Table Of ContentShams Al'Din Al'Ourtobi
THE ADMONITION
IN DEAD PEOPLE CASES
AND HEREAFTER AFFAIRS
Translated by
Mohammad Al'Sharif
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Tous drolts r6serv6s Classification : Exhortation
a.__._i;,,._.~IJ~lll~I~~ Author : Shams Al-Din Al-Ourtobi
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,1 ~".,.'""' ~ -.w1,1a.,-.~,1.r-.,..;,1 e-i'o~.J Translator : Mohammad Al-Shanf
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.L...,iw.~U114.M1-.ir1'-:.l,.-..:.Ut,i..-1.,K~,>1JI Publlsher : Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah
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The Book's Speech 3
In The Nan1e Of Allah The Most Gracious,
· The Most Merciful
The Book's Speech
Said the poor slave in relation to hig lord, who is hoping to be free from
his sins to be able to get Allah's 1.1ercy, Mohammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn
Abu'bakr Ibn Farah Al'andalusi, ani:. then Al'Qurtobi, may Allah pardon
him, his parents, and all of Muslims: Praise be to Allah, the most glorious
and almighty, who created all beings and doomed them to die and perish,
in order to be resurrected and sent ~:> the house of judgment, according to
Allah's saying: "Verily the Hour is coming - My design is to keep it
hidden - for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its
Endeavour." (Taha 15) Allah said also: "Verily he who comes to his Lord
as a sinner (at Judgment), for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor
live. But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous
deeds, for them are ranks exalted, Gardens of Eternity, beneath which
flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those
who purify themselves (from evil)" (Taha 74:76)
Then, I thought it is better, to write a brief book to be as an admonition·
to myself, and a good work after my death, in which I talk of death, and
the dead people cases, in addition to resurrection, Garden and Hell. Some
words also are said of the seditions and the Day of Judgment's signs. This
book is rendered from those leading Muslim Imams and the confidential
Muslim scholars. You will see yourself that every thing is attributed to its
auther. tic composer or compiler. It is called "The admonition in Dead
Peor-~ Cases and Hereafter Affairs." It is classified into many sections,
attached to each of which there are some cl1apters to explain the odd and
problematic traditions and jurisprudence questions. In this way, the book
will be much more completely advantageous, because knowing The
Messenger of Allah's traditions is the most important aim, particularly on
the Day of Judgment. May Allah make it only for his sake, because there
is no god to be worshiped or praised but He Almighty.
4 Not To Hope Death For Avoiding Any Kind Of Damage Or Loss
Not To Hope Death For Avoiding
Any Kind Of Damage Or Loss
Muslim reported that The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and
peace be upon him, said: "When one of you makes supplication, he
should supplicate with a will and should not say: 0 Allah, confer upon me
if You like, for there is none to coerce Allah."
Al'bukhari reported that The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and
peace be upon him, also said in this issue: "No one of you must desire to
die, nor should he call for it, that is because if any one of you died, his
work would inevitably be cut off. And a man is better under longevity."
Al'bukhari commented: No one shall hope to die. If he is good man,
he then will be better during his long life; and if he is bad, he may be
admonished.
The Messenger of Allah also said in this context: "No one might hope
death~ indeed, it is too formidable to bear. A man might be much more
happy to live longer until Allah gives him the ability to refer to him."
In this issue, our scholars said that death is not purely annihilation, nor
is it to be a merely nothingness. It is only a soul departure from a body in
so far that it turns to be a shifting change from term to term. Death, in this
sense, is to be the greatest horror. But to forget it, or to neglect mentioning
its consequences is much more greater.
According to a tradition attributed to the prophet, Allah's blessing and
peace be upon him: "If the beasts know of death the same you know, you
will eat nothing delicious from them."
Al'termizi reported another news item, which he ascribed to Adam,
Allah's peace be upon him, according to which, one of his sons had died.
He told Eve who asked: "What is death?" He answered: "It is something,
that causes one not to eat and drink, nor to be able to sit and stand up."
She cried for him. But Adam replied: "I and my sons are free from this
act."
A Muslim scholar called "Tastari" was reported to have said: "There
are only three kinds of men who can hope to die: a man, ignorant of what
is behind death, a fleeing from Allah's fate over him, and a man, very
inclined to meet Allah."
