Question:
Assalamualaikum Sheikh,
I’d like to ask- what does frequent thoughts about death signify? This is sometimes making me feel restless and not letting me do my tasks and/or reach my goals. I feel weird. I’d like to have a long life where I am able to do lots of good deeds, help people and be a role model, Inshallah! Kindly advise as to what I should do? Jazakallah Khair!
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani has told us that Grandshaykh `Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani (q) used to advise his murids “to remember death at least 3 times a day” in order to keep a correct focus on life, realizing that this life is temporary and everything we do for it is wasted, while what we do for the next life is permanent, like making an investment in a giant pension fund, where your employer matches not dollar-for-dollar, but millions-for-dollar. As Sayyidina `Ali (r) said, “work for this life as if you were going t live forever and work for the afterlife as if you are going to die tomorrow, based on the amount you will spend time in each.”
At the same time, we cannot give up this life completely, but as Allah has revealed we say, Rabbana atina fi ‘d-dunya hasanatan wa fi ‘l-akhirati hasanat wa qina `adhab an-nar, {Our Lord give us the good of this life and the good of the afterlife and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.} which is the du`a of the pilgrims turning about the Sacred House. So if you feel restless and anxious, try to focus more on the afterlife by increasing your time spent in worship and devotion, and Allah knows best.
Taher Siddqiui
