The moment of death is more harsh than any moment we can imagine. All the hardships which cause us distress in this life are nothing compared to the hardship which will one day confront us in the form of death.

Death is a journey towards the most difficult stage of life. It signifies one’s entrance—in a state of total powerlessness, destitution and helplessness—to the next world. There is a limit to every hardship we bear on earth; but death will make us enter a world of unlimited hardships and difficulties.

In reality, this is the state we are in on earth. Inherently, we are so weak that we cannot endure even minor discomfort. Even the prick of a needle, a day without food and drink, or a few sleepless nights, are enough to make our whole body tremble. But we are provided with what we need in this world. That is why we have forgotten how helpless we are, and remain ignorant of our real situation.

In this world there is water and sustenance for man; there is air and light in abundance; the forces of nature can be subdued, bringing opportunities for human civilization. If this world were to be taken away from us, then nowhere in space could we make another world like it. There would be nothing for us to do but wander around in darkness.

Man bewails the calamities that strike him on earth. But if he were to realize the intensity of the coming day, he would see that all this is nothing compared to what will come to pass. Comfort and self-respect in this world make man complacent and proud. But if he were to know what was lying in store for him, he would be humble before the Lord. “Lord,” he would cry out, “worldly honour and comfort are of no consequence if they do not last through to the next, more abiding stage of life.”

Death is not the end of our lives; it is the beginning of a new stage in life. For some that stage will be a pit of torment to outrival all torments; for others it will be joy that exceeds any other.

Man makes long plans ahead,
but he is soon to die

When Abdullah Ibn Masud built himself a house, he asked Umar Ibn Yasir to come and have a look at what he had built. Umar saw the house, and then said to Abdullah Ibn Masud, “You are making long plans ahead, but you will soon die.”