The Tempest of Death

Death is the greatest teacher. If we take lesson from death, our whole behaviour will be set right, we will become alert to all that is most important in relation to life and the afterlife.

One day, when someone who had come to see me, knocked at my door. I was reminded of the fact that similarly one day, the angel of death will knock at my door, and without my permission, he would enter my home. He would not even need the door to be opened for him. By unilateral decision he would suddenly reach me and take my soul and leave.

There are two things in the present world that come entirely without prior permission. Neither can we stop them from coming nor can we have any prior intimation about them. They are death and earthquakes. While the earthquake shakes the earth, death impacts man. But the truth is that death is more dangerous than any earthquake. The earthquake shakes the physical world but death comes to a living person. The destruction caused by an earthquake relates to today, while the destruction of death relates to tomorrow. The most serious aspect of death is that it is not the end of life; it is the beginning of a new life. Man reaches a world after death where he is all alone and totally helpless.

According to a hadith, “Wise is he who in worldly matters, keeps control over himself and makes his target of action such matters as pertain to the life after death”. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2459) Death serves as reminder of this reality: it is the greatest teacher. One who can take this lesson from death, will find that his whole behaviour will be set right. He will, to the ultimate extent, become alert to all that is most important in relation to life and the afterlife.