Monday, July 26, 2021

Zulhijah 16, 1442: That corpse was 'actually' me...

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. 


Reflection 


"Anyone who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God..." (Nisaa 4:80)


YESTERDAY one of the aunt passed away. Well it was a reminder for all, especially for me...looking at the corpse being brought up from the grave, a sudden awareness (insaf) crept inside my heart.


Well, to all human beings, one day all of us, I included would be reduced to become corpses wrapped inside our 'kain kafan' and then buried six feet underground. 


That corpse that I saw was 'actually' me, I could feel the smallness and weakness in me in front of The Mighty Creator Allah SWT. Indeed He is, Allahuakbar, God The Greatest.


All life ends in death. Therefore, let us remember that a certain time is fixed for us when we too will be abandoned to the darkness of our graves.


The day would come when we could no longer talk and boast in this world; we would not able to lift our hands and legs. 


We would lay motionless on our death beds; we would be buried in our graves, and in this 'greedy modern era' no one can guarantee that 'our bodies' would not be removed from our 'resting places' where roads and buildings would be built on the land in the near future.


Note that the world is only a play, Allah SWT says in the Qur'an, 57: 20, "Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and tho seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grevious punishment, and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but a matter of illusion." 


And regarding the reality of the world, Abu Hurairah narrates that once the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him, s.a.w.) said: "Let me show you the reality of this world." I requested him to do that. He took me to a place of refuse outside Madina. There I saw human skulls and bones sunk in filth with dirty rags scattered all around. 


Addressing me he said: "These are the human skulls embodied brains filled with greed. These people were like many amongst you who live today. Like all of you they pinned their hopes on things worldly. 


"These skulls are lying without skins and after a few days they will become part of the earth. They struggled hard to eat the spicy dishes only to swallow filth today. The state in which they exist now cannot be tolerably seen by those who have eyes to see. 


"The very side of those who enjoyed the fragnance of tasty food makes you hate them. These dirty rags are the worn-outs of the gaudy dresses that made men proud. Now they are at the mercy of winds which move them the way they like. 


"And these are the bones of those animals that carried human beings only to make them feel proud. Anyone can shed a tear or two at the tragic end." Abu Hurairah stated that the tears welled up in his eyes and he wept bitterly. 

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