داود

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

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘A caller announces the following every day: ‘Children of Adam, give birth for death, accumulate wealth for annihilation and build for destruction.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘There is an angel that announces every day, “O sons of Adam, reproduce for death, accumulate for annihilation and build for destruction.’”

When Dawud b. Ali [the governor of Madina] arrested al-Mualla b. Khunays, imprisoned him, and wanted to kill him – Mualla b. Khunays said to him: take me out to the people first, for I have a lot of debts and wealth which I want to declare, so he took him out to the market. When the people had gathered he [Mualla] said: O people, I am Mualla b. Khunays, whoever knows me has known me. I bear witness that what I leave of wealth, or debt, or slave-girl, or house, or less or more, then it is is for Ja`far b. Muhammad عليه السلام. He [al-Misma`i] said: then Dawud’s head of security struck him and killed him. When the news reached Aba Abdillah عليه السلام he came out dragging his cloak [on the ground – in his hurry] until he entered upon Dawud b. Ali with his son Ismail behind him and said: Dawud you killed my Mawla [client] and usurped my property?! He said: I did not kill him nor have I taken your property. He said: By Allah I am going to pray to Allah against the one who killed my Mawla and took my property! He [Dawud] said: I did not kill him – it was the head of my guards. He [the Imam] said: by your permission or without? He [Dawud] said: without my permission. He [al-Sadiq] said: O Ismail have your way with him! he [al-Mismai] said: so Ismail came out with a sword and killed him in his seating place. Hammad from al-Mismai from Muattib who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام remained standing in worship and in prostration the whole night. I heard him calling out near the end of the night whilst in prostration: O Allah, I ask you by your irrepressible strength, and your over-powering awe, and by your might in the face of which your creatures are abased, that you bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and that you take him this moment! He [Muattib] said: by Allah he [the Imam] had not raised his head from the prostration when we heard a cry and they said Dawud b. Ali has died. Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: I supplicated against him to Allah with a supplication due to which Allah sent him an angel who struck his head with a hammer and caused his bladder to split.

I heard Musa bin Ja’far, peace be upon them both, by a grave while he was saying: Indeed, for something whose end is this, is truly rightful that one is abstinent at its beginning, and indeed, for something whose beginning is this, is truly rightful that one fears its end.

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘For one who fears of the position of his Lord there are two gardens. ’(55:46) The Imam said, ‘One who knows that Allah sees him, hears what he says and knows what he does, good or evil, and it keeps him off wicked deeds, such person is the one who fears the position of his Lord and stops his soul from following his (negative) desires.’”

“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!’”

O Hammad, these are the containers of the dead. He then looked at the houses and said: These are the containers of the living. Then he recited this verse: «Have We not made the earth a container? Of the living and the dead?» (77:25-26) It has been narrated that it refers to the burial of hair and nails.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Prophet David died suddenly on a Saturday and birds provided shadow over his body. Moses died in the wilderness where he had lost his way. A voice cried from the sky, “Moses has died! Who is he that does not die?””’

Dawud b. Kathir al-Raqqi informed me. He said: I heard Aba `Abdillah al-Sadiq (as) say: Whoever would like Allah to lighten his pangs of death should maintain his kinship ties and be good to his parents, for if he does that, Allah will protect him from the pangs of death; and he will never be afflicted with poverty in his life.

“Once I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘These are the words of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, “When it (the soul) reaches the throat. ... if you are truthful.’” (56: 82- 87) The Imam said, ‘When it reaches the throat then it sees its dwelling in paradise and says, “Return me to the worldly life so I can inform my family of what I have seen.’” It then is said, ‘There is no way for that to happen.’”

22-23 Muhammad ibn al-Hassan - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Idris quoted Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Sindy, on the authority of Ali ibn al-Hikam, on the authority of Davood ibn al-Nue’man, on the authority of Sayf al-TAmmar, on the authority of Abi Basir that Aba Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) said, When a servant reaches the age of thirty-three, he has reached perfect maturity. When he reaches the age of forty years, he has attained his ultimate progress. Hence as he enters forty‑one his powers are on decline, and it is befitting for one at fifty to consider himself like someone in his death throes.”

“I said to Abā ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘What is the meaning of the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: Why then, when it reaches the throat [of the dying person], while at that moment you are looking on – and We are nearer to him than you, though you do not see – why then, if you are not subject [to Our will], do you not restore it [and bring him back to life], if you are truthful? (Q56:83-7)?’ He said, ‘When the soul of the dying person reaches the throat, and he is a believer, he sees his position in Paradise and says, “Return me to the world so that I may inform its people about what I saw.” But he will be told, “There is no way to [do] that.”’”

