An unforgettable experience

As’salam alaikum brothers and sisters in Islam.

Today, I would like us to share unforgettable experience(s) that drew us closer to Allah subuhanu wa ta’ala. It does not have to be a negative experience but something you will like to share with others so we may benefit from it.

Today I will be sharing one of the many times I thought I was going to die. This is one of the times I said to myself ‘ah oti ton fun mi’/ it is over for me.

It all began about nine weeks to Ramadan. I noticed I would randomly get dizzy and nauseated. I did not really have any major health issues so I didn’t really bother much. I was a little worried but I didn’t really pay much attention to it.

Lesson no 1: Take care of your body as much as you can because it’s trust from Allah.

Time went by, Ramadan came, and these symptoms became more frequent especially during the last ten days. I could not pinpoint why, but I thought perhaps, it was dehydration or low blood sugar. However, during one of the last ten nights, my symptoms worsened. I was tired, vomiting, and dizzy. I had never ever felt like this before. I have felt tired and weak before but this was on another level. I felt like my body had failed me and had given up on me.

Now, I have many experiences where I thought I was going to die (like the time I almost drowned) but this was different. This time I believed I was dying.

 Questing started to pop in. Did I live a good life? How would my case be with Allah? What of the people that I might have backbitten, slandered, or oppressed in any way? Did I oppress people with my tongue and hands? I have not had a chance to seek their forgiveness.

Lesson no2: Repent seek forgiveness from those you may have oppressed in any way or form. If you cannot do that that make dua for them, speak and treat them in a good manner.

One of the hadith that was stuck in my mind at that time, was the Prophet’s advice (peace and blessing be upon him) to take five before five.

 It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) advised: “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”. (Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim)

I couldn’t but wonder......did I take advantage of my life? My health? My time? If I were to die now, would I die a good death?  Am I being hopeful of Allah?

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say, three days before he died: “No one of you should die except thinking positively of Allah.” Narrated by Muslim (2877).

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) on commentary of the hadith said: The scholars mentioned what is meant by thinking positively of Allah, may He be exalted, is thinking that He will have mercy on you and forgive you. Then, when the signs of death appear, hope should outweigh fear, or should prevail completely. Sharh Muslim (17/210)

At some point I started to wonder how much of my little wealth savings did I really keep for myself.  It was narrated Al-Tirmidhi (2470) that they slaughtered a sheep at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and gave it in charity except for its shoulder. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked ‘As’ishah, “What is left of it?” She said: “Nothing is left except the shoulder.” He said: “All of it will remain except its shoulder.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen on commentary of this hadith mentione- Whatever a person eats goes and no longer remains, but that which he gives in charity is what will remain for him with Allaah and he will benefit from it on the Day of Resurrection. This hadeeth is a reference to the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allaah (of good deeds) will remain” [al-Nahl 16:96].

I would like us to pause for moment and ask ourselves how much of our time are we really spending for ourselves? And how much of our wealth are we really spending for ourselves?

I will leave you with the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him0 who said; “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler along a path.” Ibn Umar said, “If you enter the evening, then do not wait for the morning. If you enter the morning, then do not wait for the evening. Take from your health for your sickness and from your life for your death.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6053

We all know that death is as real as it can get and our clocks are continuously ticking so what have we prepared for when the soul would reach the throats?

NOTE: This story has been exaggerated to draw a lesson.