The stopper of joys and assassin of lives

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise be to Allah Almighty Who is High in His skies, Who
has made death and life one of His signs. Peace and blessings of
Allah be upon Muhammad the master of creatures, the oner of
the mar!e" lous miracles, and upon his family and companions,
the leaders of truth and the bree#e of the !irtuous souls.
$ Muslim brother% it as narrated that a &edouin as riding a
camel. 'he camel fell and died( 'he &edouin got don and
mo!ed round it pondering( He said% Why do not you stand up)(
Why do not you be resurrected)( 'hese are your limbs, complete(
*our organs are sound( What is the matter ith you)( What is that
hich made you stand up)( What is that hich breathed life into
you)( What had killed you)( What had pre!ented you from
mo!ing)( And then he left it and mo!ed thinking about its matter(
&rother% it is +,eath(- ,estroyer of creatures... ,esolator of coun"
tries... Maker of orphans... ,egrader of the strong tyrants... It does
not kno the young... It does not distinguish beteen the mean
and the honorable... It does not sho fa!or for those of sublime
positions... Its sords are unsheathed on creatures... Its spears are
directed to their chests... Its arros do not mistake the hearts...
It is an announcement that e all kno its place. and it is as if e
ere in our affairs and e did not kno.
&rother% it is +,eath(- Ho many hearts it has in/ured... Ho
much grie!es it has caused... It is uglier than being described(
And it is more se!ere to be identified( Its secret is hidden from
creatures... It is only knon by the ,ispeller of harm and
disasters... Allah Al" mighty, Glorified and 01alted...
&rother% 'he cup of death is bitterer than colocynth( Its taste is
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knon only to those ho tasted it( &ut ho could those ho
tasted it describe its reality)(
When 2Amr Ibn Al"2Aas +may Allah be pleased ith him- as
dying his son said to him% $ father you ere saying% I onder
ho can a man dying hile he has his mind and tongue, and do
not describe it +death-)(
He said% $ son, death is greater than being described( I ill, ho"
e!er, describe some of it% &y Allah it is as if I am carrying o!er
my shoulders the mountains of 3adha and 'ih4ma( It is as if I
am breathing through the eye of the needle( It is as if there as a
thorn of bo1thorn in my belly( It is as if the sky has collapsed on
earth and that I as in beteen them(
&rother% Ho intense is the heart of this ho knos that there is a
day in hich he ill gulp the bitterness of that cup( &rother,
ould you say ith me ith a sincere heart% $ Allah, facilitate the
stupor of death for us, hen our books are folded and our days
end, ith *our mercy, *ou Who has mercy upon those ho seek
refuge ith *ou... Who bestos forgi!eness to sinners.
&rother% 5an I alert your inattention)( 5an I terrify your heart)(
6no then brother, this horrible description of death(
27mar Ibn Al"6hatt4b +may Allah be pleased ith him- said to
6a2b% $ 6a2b, tell us about death( He said% ,eath is as a tree of
thorns en" tered into the belly of the son of Adam. 0ach thorn
took a !ein( A strong man pulled it, so he cut some and left
others(
&rother% $ Allah ho horrible death is( Ho se!ere and great it
is( It is also narrated that% ,eath is stronger than beating by
sords( 8aing by sas( And clipping by scissors( 9And the
stupor of death ill come in truth% :'his is hat you ha!e been
a!oiding(:;<8urat =4f >?%@AB
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'ransliteration% Wa/aat sakratu almati bialhaCCi thalika ma
kunta minhu taheedu
3eally, What a stupor of death( What a se!erity( 'here hen the
soul rattles( 0yes are fi1ed( Hearts throb( Words stutter(
$ Allah( Ho much anguish there is in that( Ho many disasters
and afflictions are there in that for souls(
My brother for the sake of Allah% is not it terrifying for the souls
that our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, hen
he responded to the call of his Dord, he asked his Dord Almighty
to alle!iate the stupor of death)( 'he mother of the belie!ers,
Aisha, may Allah be pleased ith her, narrated that to us. she
said% E'here as a leather or ood container full of ater in front
of Allah2s Apostle +at the time of his death-. He ould put his
hand into the ater and rub his face ith it, saying% :None has the
right to be orshipped but Allah( No doubt, death has its
stupors.F <Narrated by Al"&ukhariB
- - G
:
In another narration, At"'irmidhi reported about him saying% :$
Allah help me ith the distress of death( And ith the stupors of
death(:
! G
$ brother% Ho great is this stupor of death( Ho se!ere are its
distresses( Is there any one after the Prophet of Allah, peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him, ho ishes to drink a clear cup
of
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death)(
Imagine yourself, $ you conceited, hile the stupors of death
ha!e surrounded you( Moaning and distresses strike you( $ne
says% 8o" and"so has ritten his ill and his money cannot be
counted( An" other says% 'he tongue of so"and"so becomes hea!y
and he cannot identify his neighbors( And he does not speak to
his brothers( It is as if I as looking at you hearing speeches but
could not respond( *our daughter cries as if she ere a capti!e.
8he supplicates saying% My lo!e( $ Hather( Who is for my
orphanhood after you)( Who ill meet my needs)( &y Allah you
can hear the ords( &ut you cannot respond(
My Muslim brother% Hor such a day, prepare your pro!isions( Hor
such a day, abandon stubbornness and depra!ity... Hor such a day,
fear the Dord of creatures...
Al"Hassan Al"&asri +may Allah ha!e mercy on him- !isited a sick
person. He found him in his death stupors( He looked at his
anguish and the distress befalling him, so he returned to his
family ith a different comple1ion than that he had hen he had
gone out(
'hey said to him% ha!e some food, may Allah ha!e mercy on you.
He said% $ my family( Ha!e your food and drink. &y Allah I ha!e
seen a demise that I ill ork for till I meet it(
$ brother% 'hese are the true righteous... 'hey are preparing for
lea!ing hile the heedless ere negligent till death has attacked
them( 8orros are long... Wounds are a lot... Ho happy are
those of good end the day hen the angles recei!e them saying%
98ala" mun 2Alaikum +peace be on you- enter you Paradise,
because of +the good- hich you used to do +in the orld-.;
<8urat An"Nahl @I%JKB
32 :{

