Remembering Death and the Grave

‘Abū ʿAbdillāh said [to me], “O Abā Ṣāliḥ, when a [funeral] bier is lifted, imagine that it is you who is being carried [upon it], or that you are the one asking your Lord to return you to the world so that you may do good deeds, and see then what you will resume [of your actions].” Then he said, “How astounding it is for a community whose former members have been confined away [in their graves] from their latter ones [who are alive], then a caller calls out among them for departure [from this world] while they are [busy] playing!”’”

“A caller cries out every day, ‘O son of Ādam, beget for death, amass for annihilation, and build for destruction!’”

“I said to Abū Jaʿfar (a), ‘May I be your ransom! Inform me of something that I may benefit from.’ So he said, ‘O Abā ʿUbaydah, remember death often, for a person does not remember death often but that he detaches himself from the [yearnings of the material] world.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘Death! Death! Death comes with whatever is in it; it brings comfort and ease, and a blessed return to the lofty heavens for the people of the eternal abode – those who had struggled for it and yearned for it. And death comes with whatever is in it; it brings wretchedness and regret, and a return of [great] loss to a scorching fire for the people of the abode of delusion – those who strived for it and yearned for it.’” And he (a) said, “When the guardianship of Satan and wretchedness is deserved, aspiration comes in front of the eyes and [remembrance of] death goes behind the back.” He [also] said, 'The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) was asked, ‘Who among the believers are cleverer?’ He said, ‘Those among them who remember death more often and make more intense preparations for it.’”

Were it not for prostration before Allah and the gatherings of the [pious ones among the] people who [choose to] utter virtuous words, just as the best dates are plucked [and harvested], I would have wished for death.”

When al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (a) was on his deathbed, he cried, so someone asked him, ‘O son of the daughter of Allah’s Messenger, you are crying despite having the position that you have next to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ)? And despite what the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) has said regarding you? And despite your having gone for pilgrimage twenty times riding and twenty times on foot? And despite having given away all your possessions for the sake of Allah thrice, even your sandals?’ He (a) replied, ‘I am only weeping for two things: the terror of what is to come [in the grave and Hereafter] and separation from loved ones.’”

“Jibraʾīl (a) came to the Prophet (ṣ) and said, ‘O Muḥammad, live as you like for you will indeed die, love whomever you want for you will indeed separate, do whatever you wish for you will indeed be requited therefor, and act however you wish for you will surely meet it [in the Hereafter].’” Ibn Abī ʿUmayr said, “Ibn Sinān added [one more phrase] to it, ‘O Muḥammad, the honor of a believer is [in] his prayer in the night, and his esteem is [in] his refraining from harming the people.’”

“Prophet Dāwūd died suddenly on a Saturday, so the birds shaded him with their wings. Mūsā, the interlocutor of Allah, died in the wilderness, so a caller cried out from the sky, ‘Mūsā has died! And which soul does not die!’”

‘I went to visit Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) in order to console him for [the death of] Ismāʿīl, so he invoked [divine] mercy upon him and then said, “Verily Allah consoled His Prophet (ṣ) Himself and said: Verily you shall die, and they will [all] die [too] (Q39:30). And He said: Every soul will taste death (Q3:195).” Then he began speaking [about the subject of death] and said, “Indeed, all the inhabitants of the earth shall die until no one remains. Then the inhabitants of the heavens will die until no one remains except the Angel of Death, the bearers of the [Divine] Throne, Jibraʾīl, and Mīkāʾīl. Then the Angel of Death will come and stand before Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, so he will be asked, ‘Who has remained?’ while He [already] knows better. He will reply, ‘O Lord, no one remains except the Angel of Death, the bearers of the [Divine] Throne, Jibraʾīl,and Mīkāʾīl.’ He will be told, ‘Command Jibraʾīl and Mīkāʾīl so that they both die.’ So the angels [who remain] will say, ‘O Lord, they are Your messengers and Your most trusted ones!’ He will say, ‘I have decreed for every living soul that it must die.’ Then the Angel of Death will come and stand before Allah, the Almighty, so he will be asked, ‘Who has remained?’ while He [already] knows better. He will reply, ‘O Lord, no one remains except the Angel of Death and the bearers of the [Divine] Throne. He will be told, ‘Command the bearers of the [Divine] Throne so that they may die.’ Then [having done that] the Angel of Death will come with his gaze lowered. He will be asked, ‘Who has remained?’ So he will say, ‘O Lord, no one remains except the Angel of Death.’ So He shall say to him, ‘Die, O Angel of Death!’ The Angel of Death will thus die. Then He will take the earth in His left hand and the heavens in His right hand, shaking them severely many times. Then He will say, ‘Where are those who used to invoke [others as] associates with Me? Where are those who had placed with Me another deity?’”

“ʿAlī (a) said, ‘He who counts his morrow as part of his lifetime has not given death its due status!’ ʿAlī (a) also said, ‘A servant does not lengthen his [worldly] aspiration but that he ends up doing evil deeds [to achieve his goal].’ And he used to say, ‘If the servant were to see his death and how quickly it is approaching him, he would have loathed [worldly] aspiration and seeking the world.’”

“ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (a) used to say [regarding death], ‘A terror which youknow not when you will meet, so what prevents you from preparing for it before it comes to you suddenly?’”