Every soul shall taste death.. October 31, 2014 • onlinedhikr Any loss suffered in life leaves an inner state of emptiness which we find extremely uncomfortable. The fact of life is that no matter how much we pride ourselves and our success, we will all experience loss- loss of a job, a loved one, money, status…that loss will provide us a chance to contemplate the following verse of the Quran: And cry not unto any other god along with Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Everything will perish save His countenance. His is the command, and unto Him ye will be brought back. Loss and suffering is a chance to gain perspective in our life and the fact that “from God we come and to God we return”. A famous poem by Rumi is “die before you die”. dzola/poems/rumi2.htm Death is rarely spoken about in society or even if it is spoken about, it makes many people uncomfortable. The whole concept of “you only live once” and “live your life to the fullest” has become a phenomenon that encourages us to self-indulge. Rather, contemplation of death should enable us to let go of the more superficial pursuits in our lives and encourage us to spend our time doing what truly makes us content. Death reminds us that arguments, resentment towards others and our anxieties are pointless. It reminds us that holding grudges and bitterness in our heart is a waste of our time on this earth. Rumi sums it up beautifully in his poem, may God bless him: Come on sweetheart let’s adore one another before there is no more of you and me a mirror tells the truth look at your grim face brighten up and cast away your bitter smile a generous friend gives life for a friend let’s rise above this animalistic behavior and be kind to one another spite darkens friendships why not cast away malice from our heart once you think of me dead and gone you will make up with me you will miss me you may even adore me why be a worshiper of the dead think of me as a goner come and make up now since you will come and throw kisses at my tombstone later why not give them to me now this is me that same person i may talk too much but my heart is silence what else can i do i am condemned to live this life Finally, here are the last words of Al Ghazzali before he died: “Say to my friends, when they look upon me, dead Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself In the name of God, I tell you, it is not I, I am a spirit, and this is naught but flesh It was my abode and my garment for a time. I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid, Fashioned of dust, which served me as a shrine, I am a pearl, which has left it’s shell deserted, I am a bird, and this body was my cage Whence I have now floron forth and it is left as a token Praise to God, who hath now set me free And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heaven, Until today I was dead, though alive in your midst. Now I live in truth, with the grave – clothes discarded. Today I hold converse with the saints above, With no veil between, I see God face to face. I look upon “Loh-i-Mahfuz” and there in I read Whatever was and is and all that is to be. Let my house fall in ruins, lay my cage in the ground, Cast away the talisman, it is a token, no more Lay aside my cloak, it was but my outer garment. Place them all in the grave, let them be forgotten, I have passed on my way and you are left behind Your place of abode was no deweling place for me. Think not that death is death, nay, it is life, A life that surpasses all we could dream of here, While in this world, here we are granted sleep, Death is but sleep, sleep that shall be prolonged Be not frightened when death draweth night, It is but the departure for this blessed home Think of the mercy and love of your Lord, Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear. What I am now, even so shall you be For I know that you are even as I am The souls of all men come forth from God The bodies of all are compounded alike Good and evil, alike it was ours I give you now a message of good cheer May God’s peace and joy for evermore be yours.” Share this:
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 19:50:37 +0000
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