Marking Someone’s Death

These days, it has become a common practice that if some “big” person dies, a large function is organized in the name of offering condolences to the deceased, and messages of condolence are published in the newspapers. This is a wrongful innovation and is not in accordance with Islam. It was certainly not practised in the time of the Prophet and his Companions.

Islam teaches us that when we witness someone else’s death, we should think of our own impending death, and that in our solitude, we should beseech God for ourselves and the deceased. Death is a reminder that God sends to us, telling us that just as one person has now died, every other human being, too, will die, one day or the other.

We should take death in this way, as a reminder. When we hear of, or witness, someone else’s death, it should lead us to remember that one day we, too, will have to stand before God in the same way and receive our due. Being mindful of this, we should turn to God and seek His help.