WHEN SYMPTOMS GET WORSE
Think positively of Allah
It is extremely important to think positively of Allah during this critical stage.
The Prophet (SAW) said:
“Whenever one of you is dying, they should only have the best thoughts of Allah.”
[Saheeh Muslim (2877)]
The scholars said: “what is meant by thinking positively of Allah, is thinking that He will have mercy on you and forgive you.”
[Sharh Muslim (17/210)]
Pointers to enable you to think positively of Allah
The benefit of wanting to meet Allah
The Prophet (SAW) said: “One who loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him.”
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari (6507) & Saheeh Muslim (2684)]
The pain will be completely forgotten
The Prophet (SAW) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, a person who suffered the most in terms of exhaustion, pain, illnesses, oppression, being degraded, humiliation and poverty, this person suffered the most out of all of humanity from the beginning until the end of times. This person will be brought and dipped once into Paradise, and it will be said to him: ‘O Son of Adam, did you ever see anything bad? Did you ever experience any hardship. He will say: ‘No, by Allah, O Lord. I never saw anything bad and I never experienced any hardship.’”
[Saheeh Muslim (2807)]
For the person who has repented completely, their departure will be beautiful and full of reassurances
They will also meet their families who were righteous, as it is proven in the prophetic tradition that the souls of the believers meet one another.
[An-Nasaa’i (1833) & authenticated
by Ibn Taymiyyah in Al-Fatawaa (5/449)]
In the grave
The Prophet (SAW) said: ” The believer who is going to be from the people of Jannah (which includes the one who repented completely before he passed away) in his grave he will see his place in Jannah every morning & every evening…”
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari (1379) &
Saheeh Muslim (2866)]
Accountability on the Day of Resurrection
“When the Prophet (SAW) saw a lady who lost her baby, and when she found her child, she embraced him and fed him. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to his companions, ‘Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire?’ We said, ‘No, by Allah…’ The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ‘Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to her child.”
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari (5653) &
Saheeh Muslim (6921)]
Allah’s mercy on the
Day of Resurrection
The Prophet (SAW) said: “Allah has one hundred parts of mercy, of which He sent down one between the jinn, mankind, the animals and the insects, by means of which they are compassionate and merciful to one another, and by means of which wild animals are kind to their offspring. And Allah has kept back ninety-nine parts of mercy with which to be merciful to His servants on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Saheeh Muslim (6908)]
In Paradise…
The Prophet (SAW) informed us: “A caller will call out (to the people of Paradise) ‘You will be healthy and never fall sick; you will live and never die; you will stay young and never grow old; you will feel joy and never feel sorrow.”
[Saheeh Muslim (2827)]
If they have repented but
still feel worried…
“The Prophet (SAW) entered upon a young man as he was dying, and said to him: How do you find yourself? He said: I have hope in Allah but I am afraid because of my sins. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “These two feelings (fear and hope) do not coexist in a person’s heart in this situation but Allah will give him what he hopes for and keep him safe from what he fears.”
[At-Tirmidhi (983) & authenticated
by Al-Mundhiree in At Targheeb wat
Tarheeb (4/214)]
AT THE HOSPITAL
Things to do at the hospital
• Have patience
• Think positively of Allah
• Keep seeking forgiveness
• Stay on top of your 5 daily prayers
• Make lots of du’a
If you recover from the illness…
• Thank Allah
• Perform a prostration of thankfulness (Sujood Ash-Shukr)
• Don’t become complacent & keep making du’a
If things do not get better, remain patient, do your best to follow the advice mentioned at the top of this page, and prepare yourself for the possibility of the situation becoming critical.
During the critical stage
Being alone
It is important to note that, the Muslim is never alone. There are two angels appointed to guard and protect the believer until it is time for the person to leave this world.
[Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/115)]
The Prophet (SAW) informed us: At the time of death, a large group of angels bring a perfume and a beautiful white shroud from paradise. The Angel of Death sits by the believer’s head, and says, ‘O good soul, come forth to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure/ Then the soul comes out in a very calm way; the angels take the soul from the Angel of Death then they place it in the heavenly shroud and apply the heavenly perfume to it. After which, they ascend with the soul towards the skies. In the skies, the soul reunites with their righteous family members who have passed away before them.