{
'ransliteration% yaCooloona salamun AAalaykumu odkhuloo
al/an" nata bima kuntum taAAmaloona
Allah Almighty has said% 9'heir greeting on the ,ay they shall
meet Him ill be :8alam% Peace +i.e. the angels ill say to them%
8alamu 2Alaikum-(: And He has prepared for them a generous
reard +i.e. Paradise-.; <8urat Al"Ah#4b JJ%LLB
44 : {

{
'ransliteration% 'ahiyyatuhum yama yalCanahu salamun
aaAAadda lahum a/ran kareeman
Al"&arr42 Ibn 2A#ib +may Allah be pleased ith him- said% +the
An" gel of ,eath greets the belie!er hen taking his soul. He
does not take a soul till he greets him-.
My brother for the sake of Allah% If the co!er of such e!anescent
orld is re!ealed, these belie!ing souls get out carried in /oy to
their 5reator the Almighty... 'hey are surrounded by the close
angels( 'he gates of hea!ens are opened for them( 'he dellers
of hea!" ens re/oice o!er them, they praise their oners +of the
souls-( 'hey smell their pleasant odor that resembles the deeds of
their bodies(
$ Allah( Ho happy are such moments for these pure souls... It
seems as if they are saying% fareell $ orld of misfortunes and
annoyance... fareell $ orld of misery and fatigue... fareell $
mean, stagnant and perished orld.
$ brother% May Allah keep us aay from each e!il. 'his is the
story of pure souls( I ill tell you about the story of its pure
ascension, as being informed by the Prophet, peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him... He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him, has said% 22hen a true belie!er is about to die, hite faced
angles, as bright as the sun, descend from hea!en for him till they
sit here he can
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see them, they bring along shrouds from paradise, and +hunMt-
em" balmment of paradise, then the Angle of ,eath comes and
sits by his head and say% 22$ peaceful soul, come out to the
forgi!eness and blessings of God22, it comes out as smoothly as a
drop of ater flos, the Angle takes the soul and, ith a blink of
an eye, shrouds and embalms it in the shroud and embalmment of
paradise, it comes out bearing the best smell of musk found on
earth. 'he Prophet said% the angles ascend to hea!en, hene!er
they pass by a group of an" gles they onder% hat is this good
spirit) 'hey anser% he is so and so, calling him ith his
fa!orable names, until they reach the first hea!en and ask
permission to enter. He is granted the permission and is
accompanied by hea!enly people of each hea!en to the fol"
loing one till he reaches the se!enth hea!en. God Almighty
says% record his book of deeds in 2illiyyun +A 3egister inscribed to
hich bear itness those nearest +to Allah, i.e. the angels--, turn
him back to earth, 'hereof +the earth- We created them, and into it
We shall return them, and from it We shall bring them out once
again22 <3e" ported by Ahmed and others, authenticated by Al"
AlbaniB
G

0: ??? ? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ????? ? ?????? ????? ???
?? ?? : ????? ? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????

: :
:
:

...
My brother% ,o you see ho these chaste souls are happy for
meet" ing their 5reator Almighty)( Ho happy are these souls
that deal ith their Dord Almighty in this orld ith sincerity and
faithful" ness, so they ha!e the reard of the men of truth and He
dresses them ith the robe of the 8iddiCMn +those folloers of the
Prophets
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ho ere first and foremost to belie!e in them, like Abu &akr
As" 8iddiC +may Allah be pleased ith him-... Hor the like of this
let the orkers ork...
'hen, brother, do you kno the story of such souls that turned
aay from their 5reator Almighty. 'hey disbelie!ed in orship"
ping Him, the Almighty)( What is their story) Allah Almighty has
punished them as enemies to hom He has prepared torture and
punishment that hearts split hen hearing them(
$ur honest Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
tells us about these e!il souls that do not orship Allah Almighty.
He, peace be upon him, has said% 22hen an unbelie!er is about to
die, black faced angles descend from hea!en for him till they sit
here he can see them, they bring along rags, then the Angle of
,eath comes and sits by his head and say% 22$ icked soul, come
out to the rath and anger of Allah22, it sinks in his body, the angle
of ,eath brings it out, tearing !eins and ner!es /ust like skeers
+a piece of iron hich grills meat- are separated from et ool,
the Angle takes the soul and, ith a blink of an eye, puts it in the
rags, it comes out bearing the stink of the most rotten corpse
found on earth. 'he an" gles ascend to hea!en, hene!er they
pass by a group of angles they onder% hat is this stinking soul)
'hey anser% he is so and so, calling him ith his orst names,
until they reach the first hea!en and ask permission to enter. 'hey
are denied the permission. 'hen the Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, recited% 9for them the gates
of hea!en ill not be opened, and they ill not enter Paradise
until the camel goes through the eye of the needle +hich is
impossible-; <8urat Al"A2r4f% L?B
And Allah Glorified and 01alted says% record his book of deeds in
si/iin +the loest of the loest-, so his soul is dropped fiercely.
'hen he recited% 9and hoe!er assigns partners to All4h, it is as if
he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the
ind had thron him to a far off place; <8urat Al"Ha/% J@B.F
<Narrated
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by Ahmad and others, authenticated by Al"AlbnaiB
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31 : {

$ brother% ,o you see hat the destiny of those of bad ends is)
May Allah protect us from bad ends... My brother% Ho miserable
is that he hom the gates of hea!ens close against( Ho recked
is that he ho is faced by the angels of torture(
9And if you could but see hen the N4limMn +polytheists and
rong" doers- are in the agonies of death, hile the angels are
stretching forth their hands +saying-% :,eli!er your souls( 'his
day you shall be recompensed ith the torment of degradation
because of hat you used to utter against All4h other than the
truth. And you used to re/ect His Ay4t +proofs, e!idence, !erses,
lessons, signs, re!elations, etc.- ith disrespect(; <8urat Al"An24m
I%AJB

{
'ransliteration% ala tara ithi alththalimoona fee ghamarati
almati aalmalaikatu basitoo aydeehim akhri/oo anfusakumu
alyama tu" /#ana AAathaba alhooni bima kuntum taCooloona
AAala Allahi ghayra alhaCCi akuntum AAan ayatihi
tastakbiroona
$ Muslim brother% 'hey are only to positions after death that
has
no third( *ou either recei!e the angels from Allah ho gi!e you
the glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah Almighty. that day you
are the happy inner and the successful... or you recei!e angels
ith black faces that announce the dissatisfaction of Allah and
your bad end( Ho miserable you are( Ho great your loss is(
My brother% are not there any tears that you shed) ,o not you dis"
charge an e1halation) ,o not you release some pain among your
ribs)
3eally, hearts ha!e become hard( &ut on them is the 34n
+co!ering of sins and e!il deeds-(
We bid fareell to the dead... hile our hearts are dead( We bid
fareell to the dead... ithout lessons and e1amples( We bid
fareell to the dead... ithout asking about the enduring home in
hell or paradise)
We bid fareell to the dead... and here e are dead before dying(
My brother for the sake of Allah, this is +the cup of death(- 'his is
the decision of the 0!er Di!ing $ne Who dies not, Glorified and
01alted( ,o you remember my brother that one day you ill gulp
the cup till the end)((
My brother% +'his is the destroyer of pleasures(- 'he Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, urged you to remember
it a lot( He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said
:3emember the destroyer of pleasures a lot:, <3eported by At"
'irmidhiB
G
$ brother% ,o you kno the meaning of +the destroyer of pleas"
ures)(- It is the stopper and killer of them( It is really an
eliminator of lu1uries and stopper of pleasures( Is there a
pondering person)(