Al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) said: Surely, the servant has an expanse of time between him and forty years of age. Once he reaches forty years of age, Allah reveals to His two angels: “I have allowed My servant to live a life, so coarsen, stiffen, restrain for him; and record the paucity and the abundance of his deeds, and his minor and major sins.

“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.’”

When Abul Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far passed away, Abul Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) went to the bazzar and bought a dog, a ram and a cock. Then when the agents wrote to Harun about this he said, ‘Now I am secure from his side.’ Later on, Az-Zobayri (who was a security agent)wrote that Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) has opened up the door of his house and is inviting the people towards himself. Then Harun said, ‘How strange this agent is? He himself wrote that Ali ibn Musa (a.s.) went out and bought a dog, a ram and a cock and now he is writing this stuff!’”

Amirul Mu’mineen, peace be upon him, said: "If a slave of Allah were to see his appointed time of death, and how quickly it advance towards him, he would detest all his long hopes and would renounce seeking the world." He said: Abul Faraj al-Barqi al-Dawadi reported to me the following verses which he heard from a saintly old man at Baytul Muqaddas. "One waiting for death is busy every hour, diligently constructing, erecting and fortifying, He has moments, which are tested by a certain reality, (i.e. death) but his deeds are of those who is not certain. It is manifest yet denied, its knowledge treated as if its ways were unknown to even those who are certain." And may Allah bless our master, Muhammad, the Prophet and his pure progeny.

‘Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Revealed unto Suleyman Bin Dawood (as) that: “The sign of your (as) death is a tree which will come out from Bayt Al-Maqdas called Al-Kharnouba”. Suleyman (as) looked around one day and there was Al-Kharnouba tree which had emerged from Bayt Al-Maqdas. So he (as) said to it: ‘What is your name?’ It said, ‘Al-Kharnouba’. Suleyman (as) turned back to his (as) Prayer Niche and stood leaning upon his staff. His (as) soul was Captured (passed away) in that moment. The Jinn and the human beings kept on serving him (as) and were striving in his (as) command as before, and they were thinking that he (as) was alive and had not died. The morning came and passed, and he (as) was still standing still, until the woodworm gnawed away at his (as) staff and it broke, and Suleyman (as) fell down upon the ground. Have you not heard the Statemennt of the Mighty and Majestic: “[34:14] and when it fell down, the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment”.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “(I remind you about) death, (I remind you about) death! Indeed death is inevitable. Death comes along with certain things:It comes with happiness, comfort and the blessed turn to lofty paradise, prepared for the people of eternity, for which they had worked assiduously, with great interest. Death comes along with certain things. It comes with misfortune, regret, with a turn to loss and extremely hot fire, which is prepared for the dwellers of deceitful abode which they had been seeking with great interest.” The Messenger of Allah then said, “To those who deserve guardianship and protection of Allah and salvation, death seems as if it is before their eyes. The worldly ambitions are kept backward, but if one is under the guardianship of Satan, in his case misfortune and worldly ambitions come before his eyes, and the reality of death is kept backward.’ The Imam then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah was asked, “Who is the most intelligent believer?” He replied, “Those who think about death very often and are very serious to prepare themselves for death.’””

When my father was about to die he changed colors, could not talk and his face turned black. I was about to quit following his religion (Islam), but after three days which passed like this I saw my father in my dreams wearing a white robe with a white cap on his head. I asked him, ‘O father! What has God done to you?’ He replied, ‘O son! When you saw my face turn dark and my tongue stopped from talking, it was because I used to drink wine in this world. I was that way until once I met God’s Prophet (S) (here in the Hereafter) wearing a white robe with a white cap on his head. Then he asked me, ‘Are you De’bel?’ I said, ‘Yes, O Prophet of God!’ Then the Prophet (S) said, ‘Recite to me the poem that you recited for my son Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.).’ Then I recited it:God will not let time laugh, if it were to laughWhile Ahmad’s Household are victims of injustice.Indeed were they subjected to oppressionAnd were ruthlessly thrown out of their homes;As if they had committed what cannot be forgiven.Then God’s Prophet (S) told me, ‘Excellent!’ Then the Prophet (S) interceded on my behalf and gave me some of his clothes which you can see.’ He pointed to the clothes he was wearing.”