Imagine a person….this person – he is living a life of contentment, a life of happiness, a life which the average individual in society would be envious of…This individual he has achieved success in his working life ….this individual has success in his family life….he has a wife and he has his children….until one day, he returns home from work..thinking that this day is like every other day….he embraces his wife….he hugs and plays with his children….he eats his dinner….and finally, late at night .. he goes to bed…
As he closes his eyes, he feels uneasy…he feels something is abnormal….he realises that his heart is beating faster, he’s breathing is becoming more difficult…he’s voice becomes croaky…he tries to call his wife…yet, it is of no avail…he panics….and he’s wife awakens due to his frantic movements.
He soon realises…that his life is coming towards an end…and there is nothing he can do….and the verse of Allaah comes to mind:
اللَّـهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. (Surah Zumar Verse 42)
The ‘ulama they have derived from this verse….there are 2 deaths…one is the greater death and one is the lesser death. The lesser death happens to be when one goes to sleep and and the greater death is when one does not remain alive in this dunya anymore.
So, Imagine yourself at the time of death….every opportunity you had to do good….you have not taken it….every act of filth..every mundane action that leads towards nothing but, harm – you have received it with open arms…you were happy to take part in action for what…nothing but, a temporary enjoyment.
So, now you are in your death bed…and your situation has become so bad…that your kids are awake and your parents awaken and all surround you by your bedside.
Your youngest Child….he looks at you..with innocent eyes…and says…’Oh my beloved father…what is happening to you?…you are too weak to respond..you are too weak to even hug your son……so, this son.,..he turns towards his mother…and says…’Why isn’t my father speaking to me..what is wrong him’….Your oldest daughter…realises that your time in this world is limited…so, she leaves the room upset…..and slowly, your eyes turn towards your elderly father and your mother….you did not fulfil their rights…and yet, they tried their utmost best to raise you in the best of manners. Your father looks at you and says … speak to me my son…but, again you are too weak to respond…your mother holds your hand and kisses you on your forehead just like she used to when you were young….Now, you realise…that you want to pray…now you realise you want to fast…now you realise that you want to fulfil the obligations ordained upon by Allaah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala…but, it is too late.
كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ
your soul will be pulled out of your body and it will reach your collarbones. WHO WILL CURE HIM?..Who will be able to intervene and stop death from overtaking him?… And the dying one is certain that it is the [time of] separation
Seperation from the temporary enjoyment of this world…separation from his friends and family of this world.
Yaa Ahuyal Muslimoon….
Do we not ponder upon death…do we not know Yaa Ayuhal Muslimoon,,,that from the start of this khutbah till the time we have reached now…we are that close to our death…do we not know ya Ayyuhal Muslimoon…that every second that passes us by…we are one second closer to our death…..
How many people have we seen…young individuals…who have their whole life ahead of them as they say…as they say..they had their whole life ahead of them…..Allaah took away their souls..
Uthman Radi’Allaahu ‘Anh…as reported by Ahmad and Tirmidhi (Hasan)…used to stand near the grave…and cry until his beard became wet with tears….and it was said to him…you mention jannah..and you mention naar (the fire)..yet you do not cry….but, you cry at this? … ‘Uthman RadiaAllaahu ‘Anh said: That the prophet SAW said – القبر أول منازل الآخرة،
فإن ينج منه فما بعده أيسر منه، وإن لم ينج منه فما بعده أشد منه
Inna Al-Qabra awwalu manaazilil Aakhirah…fa iyyanju minhu famaa ba’dahu aysara minh….wa illam yanju minu famaa ba’dahu ashaddu minh.
Verily, the Grave is the first stage of the hereafter, so, whoever is saved from it…what comes after becomes easy…and who ever is not saved from it..what comes after…is more severe than it.
The he went on to say .. that the prophet SAW said: I have never seen anything frightening except, that the grave is more frightening than it….
Upon the authority of al-Bara’ ibn `Aazib who said: We went out with the the Prophet (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) to a burial of a man from the Ansar (original inhabitants of Madina) until we arrived at the grave, and he still had not been placed in the slot of the grave.
Then the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) sat down and we sat around him. You would have thought that birds were upon our heads from our silence, and in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was a stick which he was poking the ground with. Then he said to us: “Ask Allah for refuge from the torment of the grave”, he repeated this command two or three times. Then he said: “Verily, the believing servant, when leaving this life and journeying to the hereafter angels will descend upon him, their faces will be white as if they were suns, they will have with them a shroud (kafan) from the shroud of Paradise), and an embalmment (HanouT) from the embalmments of heaven. Then, they will sit within eye-shot of him.
Then the angel of death (peace be upon him) will come and sit at his head and will say “O you virtuous soul; come out to a forgiveness and a pleasure from your Lord “. So it will come out as a drop comes out of the mouth of a jug (with ease), then he will take it, not leaving it in his hand for longer that a blink of an eye until they (he and the other angels) have placed it in that shroud and that embalmment. And there will emanate from it a smell like that of the most sweet smelling musk on the face of the earth. Then they shall ascend with it, and they shall not pass with it by any group of angels but they will say: What is this good and sweet-smelling soul?. Then they shall say to them (he is) “such” the son of “such” choosing the best of the names he used to be called in this life. Until they reach the lowest sky, then they shall ask permission to enter, and they shall be granted entry, until they end at the seventh heaven sky, then Allah, exalted and high, shall say: “write the book of my servant in `illiyeen (1) [And what will expalin to you what Illiyeen is `illiyeen, there is a register fully inscribed to which bear witness those nearest to Allah (see 83:18)], and his book will be written in `illiyeen, and the shall be said “return him to the earth, for [I promised them] I have created them from it, and into it I shall return them, and from it I shall extract (resurrect) them a second time (20:55)”. So [he is returned to earth and] his soul is returned to his body [he said and he will hear the footsteps of his friends who buried him when they leave him].
Then two [severe] angels shall come and [terrify him and] sit him up next to them and shall ask him: “Who is your Lord?”. He shall reply “My Lord is Allah”. Then they shall ask him: “What is your religion?”. He shall answer them: “My religion is Islam”. Then they shall ask him “Who is this man who was sent among you?”. He will reply “He is the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) peace be upon him”. Then they shall ask him “What have you done?”. He shall reply: “I read the book of Allah, then I believed in it and accepted it”. [The angel will terrify him and ask him “who is your Lord?”, “what is your religion?” “who is your prophet?”, and this will be the last trial on earth for the believer, it is then when Allah says : “Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world”, so he will answer my Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my Prophet is Mohammad salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam. Then a caller will call from the sky: “My slave has spoken the truth, so spread out for him from the heaven, and clothe him from the heaven, and open a door for him from the heaven (within his grave)”, so it’s goodness and its smell will come unto him, then his grave will be expanded for him as far as he can see.
Then a man will come to him. His face will be handsome, and his clothes will be handsome, and his smell will be sweet. Then he shall say unto him: I bring you glade tidings of that which will make you happy [Rejoice with a pleasure of Allah and delights that endure]. This is the day that you were promised (46:16). Then he will say [and may Allah give you glad tiding] “who are you?, for your face is the face of someone who comes with good news”. He shall reply: “I am your good deeds, [by Allah, I did not know of you but that you were quick to the obedience of Allah and slow to His desoobedience, so may Allah reward you good]”. Then he shall say: “My Lord bring the hour so that I might return to my family and my wealth” [it will be said to him “be tranquil”].
