:

"If one wants something for himself, but doesn’t want it for his neighbor or his friend he is not a believer." [Muslim]

Thus, faith makes someone more thoughtful. Relating to this issue, it is ordered in hadith that:

"Intellect is induced by faith." [Bayhaqi]

Due to introversion of mental types, their verbal communications is generally insufficient, and sociability is weak. Because of that they are obliged to live human relationships that was advised by Allah; after having faith, they become more social with time.


# Having faith while breathing last breath is useless

Briefly, "faith" obliges self oriented types and mental types to be liable for "Religious Rules" which furnish them with great human values, by including into the training system of Allah. For this reason, although Allah has met all beings necessity and doesn’t need any living creature’s adoration, He has attached very importance to faith, being believed Himself, and being subjected to His provisions. The Hereafter's circumstances, torment that will implemented to the unbelievers is shown to the patient who is about to die, while breathing last breath. But, to believe in under these circumstances is no longer beneficial.. Allah ordered that:

"But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them." [Mu'min, 85]

Faith must be had before breathing last breath so that human could benefit from it in this world and life after death.

Dear Readers,

For turning away from unbelief, arrival of the moment of death must not be waited. For repenting and begging Allah for forgiveness after turning away from unbelief, first of all, it is needed to believe in six things required to believe by a believer wholeheartedly, and then to recite kalima-i shahada. But, having faith and professing his faith to everybody while breathing last breath will not be accepted. It is ordered in the verses from the Quran that:

"Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed;" nor of those who die rejecting Faith." [Nisaa, 18]

"(Pharaoh) At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: 'I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam).' (It was said to him): 'Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!'" [Yunus, 90-91]

"But when they saw Our Might, they said: "We believe in Allah,- the One God - and we reject the partners we used to join with Him!" [Mu'min, 84]


# But repentance is accepted while breathing last breath

However, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that religious repentance performed in the last moments of death before giving up the ghost will be accepted.

"Allah accepts repentance of his servants, as long as they don't arrive the last breath.” [Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Tirmidhi, Ibn Mace]

"Repentance performed one hour ago before death is admissible." [I. Ahmad]

But, dear readers, the issues of having faith and repentance for sins shouldn’t be postponed to end of life. Many people consider religion and faith as issues necessary for life after death. They think that “now lets live our lives as we want, then we perform our religious tasks." Such kind of thought, which is a delusion of devil, is greatest disaster of human. Religious tasks of human starts when he reaches puberty. The human will give account of his every behavior and word he uttered since he reached the puberty age. Besides, Rasulullah ordered that:

"You will die in the same way you have lived, and you will be resurrected in the same way you have died" [Mirkatu’l-mafatih]

That’s why we must never delay having faith, professing the faith and repentance. Having faith is basis for all the beneficence. A perfect faith is ensured by purifying our nafs (ego) with Riyazah (eschewing religious forbidden acts) and Mujahadah (worship and obedience); and purifying our heart from everything except for Allah by remembering Allah every moment. If the human doesn’t live these religious provisions in their life, how it can be possible to have a perfect faith purified from suspicions and doubts? Lets not allow ourselves to be tricked by obeying our egos’ desires. Our egos’ desires are infinite. They don’t get end. After you have fulfilled one of them, it desires another one, after you have fulfilled it too, it is followed by other one. These desires are without end.


# We shouldn’t delay having faith and repentance for sins by obeying our egos’ desires

If human can’t be able to restrict the desires of his nafs (ego) by the rules established by Allah, he is dragged to disaster. All goodness emerge by human’s submission and being subject to his Rab. His nafs is the greatest enemy of human. It is ordered in a hadith kudsi that:

"Treat your nafs as an enemy, because it is my greatest enemy." Rasulullah ordered that:

"The greatest enemy of human is his nafs, It is followed by his household." [Daylami]

The nafs is so mad. If human began to be dragged by desires of it, it is extremely difficult to get rid of it. If nafs hasn’t such kind of uncontrolled desires, terrible friends and devil can not damage human so much. That’s why the human shouldn’t be a toy of his nafs, should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness immediately and turn to Allah's mercy no matter how old, no matter what stage of his life.

It is ordered in a verse from the Quran that:

"Allah accept the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy." [Nisaa, 17]


# The moribund patient shouldn’t be desperate of Rab’s mercy

Dear readers, one shouldn't think bad and unfavorable things for Allah. He is the greatest friend of human who is created by Him. Every rule established by Him, every suggestion, every prohibition, every order issued by Him, and every worship and obedience He wanted the human to perform are all for benefit of the human and for making human a perfect entity. He is fair, merciful, and compassionate. All people including prophets will be extricated by only His mercy.

Especially, moribund patient shouldn’t be desperate of his Rab’s mercy, he should desire to meet Him. The words shouldn’t be uttered beside moribund patient, which will cause him despair, and fall into despair from Rab’s mercy. It is ordered in a hadith kudsi that:

"I meet my servants in direction of their expectations from me. Then, always expect favour from me!" It is ordered also in the hadiths that:

"Give up the ghost expecting favour from Allah!" [Saadat-i Abadiya]

"If anybody likes to meet to Allah, Allah likes to meet to him too." [Saadat-i Abadiya]

Be entrusted to Allah.

Dr. Ismail Ulukus