The prophet Abraham, Allah's peace be upon him, was cited to have
met death angel who wanted to take his soul. The prophet asked: "Oh
death Angel! Did you see a friend taking his friend's soul?" Then, he
Not To Hope Death For Avoiding Any Kind Of Damage Or Loss 5
returned to Allah and told him the story. Allah said to him: "Ask him: did
you see a friend disliking to meet his friend?" Abraham answered: "Oh!
Take my soul as soon as you can."
Abul' darda was reported to have said: "There is no believer expecting
for death. That is because death is not better. And if you do not believe
me, listen to Allah's saying: "Let not the Unbelievers think that our
respite to them is good for themselves: We grant them respite that they
may grow in their iniquity: but they will have a shameful punishment"."
(Al'imran 178).
But, at the same time, you are permitted to hope and call for death
fearing of going faithless.
Allah, to whom be ascribed all perfection and power, said in the Holy
Qur'an on Yusuf's tongue: "O my Lord! Thou hast indeed bestowed on
me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams
and events, 0 Thou creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my
Protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Take Thou my soul (at death)
as one submitting to Thy Will (as a Muslim), and unite me with the
righteous." (Yusuf 101).
He also said in Mary's tongue: "And the pains of childbirth drove ,-:_er
to the trunk of a palm tree: she cried (in her anguish) "Ah! Would that I
had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of
sight!" (Mary 23).
In this issue, The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and peace be
upon him, said: "The Day of Judgment will not come before a man
passing by a man's tomb and saying: oh Allah! You may put me in his
place!"
In commenting on this account, there is, in my opinion, no
ccntradiction between the two points of view. As for Yusuf, Qatada was
c;.:ed to have said that he had not hoped to die but even to join to Al~;:ih's
integrated blessing and gratitude. And, in interpretation, Yusuf was cited
to have called only for death as a Muslim and no else. To be sure, he was
the only prophet to call for death.
Concerning Mary, she was cited to have wished for death because of
only two reasons: she feared of being accused of adultery from which she
was so much free of course. She also might have been afraid that her
nation would fall into telling lies and untruth, which might lead them to
enter into Hell.
Indeed, Allah, to whom be ascribed all glories and might, said in his
6 Not To Hope Death For Avoiding Any Kind Of Damage Or Loss
Holy Qur'an of those who told lies and untrue speech of A'esha: "Those
who brought forward the lie are a body among yourselves:Think it not to
be an evil to you:To every man among them (will come the punishment)
of the sin that he earned, and to him who look on himself the lead among
them, will be a Penalty grievous." (Light, "Noor" 11)
He also said in this connection:"Behold, ye received it on your
tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no
knowledge; and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most
serious in the sight of Allah." (Light, "Noor" 15).
As a matter of fact, people were different in Mary's situation whether
she was a true believer according to Allah's saying: "Christ, the son of
Mary, was no more than a MesseDger; many were the Messengers that
passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both
to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His Signs clear to
them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (Table,
"Ma'ida" 75) or a prophet, considering his Almighty's telling: "She
placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our
angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects" (Mary 17) and
"Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified
thee, chosen thee above the women of all nations." (Al'imran 42).
For this reason, lies could be rather made about her more than others.
These two interpretations are much more considered in hoping and calling
for death. And Allah and his messenger are much more knowing.
As for the tradition attributed to The Messenger of Allah, Allah's
blessing and peace be upon him, hoping and calling for death are
accounted for fearing of turning faithless, and not for any kind of damage
and loss of body and money, which could decrease one's sins. The
Messenger of Allah, Allah's peace be upon him, emphasized on this fact
by saying: "Oh Allah! M'.iy I ask yo1:1 to cause me to be able to do good
acts, and avoid the bad ones; I ask you to make me love those who are
needy. I also ask you, in case of imposing trials and distresses upon
people, to cause me to die and be attach to you."
Omar Ibn Al'khattab, Allah's good pleasure be upon him, said as such:
"Oh Allah! I grew weak and old, with people increasingly widespread in
the earth. You may cause me to die, so that I could keep myself far from
losses and deficiency." In this month Omar died, may Allah's mercy be
upon him.