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My brother% 3emembering death entails the true dedication to Al"
lah Almighty, and remo!es the impacts of the orldly life from
the heart(
Ad",aC4C said% +'his ho remembers death a lot is granted ith
three things% the acceleration of repentance, the satisfaction of
heart and the !igor of orshipping, hile this ho forgets death
is pun" ished by three things% the procrastination of repentance,
letting the satisfaction of subsistence and la#iness in
orshipping.-
My brother% ould you not /oin the cara!an of the discerning
knoledgeable people)( 'hose ho ha!e made death mentioning
as their slogan and self"accounting their co!er... 5ongratulations
to those ho are among them( 'hey are passing to fill the soul
ith lessons and recollections...
'his is 8ufi4n Ath"'hauri +may Allah ha!e mercy on him- hen
death as mentioned before him he stayed days in disturbance(
Whene!er he as asked about anything he replied I do not kno(
I do not kno(
At"'aymi +May Allah ha!e mercy on him- said% +'o things ha!e
depri!ed me from the delights of this orldly life% remembering
death and remembering standing before the hands of Allah Al"
mighty(-
Whene!er Mohamed Ibn W4si2 +May Allah ha!e mercy on him-
anted to sleep he informed his family before going to bed% I bid
you Harell( It may be my death in hich I ill not ake up(
'his as his tradition hene!er he anted to sleep.
$ Muslim brother% that as the case of the righteous... 'hey kne
that there ould be a day in hich they ould depart this orld(
'hey remembered the hour of departure and prepared the pro!i"
sions for this long tra!el...
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My brother% hat had happened to us) Negligence has co!ered
our hearts that it has not left a place to remember such a horrible
day.
$ brother% 'his is to hom has heard my call%
&rothers hat such nap hile you are aaking)(
What is such beilderment hile you are
looking)( What is such negligence hile you are
present)
What is such stupor hile you are
aake)( What is such stillness hile you
are called)(
What is such staying hile you are lea!ing)(
Is it not the time for those ho are sleeping to ake up) Is it not
the time for those ho are negligent to learn a lesson)( 6no that
all people in this orld are tra!eling( ,o, therefore, good deeds
for
yourself that can sa!e you in the day of resurrection from
Hellfire( 'his is the time for tra!el so be careful
What do you see ser!es instead of carefulness
,o not be conceited by today or tomorro
A conceited may be in danger
My brother% is it not strange that e!ery day e bid fareell to a
dead hile our heart does not mo!e and that it does not cause fear
or horror)(
It seems that as if death as ritten on this deceased only( My
broth" er% ho ugly is such negligence( Ho loathsome and
repugnant is it( 'his is the blindness of the hearts. ho bad is
such blindness% 9Oerily, it is not the eyes that gro blind, but it is
the hearts hich are in the breasts that gro blind.; <8urat Al"
Ha// KK%LIB
46 : {