[Sahih Ibn Hibaan & authenticated by Ibn Taymiyah in Al Fatawaa (5/449) & Shu’ab Al-lmaan (1/300) by Al-Baihaqi & authenticated by him]
Importance of
“Laa ilaaha ill-Allah”
The Prophet (SAW) said:
Instruct your dying ones to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.”
[Saheeh Muslim (916)]
Virtue of saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah before departure
If a believers final statement is Laa ilaaha ill-Allah before he died and he intended to repent for all of his sins whilst making this statement, then it is hoped all of his sins will be forgiven. This will be a noble ending to his life, he will be saved from any punishment and will be admitted into Jannah directly.
However, this is with the condition that he has returned the rights of the creation.
[Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (1/220)]
& [Fathul Bari (3/110) & (10/283)]
Do you have to keep repeating “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah”?
An-Nawawi said: They (the scholars) said: “If he says it once, he does not need to 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.”
[Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (6/219)]
When ‘Abd-Allah Ibn Al-Mubarak was dying, a man began to prompt him: “So, laa ilaaha ill-Allah” The man persisted until he became overwhelmed. Ibn Al-Mubarak said: “What you are doing is not good, I fear (if I don’t advise you) that you may disturb a Muslim after me. When you prompt me and I respond with Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and I do not say anything else after, then do not prompt me further. However if I speak after it, then prompt me again, so that Laa ilaaha ill-Allah may be my final words.”
[Siyar A’laam An-Nubalaa (8/418)]
DEALING WITH DEATH
The first actions to take when you hear the news
Be Patient
The Prophet (SAW) said:
“(True) patience is only when calamity first strikes.”
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari (1283) and Saheeh Muslim (926)]
Ibn Hajar said this statement means: “If one is able to show patience at the beginning of a calamity when they are about to feel overwhelmed by panic and impatience, then that is the perfect patience which leads to reward.”
[Fathul Bari (3/149)]
When hearing about the death of a loved one, a person should avoid having resentment towards Allah. A person should not:
• Feel discontent or anger towards Allah or His decree
• Express discontent verbally, such as by wailing or questioning the situation
• Show discontent physically through actions such as slapping their cheeks, tearing their garment or pulling out their hair
Instead, one should have patience:
• A person may find being struck by a calamity burdensome and dislike it, but they bear it with patience and steadfastness
• They may dislike what they are going through during the hardship, but their faith protects them from becoming discontent
Make the following du’as
Prophetic du’a for loss
Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon. Allaahumma’jurni fee musibatee wa akhlif lee khairan minhaa
Surely, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me for my affliction and replace it for me with that which is better.
Umm Salamah heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: “There is no calamity that befalls one of the Muslims and he responds by saying [The supplication above] except that Allah will compensate him with something better than it.”
[Saheeh Muslim (918)]
Prophetic du’a for the deceased
For a male, recite:
Allaahummagh-fir li-(mention name)- warfa’ darajatahu fil-mahdiyyeen, wakhlufhu fee ‘aqibihi fil-ghaabireen, waghfir lanaa wa lahu yaa rabbal ‘aalameen wafsah lahu fee qabrih, wa nawwir lahu feeh.
For a female, recite:
Allaahummagh-fir li-(mention name)- warfa’ darajatahaa fil-mahdiyyeen, wakhlufhaa fee ‘aqibihaa fil-ghaabireen, waghfir lanaa wa lahaa yaa rabbal ‘aalameen wafsah lahaa fee qabrihaa, wa nawwir lahaa feeh.
“O Allah! Forgive so & so; raise his/her station among those who are rightly- guided; and take good care of his/her family that he/she has left behind. O Lord of the Worlds! Forgive him/her and us, make his/her grave spacious, and put light therein for him/her.”
[Saheeh Muslim (920)]
Seek forgiveness for them
Seeking forgiveness for parents & others too
The Prophet (SAW said: “A person will be raised in status in Paradise and will say: “Where did this come from?” And it will be said to them: “From your child praying for forgiveness for you.”
[Ibn Maajah (3660) & authenticated
by Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer (7/409)]
If you feel guilty that you had shortcomings towards them…
Ibn Taymiyyah said: “If a servant fell short in respect to their family members, children, neighbours or siblings, then he should make du’a for them & seek forgiveness for them.”
