Remembering Death

If only man were to remember death, the things that make him cruel and unjust would become meaningless as he would realize that they are leading him to Hell.

Man has endless words at his disposal in this world, but there will come a time when he will be at a loss for words. There will be no one to listen to what he has to say, no press to print what he writes, and no loudspeaker to announce his words. The fool’s Paradise he has constructed for himself will be razed to the ground. He will look for some respite from anguish and despair, but there will be none.

If only man were to remember death, the things that make him cruel and unjust would become meaningless; he would realize that such actions would lead him towards Hell. For example, man cannot use the wealth he holds so dearly before death comes and severs him from his earnings for all time. If man were to remember this fact, he would not be so obsessed with self-enrichment in this world. Likewise, people plot the destruction of others, but death comes between them and their enemies before they can carry out their plots. If one constantly keeps this fact in mind, one will never seek to harm others; one will never plot the downfall of another.

No one is ready to buy a house to be demolished the next day. No one inhabits a city about to be devastated by an earthquake. However, everyone makes the much more serious mistake of ignoring the most severe earthquake which will strike us—death.