Every Birthday is a Reminder
Death is the end of life on Earth for the deceased. And for those who still remain here, someone else’s death is a reminder—of their own impending death. When someone dies, it appears that a person who used to speak has now fallen silent. But this person’s becoming silent is itself a loud announcement. And the announcement is this: “The momentous event that had been destined for me has arrived. And now, sooner or later, you too will be faced with the same situation. Please prepare yourself adequately for this event.”
It is a custom in many places that when someone completes one more year of his life and the next year of his life begins, his birthday is celebrated with much gusto. But the more appropriate thing is to consider this day as a day for the remembrance of one’s impending death. The fact is that for all of us, the countdown of our life is happening continuously. Every birthday only announces that one more year of the period that has been decreed for us on this planet has gone by. Death is the culmination of this countdown.
People celebrate their birthdays as an occasion for much fun and frolic. But if you look at the matter realistically, the issue is quite the opposite. Every new birthday is actually a reminder that one’s death—and the Day of Judgment too—has moved one year closer and that now one year less remains for one to prepare for the Hereafter.
One aspect of death is that the deceased has left the present world. Another aspect of death is that the deceased person has died without having all his desires fulfilled. This is an indication of the fact that this present world is not the place for the complete fulfilment of a person’s desires. The only world for this purpose comes after death, in the world of Paradise. But that place is accessible only to those who have qualified for it.
Wise is he who understands this fact and, considering this present world as the stage for preparing for the eternal Hereafter that comes after death, makes himself worthy for the next world.
This life is the period for us to engage in action, and death is the time for us to appear in God’s court. This is a matter of utmost seriousness for all of us. Wise is he who understands the gravity of this matter and makes it his supreme concern.