Another Muslim called Abul'abbas Al'khafari sat one day with one of
Not To Hope Death For Avoiding Any Kind Of Damage Or Loss 7
his Muslim friends named Alim. They watched people dying as a result
of plague. Then, Abul'abbas said: (oh plague! Would you cause me to
die!)? Alim replied: why did you say this? The Messenger of Allah,
Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, ordered us not to hope and call
for death. Abul 'abbas said: I heard The Messenger of Allah saying: (you
may hope and call for death in six cases: the princedom of foolish men,
selling rule, blood slightness, kinship break, increasing provisions and
taking the Holy Qur'an as a kind of song at hands of the least religious
men. This case will be explained in detail later.
8 You Are To Mention Death, And Prepare Yourself For It
You Are To Mention Death,
And Prepare Yourself For It
The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, was
reported to have said, according to Al'nesa'ee: "You have to mention
much more the pleasure destroyer." Being asked about it's meaning, The
Messenger of Allah answered: "It is death. "
This tradition was also reported by Ibn Maja.
Ibo Maja mentioned that The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and
peace be upon him, had been sitting with many of Muslims, when a man
from Patrons (Ansar) came to him asking: "Oh messenger of Allah! who
of Muslims is to be better?" The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and
peace be upon him, replied: "It is he who has the best morals." The man
asked: "And who does have the best morals?" The Messenger of Allah
said: "It is he who is the most intelligent; and the most intelligent of you
is the most to remember death and prepare himself for receiving it as
properly as it could be." ":Malek Ibn Anas mentioned this tradition too."
Al'termizi mentioned another tradition said by The Messenger of
Allah, Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, in which he spoke of two
kinds of contradictory men: "The most intelligent is this who resists
himself and gets ready to receive death and its aftershocks; and the most
foolish is this who follows himself and demands Allah's pardon."
He also reported a tradition through Anas Ibn Malek, in which The
Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "You
have to mention death as much as you could; because this does erase your
sins and eliminate your guilt. This, too, causes oneself to be abstinent."
The Messenger of Allah was cited to have said also in this issue: "It
suffices death to become as a preacher and ~utter." The Messenger of
Allah was asked: ''Oh messenger pf Allah! Will anyone be joined to
martyrs?" He replied: "Yes, they are those who do mention death daily
twenty times."
Indeed, Allah, to whom be ascribed all glories and might said in his .
Holy Qur'an: "He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of
you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving."
(Reign, "Mulk" 2).
Some scholars ~x.plained "the best" As referring to one who does
mention death as much as he can, and prepare himself to receive it
because by which he is to be more frightened and careful. Some people
You Are To Mention Death, And Prepare Yourself For It 9
explained also The Messenger of Allah's tradition: "You should mention
death as much as you can", in addition to Allah almighty's saying: "Every
soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall
you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire
and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): for the
life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception" (Al'imran 185)
as being perfectly comprehensive brief, because when a man remembers
death, his current pleasure in this world will be interrupted so that he
might enunciate it to the extent of stopping himself from hoping to live in
this world longer. And, this is only enough for people to take their
precautions. But even, the stagnant hearts, and the ignorant souls need
more preachers' protractions and verbal decorations to be able to
understand the greatest dangers of death. Most companions of the first
generation had mentioned death so much. A reference may be made here
to Omar lbn Al'khattab, who frequently talk as example those following
verses:
Nothing, which you can see well freshly, survives but Allah, while
money and sons usually pass away inevitably.
One of Persian kings had, in one time, the greatest treasures, but, they
were unable to protect him; and so did those of Ad. Even, Solomon, the
prophet, had had the most gigantic kingdom with such things as wind
running at his disposal. But, he died in the end. Then, where are the power
reinforced kings and presidents now? All of them went to death. It is
something that every once whoever may he be, will necessarily taste.
Indeed, mentioning death is, to be sure, somewhat useful to believers.
If they are in a crisis, it will be too easy to bear as being less dangerous
than death which is to be, of course, more difficult. And, if they are under
the umbrella of comfort and blessing, they will know this may not survive
forever because death will inevitably come to interrupt their lives. As a
matter of fact, death is known to have no definite age and certain disease.
It comes suddenly to withdraw a man from his blessing and richness; to
take him from his children and money he collected during his life,
isolating oneself from his friends and comrades who would abandon him.
Al'hasan Al'basri was reported to have said: there was a nation which
got out of this world with nothing good because they were made to forget
death by their false hopes of vanity. But even, each one of them said to
himself: "I think my lord shall pardon me inevitably." However, if they
were to think of Allah as such, they would, of course, do good to deserve
