Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I 6 July 2014

Gopinath Pandurang Munde (12 December 1949-3 June 2014) was a senior political leader. In the general elections held in May 2014 he achieved a spectacular victory and was selected as a Cabinet minister in the Union government. On 4 June 2014, he was to take charge of his ministry. But only one day before, that is, on 3 June he suffered from a road accident and died on the spot.

Death reminds a man that the present world is not his final abode. He has to prepare himself for the world hereafter. Death is only a reminder of the fact that everyone is doomed to enter the other world.

That day Gopinath Munde was on his way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport to fly to Mumbai. He was going to address a victory rally scheduled in Beed and Parali in Maharashtra.

But before reaching the airport, his end came about.Thus, Gopinath Munde left behind all his success of the pre-death period and entered the post-death period all alone.

Every day a number of people pass away from this world in the ordinary course of events. This fact on its own should be enough to shake people up, but it does not, for the simple reason that everyone who watches others disappear thinks that this fate is only destined for others, and not for himself.

By excluding himself he fails to learn a valuable lesson. He fails to hear the message of death even when it is close at hand.

Every person tries hard to build a world of his own. But before attending his victory day celebrations, he dies at the point of no return. Death is everyone's fate. No one can escape from dying.

There is a verse in the Quran: "Every soul shall taste death" (29:57). This is the law of nature and there is no exception to this law. Death reminds us that the present world is not our final abode. We have to prepare ourselves for the world hereafter. Death is only a reminder of the fact that everyone is doomed to enter the other world.