[Majmoo Al-Fataawa (11/698)]
Give charity on their behalf
There is an agreement amongst the scholars that charity will benefit the deceased.
[Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (4/70)]
It is best to give to a cause which will be an ongoing source of charity for them. Examples of ongoing charity projects are: Masjids, wells, water pumps, etc. You can set up an online donation page to collect donations from friends and other family members. Many charities can set these up on your behalf.
Helping other people deal with loss
1. Offer condolences & reassure them
• Ensuring that social distancing guidelines should still be followed
2. Make du’a for the deceased
3. Be there for them during this tough time
You can support them in respect to finance, the funeral processions, any errands they may need help with
Offer emotional support by checking up on them and comforting them
4. Give charity on their behalf
[Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi (4/70)]
5. Arrange to get them food
• Do this at a time that is convenient for them
• Giving food to the house of the deceased was a practice encouraged by the Prophet ^
[At Tirmidhi (998) & authenticated by him]
FUNERAL PROCESSIONS
Ibn Qudamah said:
“As for the shaheed who was not killed, such as one who died of a stomach disease, one who died of the plague, one who drowned, one who was crushed by a falling wall and the woman who died in childbirth, they are to be washed and the funeral prayer is to be offered for them. We do not know of any difference of scholarly opinion on this point…”
[Al-Mughni (2/204)]
Washing the dead*
• The minimum requirement for washing the body is for water to reach every part of it.
[Al-Mabsoot (2/229), Al-Fawakih Ad-Dasani (2/668), Tuhfatul Muhtaj (5/98) & Kashaf Al-Qinaa (2/95)]
• If there is fear that people will contract the disease whilst washing the body, then they should do it with caution whilst wearing the correct protective equipment.
• If the body cannot be washed, tayammum must be done.
Shrouding*
• The minimum requirement for shrouding of the body is a single piece of cloth that covers the entire body.
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari (4047),
Saheeh Muslim (940), Haashiya Ibn
‘Aabideen (5/98); Mawaahib Al-Jaleel (2/266);
& Al-Mughni (5/586)]
• If there is not enough cloth available then cover as much of the body as possible, ensuring that the awrah is covered.
*Please note: Washing and shrouding practices may vary depending on the local funeral services. Please follow the safety guidelines whilst ensuring the religious rights are carried out correctly.
The Funeral Prayer
How to pray the funeral prayer
1. Stand and say “Allahu akbar”
2. Then recite Surah Al-Fatihah or the opening du’a
3. Then say “Allahu akbar” the second time
4. Followed by Allaahumma salli ‘alaa Muhammad (Ibrahimiyyah/durood sharif)
5. Then say “Allahu akbar” the third time
6. Then recite the following prophetic du’a:
For the male:
Allaahummaghfir lahu warhamh, wa ‘aafihi wa’fu ‘anh, wa akrim nuzulah, wa wassi1 mudkhalah, waghsilhu bilmaa’i waththalji walbarad, wa naqqihi minalkhataayaa kamaa naqqaytath-thawbal-‘abyada minad-danas, wa ‘abdilhu daaran khayran min daarih, wa ‘ahlan khayran min ‘ahlih, wa zawjan khayran min zawjih, wa ‘adkhilhul-jannah, wa ‘a’idhhu min ‘adhaabil-qabri wa ‘adhaabin-naar.
[Saheeh Muslim (963)]
For the female:
Allaahummaghfir lahaa warhamhaa, wa ‘aafihaa, wa’fu ‘anhaa, wa akrim nuzulahaa, wa wassi’ mudkhalahaa, waghsilhaa bilmaa’i waththalji walbarad, wa naqqihaa minalkhataayaa kamaa naqqaytath-thawbal-‘abyada minad- danas, wa ‘abdilhaa daaran khayran min daarihaa, wa ‘ahlan khayran min ‘ahlihaa, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihaa, wa ‘adkhilhal-jannah, wa-a’idhhaa min ‘adhaabil-qabri wa ‘adhaabin-naar
[Saheeh Muslim (963)]
Translation of the funeral du’a:
“O Allah, forgive him/her and have mercy on him/her and give him/her strength and pardon him/her. Be generous to him/her and cause his/her entrance to be wide and wash him/her with water and snow and hail. Cleanse him/her of his/her transgressions as white cloth is cleansed of stains. Give him/her an abode better than his/her home, and a family better than his/her family and a spouse better than his/her spouse. Take him/her into Paradise and protect him/her from the punishment of the grave and from the punishment of Hell-fire.”