He (Mohammed, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: { And the disbelieving [transgressor/wicked] servant}, if he is leaving this life and journeying to the hereafter then angels will descend upon him, their faces will be black, they have with them a coarse woolen fabric (sackcloth)[ made of fire]. Then they will sit within eye-shot of him. Then the angel of death will come and sit at his head and will say “O you wicked soul; come out to a anger from your Lord and a fury (from Him)”. So it will be distributed (spread out) throughout his body, then it will be ripped away as a skewer/spit is ripped out of damp cotton [and in its way out it will tear and cut the nerves and blood vessels] [and then he will be cursed by all the angels between the earth and the sky and by all the angels in the sky, and the gates of heaven are closed. There is no gate in the heaven but its people supplicate that the wicked soul shall not be ascended to their side], then he will take it (the soul), not leaving it in his hand for longer than a blink of an eye until they have placed it in that sackcloth. And there will emanate from it a stench like that of the most evil smelling corpse on the face of the earth. Then they shall ascend with it, and they shall not pass with it by a group of angels but they will say: What is this wicked soul?. Then they shall say to them (he is) “such” the son of “such” choosing the most hated of the names he used to be called in this life. Until they reach the lowest heaven(sky), then they shall ask permission to enter, and they shall not be granted entry. Then the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) recited “The doors of the sky are not opened to them, nor shall they enter heaven until the camel passes through the eye of the needle” (7:40).
Then Allah, exalted and high, shall say: “write the book of my servant in Sijjeen (2)(83:7) in the lowest earth”. [Then will be said “return my slave to the earth, for I promised them I have created them from it, and into it I shall return them, and from it I shall extract (resurrect) them a second time (20:55)”]. Then his soul shall be taken away [from the sky] with a mighty hurl [until it is cast into his body]. Then he (the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) read: “and those who associate partners with Allah, They are as one who falls from the sky then is snatched by the birds or is cast by the wind into a very low place (22:31)”. Then his soul will be returned into his body, [he (the prophet) said : verily he will hear the footsteps of his friends who buried him when they leave him]. Then two harsh severe and fearsome angels shall come and [terrify him and] sit him up and shall ask him: “Who is your Lord?”. He shall reply “Huh?, Huh (this is an expression of sorrow), I don’t know”. Then they shall ask him: “What is your religion?”. He shall answer them: “Huh?, Huh?, I don’t know”. Then they shall ask him “Who is this man who was sent among you?”. He will reply “Huh?, Huh?, I don’t know [I heard people saying that!]”. He (the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said “And then will be said to him don’t ever know and don’t ever recite!”].
Then a caller will call from the sky: “My slave has spoken falsely, so spread out for him from the hell fire, and open a door for him from the hell fire (within his grave)”, so its heat and hot wind will come unto him, then his grave will be contracted upon him until his limbs are caught up among one another. Then a man will come to him. His face will be ugly, and his clothes will be ugly, and his smell will be vile. Then he shall say unto him: I bring you tidings of that which will harm you. This is the day that you were promised (70:44). Then he will say “who are you?, for your face is the face of someone who comes with evil”. He shall reply: “I am your evil deeds. Then he shall say: “My Lord do not bring the hour”.
It is narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiallahu `anhu) that he said in his Khutbah
(sermon):
‘O slaves of Allah! Be cautious of death; be cautious of death, for there is no escaping it. If you stand up to it, it will take you and if you flee from it then it will only catch up with you.
Death is tied to your forelocks so seek salvation, seek salvation. Indeed there is behind you an ardent seeker and that is the grave. Surely, the grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a ditch from the ditches of Hell. It speaks everyday saying ‘I am the home of darkness, I am the home of loneliness, I am the home of the worms.’ Indeed after that will be a Day more severe than that day, a Day in which a child will become grey-haired and an adult
will be in a drunken state:
“… and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunk, but severe
will be the Torment of Allah.” [al-Hajj: 2]
And finally, we end the khutbah, by reminding ourselves of the prophetic advice as mentioned by Imam Muslim in his sahih: Visit the graves for it is a reminder of death.
And the purpose of you visiting the grave should be:
تذكر الموت والآخرة 2- تقصر الأمل 3- تزهد في الدنيا 4- ترقق القلوب 5- تدمع الأعين 6- تدفع الغفلة 7- تورقث الخشية 8- تورث الاجتهاد في العبادة
Last Minute Khutbah 