Intro

In part-1 we have introduced Imam Al Hadad and his historic work: “The Lives of Man”. In his work he outlines the five stage of mankind from the origins of one’s souls, their life on earth, what comes afterwards and their final abode in the afterlife.

The First Life

God brought all the souls to take the covenant [mithaq], wherein they recognised His unity and lordship.

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ ١٧٢

And ˹remember˺ when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify regarding themselves.

˹Allah asked,˺ “Am I not your Lord?”

They replied, “Yes, You are! We testify.”

˹He cautioned,˺ “Now you have no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’

— Qur’an 7:172

The Second Life

“The second life begins when one is delivered from one’s mother’s womb and ends when one departs from the world in death.”— Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man.

لنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:  ” الكيس من دان نفسه، وعمل لما بعد الموت ، والعاجز من أتبع نفسه هواها، وتمنى على الله”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The astute person is the one who calls themself to account and works for that which is after death. The fool is the one who follows his vain desires and counts on God the Exalted to fulfil his wishes”

The only thing we are certain about in our life, is it’s eventual end. How do we prepare for that time before it is too late?

Making the Most of our Time

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِرَجُلٍ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ: «اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ، وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ، وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ، وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ، وَحَيَاتِكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ»

“Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death” — Prophet Muhamamd (ﷺ)

“Good Deeds”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم  ” إِنَّ مِنْ أَخْيَرِكُمْ أَحْسَنَكُمْ خُلُقًا

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘The best among you are those who have the best manners and character.’

Apart from just good deeds, our character and our interaction with others are an ongoing opportunity to demonstrate excellence and try our best to ennoble other people. When done for the sake of Allah, all of these actions become good deeds.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم  ” يَتْبَعُ الْمَيِّتَ ثَلاَثَةٌ، فَيَرْجِعُ اثْنَانِ وَيَبْقَى مَعَهُ وَاحِدٌ، يَتْبَعُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ، فَيَرْجِعُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ، وَيَبْقَى عَمَلُهُ “.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him. His family, his wealth, and his deeds follow him; his family, and his property return back while his deeds remain with him.”

A Living Legacy

Is there anything we can do other than just good deeds within our lifetime – what else will outlast us?

رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ  ” إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ “

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “When a man dies, [all off] his actions come to an end, apart from three: recurring charity (sadaqah jaariyah), knowledge [by which people] benefit, and a pious son who prays for him.”

We can establish a legacy of good deeds through three ways:

1. Sadaqah Jaariyah – some form of recurring charity that continues to benefit others after we die. For example building a well that continues to provide water to people after we die, likewise a charitable endowment or school that continues to nourish and provide for people long after we are gone.
2. In a similar vein, knowledge that benefits people and continues to benefit them will outlive us. Knowledge is to be acted upon, and by helping to teach and guide others, we hope that can be a source of them continuing to spread goodness and ennoble the world.
3. Likewise righteous offspring who continue to pray for us after we have passed. Our friends will pass on soon after us, and mostly we will be forgotten to the annuls of time. What will our legacy be that outlives us?

Righteous offspring who continue to pray for their forefathers will benefit us. We will also benefit from institutions we help to build and establish that are able to live on and benefit others after we die.

Our Final Rites

ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٤٢

“˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ calls back the souls ˹of people˺ upon their death as well as ˹the souls˺ of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death, and releases the others until ˹their˺ appointed time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.” — Qur’an 39:42

For ourselves and others, it’s important to make sure we’re logistically prepared. Do we live near a muslim family or community that will know how to bury us and pray our janazah (funeral prayer)? Do we have a plot reserved and do we know where we want to be buried? Are our assets and finances in check, or do we have outstanding debts? These are all good things to prepare to make our transition easier for those left behind and to ensure we can be buried quickly and our soul may be put to rest.

Grief – What Do We Do When We’re Left Behind?

After we’re gone and laid to rest, our friends, our families and our community will miss us dearly. Likewise when we lose someone important we miss them dearly.

As such it’s important that we aim to be on good terms with our friends and family before they go. Regardless of age, or health, people may go at any time. It’s important that we are cognisant of this. Any time we meet our friends or family we should never take them for granted. We should endeavour to make sure that nothing important is left unsaid and nothing bitter is left unresolved.

Everyone mourns the loss of a loved one and wishes they had more time, it’s natural. It’s a harsh reality of life and the only thing we can do is endeavour to be on good terms with people that are important to us. Let us resolve conflicts and quarrels peacefully, quickly and amicably ensuring that we do not leave any unresolved conflict or lingering grievances.

If there is anything major we want to say or discuss with our loved ones we should make time to have that conversation as soon as possible. We often put things off until later but how do we know if later will ever come? It’s important to live intentionally and strive todo what we can with the limited time we have.

By investing in those relationships that are most important to us, we want to ensure that our final interactions are filled with love and kindness; leaving behind a fulfilling legacy full of love and emotional closure.

Divine Will

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ١٥٦

“Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” — Qur’an 2:156

Losing a loved one is never easy. Undeniably it is one of the most difficult experiences most of us will go through in life, yet we find solace in surrendering to the divine will of God.

In the intricate weavings of God’s plan there may be hidden blessings within such trials. We remain unaware of the sufferings they endured in this worldly existence, and perchance they have finally found serenity and peace in the realm beyond.

It is an innate human tendency to feel remorseful, yearning for more time, but we must accept their departure and treasure the moments we shared with them.

Similarly, this juncture compels us to introspect and cherish the time we still possess with our remaining loved ones.

Engaging in contemplation, we may ponder upon what the departed soul would desire for us. Would they wish for our sorrow, or would they rather witness our perseverance while fondly remembering them, visiting their resting place, and offering prayers for their eternal peace in the hereafter?

How else can we continue to honour their memory? How else can we continue to honour those we have left before they’re a memory?

Conclusion

This week i’ve looked at:

• The first life, before our currently worldly existence. Including “the mithaq” – the original covenant between God and mankind.
• The second life of man’s soul – this current worldly existence.
• How we can make the most of our time here on earth — by striving to leave a legacy of good deeds.
  • قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِرَجُلٍ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ: «اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ، وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ، وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ، وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ، وَحَيَاتِكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ»
    “Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death” — Prophet Muhamamd (ﷺ)
• How we can leave a living legacy – even after we die through recurring charity “Sadaqah Jariah”
  • رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ  ” إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ “
    
    Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “When a man dies, [all off] his actions come to an end, apart from three: recurring charity (sadaqah jaariyah), knowledge [by which people] benefit, and a pious son who prays for him.”
• Good deeds will be the only thing that accompany us after we are buried and laid to rest.
  • قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم  ” يَتْبَعُ الْمَيِّتَ ثَلاَثَةٌ، فَيَرْجِعُ اثْنَانِ وَيَبْقَى مَعَهُ وَاحِدٌ، يَتْبَعُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ، فَيَرْجِعُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ، وَيَبْقَى عَمَلُهُ “.
    Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him. His family, his wealth, and his deeds follow him; his family, and his property return back while his deeds remain with him.”

We also looked at what happens to us after we experience a death:

• The importance of understanding our final rites and being prepared for death
• Our acceptance of divine will
• How we deal with grief and prepare for the passing of loved ones.

In Part 3 we will look at life after death and what happens in grave after we die. Furthermore we will look at what actions we can do to benefit our loved ones who have already passed on, how we can pray for them, read Qur’an and visit them to provide them solace.