[Saheeh Muslim (963)]
7. Then say “Allahu akbar” the fourth time
[Musnad Ash-Shaafi’ee (588) & authenticated by Al-Baihaqi in As-Sunan Al-Kubra (4/39)]
8. Then say “Assalamu’alaykum wa rahmatullah” once on your right & you may also do one on the left to finish the prayer
Further points on the funeral prayer
• It is possible for the funeral prayer to be performed in the graveyard.
• The minimum number of people needed for the funeral prayer is one Muslim. [FathulMun’im (4/243)]
• Masks can be worn whilst performing the prayer.
• Leaving a gap between worshippers is also valid during the pandemic.
• A hadith states: if 40 people perform the funeral prayer then their intercession will be binding for the deceased, [Saheeh Muslim (948)]
• However, if it is not possible for 40 people to attend due to the regulations, then it is hoped that they will still obtain that virtue with the number of people allowed to attend.
• If it is not possible to have the body present during the funeral prayer, due to quarantine or other restrictions, and no one has performed the funeral prayer on the body, then several classical scholars have allowed the funeral prayer to be offered in absence of the body. ;
Saheeh Al-Bukhari (3877)
& Saheeh Muslim (952)]
Burial
There is no minimum number of people needed to bury the deceased, from an Islamic perspective. So long as the burial is done then the obligation has been carried out.
[Al-ljmaa by Ibn Al-Mundhir (p. 52)]
The burying of multiple bodies in one grave is allowed, when it is necessary to do so. There are examples of when the Prophet (SAW) did this, when it was required. Hence, if you see this happen at a graveyard know that it’s valid.
[Al-Majmoo’ byAn-Nawawi (5/247) & Saheeh Al-Bukhari (1343)]
It is disliked to bury the body in a coffin according to a scholarly consensus. However, it is allowed if it is due to a necessity.
[Mughni Al-Muhtaj (1/539)]
The body should be placed in the grave on its right side, facing the qiblah.
[Al-Muhala by Ibn Hazm (5/173)]
After the burial
The Prophet (SAW) said: “Pray for forgiveness for your brother, and ask Allah for him to remain firm (in answering the questions by the two angels) for now he is being questioned.”
[Abu Dawood (3221) & authenticated by An-Nawawi in Al-Majmoo (5/291)]
At-Tirmidhi said: “The funeral prayer and making du’a for the deceased after the burial is a form of support for them, as a group of Muslims performing the funeral prayer is like sending soldiers who have gathered outside the door of the King, interceding on his behalf. Then, standing by his grave, asking for him to remain firm is further supporting the soldiers as this is a time wherein the deceased is occupied, for he is now faced with the horrors of that situation & the questioning of the angels.”
[Haashiyat Ar-Rawd by Ibn Al-Qassim (3/124])
AFTER THE FUNERAL
Visiting the graveyard
Prophetic du’a for visiting the graveyard
Assalaamu’alaykum “ahlad-diyaari minal-mu’mineena walmuslimeen, wa “innaa “in shaa1 Allaahu bikum lalaahiqoon, wa yarhamullaahul-mustaqdimeena minnaa walmusta’khireen, as’alul-laaha lanaa wa lakumul-‘aafiyah
Assalamualaykum, O inhabitants of the graves, believers and Muslims. We are surely to join you soon insha Allah. May Allah have mercy on those of us who have proceeded and those who are to come. I ask Allah to grant us all well-being and safety.
[Sahih Muslim (974) & (975)]
“Assalamualaykum” here means protection from punishment for the inhabitants of the graves, as a person may be punished in the grave even if it be a small amount. So, when you ask Allah for protection for him, he will be protected.
[Sharh Al-Mumti’ (5/259)]
concluded
The Booklet has been produced by Tazkiyah Publications. Email: tazkiyah.publications@gmail.com