{
'ransliteration% fainnaha la taAAma alabsaru alakin taAAma
alCu" loobu allatee fee alssudoori
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Ar"3abP2 Ibn &urra said% +I am astonished from the creatures ho
they are absentminded from a true matter seen by their eyes and
itnessed belie!ingly by their hearts of hat the messengers of
Al" lah ha!e come ith( *et, they turn aay in heedlessness.
playing in falsehood(-
My brother for the sake of Allah% 3emembering death is the best
cure for negligence( Wo if this is not a cure, then hich
medicine can cure you)( Which antidote can sa!e you)( My
brother, truly, the co!er of negligence is the orst co!er. 'he
dress of negligence is the orst dress... 'his ho ears it ill
face all ailments.
My brother% If you are preoccupied by the orldly life, remember
death... as you are departing( 'he best hip for the soul is
remem" bering death( 'his is the deterring hip ith hich the
righteous beat their hearts, so they are restrained and become
obedient and manageable hen folloing the path of good deeds,
hile they are a!erse and ungo!ernable hen approaching the
path of sins and faults( +*ou arrogant remember death and its
stupor( 3emember the difficulty and bitterness of its cup. Ho
true is the promise of death( Ho fair is it as a ruler( ,eath is
enough to ound hearts, to cause eyes to shed tears, to disperse
groups, to destroy pleasures and stop ishes(
Ha!e you, son of Adam, thought about the day of your death and
mo!ing from your place) Ha!e you thought about mo!ing from
amplitude to narroness) Ha!e you thought about the betraying
of a companion and the desertion of a brother and a friend) *ou
ill be taken from your bed and co!er to the unknon( *ou ill
be co!ered by dust and mud instead of your soft Cuilt( $ collector
of money and diligent in building, by Allah the money you ha!e
is only coffins( &y Allah they ill be taken aay and spoiled.
*our body ill be dust.
Where is the money you ha!e collected) ,id it sa!e you from the
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horrors)( *ou ha!e, hoe!er, left it to hom does not thank you(
*ou ha!e come ith your sins to He Who ill not e1cuse you((-
Imam Al"6urtubi.
My brother% Prolonged hopes are behind e!ery ad!ersity( All ha!e
prolonged hopes in the morning and at night(
$ Allah( We ha!e spread out hopes. ha!e been co!ered by hopes
and put our heads on pillos of hopes( Neither the aged is
deterred by his nearness to death, nor the young is deterred by the
death of a young person(
Will you lust for immortality damn you
&y Allah it has a messenger
As if dust as piled on you
*ou ill not lea!e anything for people
My brother% 3emembering death is a useful antidote for the
illness of +prolonged hope(-
It as reported that a oman came to the mother of the belie!ers
Aisha +may Allah be pleased ith her- complaining from the
hard" ness of her heart( Aisha +may Allah be pleased ith her-
said to her% +Mention death a lot so your heart ill soften-( 'he
oman did that and her heart became soft and she thanked Aisha
+may Allah be pleased ith her-. Whoe!er has prolonged hopes
depends on this transient orldly life, spends days ithout good
deeds and astes his life in the dreams of the hopes.
Al"Hassan Al"&asri +may Allah ha!e mercy on him- said%
+Whoe!er has prolonged hopes, ill abuse deeds(-
My brother% stop by this story ith the righteous ho ill teach
you% hat is meant by prolonged hopes()


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In a meeting hich gathered the belie!ing hearts in praying, there
as the e1ample of ascetics and the glitter of orshippers Ma2rMf
Al"6arkhi +may Allah ha!e mercy on him-. Ma2rMf called for
pray" ing and then said to Mohamed Ibn Abi 'auba% come
forard and be the Imam. Mohamed said% If I am to be the imam
in this prayer I ill not be Imam for you in any other prayer.
Ma2rMf said% do you speak to yourself that you ill pray another
prayer)(
We seek refuge ith Allah from prolonged hopes that pre!ent
good deeds.
$ Muslim brother% Ho much time has elapsed of this orldly
life) Ho many generations and nations ha!e perished)
$ brother% Ho many days ha!e passed before you) Ho many
months ha!e passed before you) Ho many years ha!e passed
be" fore you)
$ brother% ho many deceased among your brothers and lo!ers
ha!e you buried in dust)(
My brother% Ho many times daily, monthly or yearly do you re"
member death)(
My brother% ho many times do yourself speak about your death
today or tomorro)(
My brother% Ho much of your life has passed hile you spent it
in ide hopes)(
Ha!e you fulfilled all your hopes) If so, ha!e your hopes gi!en
you hat you ished for)(
$ brother% 3emember... then remember againQ +A man has a
Dord Whom he ill meet, and a home in hich he ill dell, so
he must please his Dord before meeting Him and prepare his
home before mo!ing into it- Imam Ibn Al"=ayyim.
My brother% it is death, the unpleasant !isitor, undesired arri!al
and
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unanted forthcoming... the stopper of pleasuresQ the disperser
of groups and the scatterer of hopes.
My brother% &e careful( &ut is carefulness enough)( 'he lasting
good deeds, my brother, are the best pro!isions and the best
companion in the Hereafter. It is your garden in the day of death
and your close companion hen people lea!e your gra!e... 9$
you ho belie!e( Hear Allah +by doing all that He has ordered and
by abstaining from all that He has forbidden- as He should be
feared. <$bey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him
alaysB, and die not e1cept in a state of Islam +as Muslims- ith
complete submission to Allah.; <8urat Al"Imr4n J%@?KB
102 :{

{
'ransliteration% *a ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaCoo Allaha
haCCa tuCatihi ala tamootunna illa aantum muslimoona






A#hari Ahmed Mahmoud
Ibn 6hu#aymah House
'ranslated by Wathakker.net ebsite
Modified to meet ith Authentic Hadith




















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