Class 3
DEATH BED
Exhort the Dying to Say La Illaha ill-Allah as the final words
It is mustahabb to exhort the dying person to utter the Kalimah of Shahadah or word of faith in this situation, so that his life will end with that and it will be the last words that he utters. Hence the Prophet ﷺ enjoined it. It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Exhort your dying ones to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah.” (Sahih Muslim).
It was narrated that Mu’aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say: “If a person’s last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Paradise will be guaranteed for him.” (Ahmad & Abu Dawood; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani)
Exhorting means teaching and explaining. What is meant by exhorting the dying person to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah is that there should be someone with him who can remind him to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, as if teaching and prompting a small child.
Do not push too hard to say the Kalimah
The dying person should not be bothered with repeated requests to say it, if he has said it and does not say anything after that.
Al-Nawawi said: They (the scholars) regarded it as makrooh to exhort him repeatedly or continuously, lest that cause him hardship and distress and he dislikes that in his heart and says something that is not appropriate. They said: If he says it once, he need not be reminded again unless he says something else after that, in which case he should be reminded again so that it will be the last thing that he says. End quote.
When ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak (may Allaah have mercy on him) was dying, a man started prompting him to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, and he did that a great deal. He said to him: “You are not doing something good. I fear that you will annoy a Muslim after me. When you prompted me, if I say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, then I did not say anything else after that, leave me alone, but if I say anything, then exhort me to say it again, so that it will be the last thing I say.” Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 8/418
Exhort the Non-Muslims to say the Kalimah
This exhortation is prescribed even if the dying person is a kaafir, because if he says it before the soul is taken, saying it will benefit him, even if he is punished for his sins. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Exhort your dying ones to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, for if a person’s last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah at the time of death, he will enter Paradise at some point, no matter what befalls him before that.” (Ibn Hibbaan; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
Another indication that the command to exhort the dying to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah includes kaafirs too is what the Prophet ﷺ did with his paternal uncle Abu Taalib, and with the Jewish boy who used to serve him.
The Prophet ﷺ was present when his uncle Abu Taalib was dying, and he said to him: “O uncle, say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, a word for which I will testify for you before Allaah.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
The Prophet ﷺ was also present when the Jewish boy who used to serve him was dying. He said to him: “Become Muslim” – according to the report narrated by Ahmad (12381): “Say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah.” (Bukhaari).
Remind to have Good Thoughts about Allah
Jabir bin `Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying three days before his death: “Let none of you die unless he has good expectations from Allah”. [Muslim].
Remove things that Dispels the Angels of Mercy
Although things that dispel the Angels of Mercy should never be around us, it is more so when a person is on his death bed. Things like Pictures or Statues of humans or animals, improperly dressed women, music, smoke, foul smell, etc.
Do not cry or weep loudly in front of them
Often people sit and cry loudly specially women in front of the dying. This causes the dying harm and distress.
It was narrated, The doctor said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, after he gave him milk to drink and the milk came out of his wound solid and white: “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, recommend someone to succeed you.” ‘Umar said: “You are being truthful with me. Had you said something else, I would not have believed you.” The people wept when they heard that and he said: “Do not weep for us. Whoever wants to weep, let him go out. Did you not hear what the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said – ‘The deceased is tormented because of his family’s weeping over him’?” (Ahmad; Ahmad Shaakir said: its isnaad is saheeh.
Signs of Good End
There are many signs of a good end, which the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have derived from the texts which speak of that. These signs include the following:
Uttering the shaahadah (testimony of faith) when dying, because the Prophet ﷺ said, “A person whose last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah [there is no God but Allaah] will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3116).
Dying with sweat on the forehead, because al-Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say, “The believer dies with sweat on his forehead.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmidhi & NIsaai).
Dying on the night or day of Friday, because the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “there is no Muslim who dies on the day of Friday or the night of Friday, but Allaah will protect him from the trial (fitnah) of the grave.” (Narrated by Ahmad; al-Tirmidhi)
Dying as a fighter for the sake of Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allaah. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision”. They rejoice in what Allaah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty and rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve.
They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah, and that Allaah will not waste the reward of the believers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:169]
And the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever is killed for the sake of Allaah is a martyr, and whoever dies for the sake of Allaah is a martyr.” Narrated by Muslim, 1915.
Dying of the plague, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “The plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, said: I asked the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ about the plague, and he ﷺ told me that it is a punishment that Allaah sends upon whomsoever He will, and that Allaah has made it a mercy for the believers, for there is no one who stays in his land at the time of a plague, bearing that with patience and seeking Allaah’s reward, knowing that nothing will befall him but that which Allaah has decreed for him, but he will be given a reward like that of a martyr.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3474).
Dying of a stomach disease. The Prophet ﷺ said: “… and whoever dies of a stomach disease is a martyr.” Narrated by Muslim, 1915.
Dying because of being crushed by a falling wall or by drowning, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “The martyrs are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is martyred for the sake of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2829; Muslim, 1915.
If a woman dies as a result of childbirth, or when she is pregnant. The evidence for that includes the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (3111), according to which the Prophet ﷺ said, “A woman who dies with child is a martyr.” al-Khattaabi said: What this means is if she dies with a child in her womb. ‘Awn al-Ma’bood.
And Imam Ahmad narrated (17341) that ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ told us about the martyrs and mentioned among them, “A woman who is killed by the child in her womb attains martyrdom, and her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.”
Death caused by burning, pleurisy and tuberculosis. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Being killed for the sake of Allaah is martyrdom; the plague is martyrdom; drowning is martyrdom; dying of a stomach disease is martyrdom; and the woman who dies in childbirth, her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.” (Abu’l-Awaam, the custodian of Bayt al-Maqdis added: and burning and tuberculosis). Al-Albaani said: Hasan saheeh. Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1396.
Dying to defend one’s religion, one’s wealth or one’s life, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr; whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr; whoever is killed in self-defence is a martyr.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1421.
Al-Bukhaari (2480) and Muslim (141) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr.”
Dying guarding the borders of Islam for the sake of Allaah. Muslim (1913) narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Guarding the borders of Islam for one day and one night is better than fasting and praying at night for a whole month, and if he dies (whist performing this duty), he will go on receiving the reward for this great deed and his provision (continually), and he will be spared the questioning in the grave. ”
Dying whilst doing a righteous deed, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, seeking the Countenance of Allaah thereby, and that is the last of his deeds, will enter Paradise. Whoever gives charity and that is the last of his deeds will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 22813)
These are the good signs which point to a good end, but despite that we cannot be certain that a specific person is one of the people of Paradise unless the Prophet ﷺ testified that he will go to Paradise, such as the four khaleefahs or the Ashra Mubashrah.
May Allah make us die as Muslims and give us all a good end, one that He would be pleased with.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the Signs of a Good End.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
Invite atleast 15 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 3 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
Prepare your will. (follow the example given in Class 2) (4 Marks)
Remind atleast 3 people to make their will and inform them about the Hadeeth and its importance. (3 Marks)
Talk about any other 3 topics covered in this week’s classes with atleast 3 people. 3 Marks.
Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 2 Marks
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