What is important is in 'what condition you will die!'

By Sheikh Uthaimeen رحمه الله

"O mankind, have Taqwa of Allaah the Exalted and prepare for the meeting with your Lord, with the preparation of the righteous. Verily the state of man is as his Lord the Exalted said:

يَا أَيُّهَاالْإِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ

"O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, so you will meet Him."
 (Soorah Al Inshiqaq 84:6)

O Muslims, verily the person does not know where he will die. And he does not know when he will die. As Allaah the Exalted said:

 وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

"No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things)."

(Soorah Luqman 31: 34)

If we don’t know what we will earn tomorrow while this is from our actions, then surely we do not know when we will die as this is from the actions of Allaah the Exalted. Since we do not know in what land we will die, despite the fact that the person travels to the land by choice, and since we do not know when we will die, therefore the place of death is unknown and the time of death is unknown. We ask Allaah to grant us and you and good ending.

It is not importance when the person will die or where the person will die. It is not important that he dies in Mecca or in Medina or another place from the lands of Allaah. It is not important that he dies on Friday, or Monday or any other day of the week. The only thing which is important is in what condition the person will die. This is what is important. In what condition will the person die? Will you die upon Imaan (faith), sincerity, and Tawheed? We ask Allaah to grant this to all of us. Or will you die upon doubt, shirk, kufr and obstinacy and ingratitude? This is what is important; this is what is important, O Muslims. But whoever wants to die upon good then let him do good. For SURELY Allaah the Exalted is too Generous and too Kind to abandon His slave during the time of difficulty if he used to know and acknowledge Allaah in times of ease.  

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said:

تَعَرَّفْ إلَى اللَّهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفُك فِي الشِّدَّةِ
"Know and acknowledge Allaah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will know you in times of difficulty."

What is more difficult than the person’s life coming to an end, what is more difficult than the person leaving this world?! Thus if the person knew and acknowledged his Lord during times of ease, by obedience to Him and drawing near to Him with worship of Him and constantly remembering Him, then surely Allaah the Exalted will know him during his time of difficulty. May Allaah grant us and you that. The only thing that matters is in what condition the person will die."

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الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين