Why You Should Not Die Except You Have Hope In the Mercy of Allah

And ordain for us what is good in this life and the next. Indeed, we have turned to You in repentance. Allah replied, “I will inflict My torment on whoever I will. But My mercy encompasses everything. I will ordain mercy for those who shun evil, pay zakat, and believe in Our revelations. — Qur’an 7[Al-’Araf]:156

Life is a journey filled with trials, joy, sorrow, and countless uncertainties. As we navigate this path, the one certainty we all face is death. While the inevitability of death is a reality that every soul will experience, how we approach it is of paramount importance. For us as Muslims, the approach to death is not merely a matter of physical preparation but, more critically, a spiritual readiness rooted in an unwavering hope in the mercy of Allah.

This is why Allah’s Apostle ﷺ advised us thus, as related by Jabir:

I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say three days before his death: “None of you should die unless he expects good from Allah.” — Muslim

This profound hadith is a guiding light, reminding us that no matter what we face in life, we must not depart from this world without hoping for Allah’s infinite mercy. And this will be the concluding part of the trilogy relating to Allah with fear, love, and hope.

The mercy of Allah is boundless, transcending human comprehension. One of the most comforting aspects of our faith is knowing that Allah describes Himself as Ar-Rahman — The Most Merciful and Ar-Raheem — The Especially Merciful. Even when we falter in life — whether through our sins, mistakes, or shortcomings — Allah’s mercy remains vast and ever-present. In His infinite wisdom and kindness, Allah gives us ample opportunities to seek His forgiveness, to turn back to Him, and to renew our hope in His compassion.

Neve Lose Hope in Allah

One of the gravest mistakes a believer can make is to lose hope in Allah’s mercy. Shaytan, in his relentless efforts to misguide humanity, often tries to instill despair in people’s hearts. When a person feels overwhelmed by their sins or the challenges of life, they may mistakenly believe that they are beyond redemption or that Allah’s mercy is out of reach. This despair is dangerous, as it distances a person from the divine compassion that Allah extends to every soul. Allah says:

Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves by sinning, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful’— Qur’an 39[Az-Zumar]:53

This verse is a direct command from Allah, urging us never to lose hope, no matter how far we think we have strayed. Allah is always ready to forgive, and His mercy can envelop even the greatest wrongdoers who sincerely repent. This divine assurance is a source of immense comfort. However, we don’t toil with the hope of Allah’s mercy and commit sins deliberately. This hope is for the one who is intentionally sincere and not for the one who thinks he can outsmart his Lord.

No matter how much we have faltered or how low we feel, Allah is always waiting for us to turn back to Him. His mercy is greater than our sins, and He promises forgiveness to those who seek it with sincerity. A very illustrative story that comes to mind is this hadith of Abu Hurayrah may Allah be pleased with him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him, he charged his sons, saying: When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter my ashes into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one. So they did that to him. Then Allah said to the earth: Produce what you have taken — and there he was! And Allah said to him: What induced you to do what you did? He said: Being afraid of You, O my Lord, and because of that Allah forgave him. — Muslim

Hope at the Time of Death

The moment of death is a significant transition for every human and, most especially, a true believer. It is a time when the soul prepares to meet its Creator. We must face this moment with hope in Allah’s mercy. Allah’s Apostle ﷺ encouraged us as believers to approach death with a positive outlook, trusting in Allah’s compassion, love, and mercy.

For many, the thought of death brings fear and anxiety. This usually follows living a godless life without purpose. However, Islam teaches that for a believer, death is not the end but the beginning of an eternal journey. It is a transition to the next phase of existence, where we return to Allah. Our actions in this life are important, but more critical is our trust in Allah’s mercy as we prepare to meet Him.

When Muslims approach death with hope, they are more likely to meet Allah with a heart filled with peace. This hope is rooted in the belief that Allah, who has shown us mercy throughout our lives, will continue to extend His mercy to us in the hereafter.

Checking Your Hope With Fear Again

While discussing the fear of Allah in one of the sequels, we mentioned that His fear needs to be balanced with hope. And as we hope for the mercy of Allah, we also need to check it with His fear by being conscious and not too comfortable. This means we’re not meant to have continued hope and rely solely upon it. There’s a beautiful narration in the Saheehayn where Allah’s Apostle ﷺ had a conversation with Mu’adh ibn Jabal on the rights of Allah upon His servants and their rights upon Allah in return.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ asked him: Oh Mu’adh, do you know the right of Allah over His servants? Mu’adh replied: Allah and his Messenger know best. Allah’s Apostle ﷺ remarked: The right of Allah over His servants is that they should worship Him Alone and not associate anything with Him. And do you know what their right is upon Him?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Not to punish them if they do so.”

So Mu’adh became excited with this information, and then he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Should I then give the glad tidings to the people? He (ﷺ) said: Do not tell them this good news, for they would trust in it alone. Subhanallah! It was not until the point of death of Mu’adh that he had to narrate this hadith with a caveat: ‘If not that I’m afraid to die with a portion of knowledge, I would not have related this.’ This tells us as Muslims not to live on hope alone, we have to put in effort and be mindful of Allah’s Might.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once visited a young man on his deathbed and asked him how he felt. The man said: “Oh, Messenger of Allah, I have hope in Allah, but I also fear for my sins.” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “These two feelings of hope and fear do not coexist in a person’s heart in this situation but that Allah will grant him what he hopes for and keep him safe from what he fears” — Tirmidhi

How to Cultivate Hope in Allah’s Mercy

To maintain hope in Allah’s mercy, we’ll need to strive for steadfastness throughout our lives. This is what makes it easier at the time of death. Allah says:

Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allâh,” and then remain steadfast, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) saying: “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised — Qur’an 41[Fussilat]:30

To be hopeful of Allah’s mercy, here are a few actions we can adopt:

Believe in your heart, proclaim with your tongue, and take action with your limbs: We must propagate all these concerning our faith and creed. You have to believe in Allah absolutely as your Lord. Then you profess with your tongue that there’s no deity worthy of worship except Him alone. Then, performing acts of worship by following His injunctions and staying away from His forbiddens.

Regularly seek forgiveness (Istighfar): As humans, we’re bound to fall short and commit sins. This is why the Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to constantly seek forgiveness from Allah, even when we are unaware of our sins. Allah loves those who repent, and through sincere repentance, we are granted a new beginning.

Remembrance of Allah’s names and attributes: Reflecting on Allah’s beautiful names, particularly those related to His mercy — such as Ar-Rahman (The Most Compassionate), Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful), Al-Ghaffar (The Oft-Forgiving), and Al-‘Afuw (The Pardoner) — helps to strengthen our trust in His compassion.

Perform good deeds, no matter how small: Observing Prayer on time, kindness, charity, and dhikr all draw us closer to Allah’s mercy. Even the smallest good deed, done with sincerity, can lead to immense blessings and forgiveness.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.” — Sunan Ibn Majah.

5. Have positive thoughts of Allah: No matter what challenge you face, you should always have a good opinion of Allah and trust His wisdom and mercy. When we think well of Allah and expect mercy, we will find it. There’s this hadith Qudsi where Allah says:

“…I am as My servant thinks of Me…” — Bukhari.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, our approach to life, death, and the hereafter should be guided by a profound hope in the mercy of Allah. We must not allow our sins, fears, or the difficulties of this world to lead us into despair. Allah’s mercy is greater than all, and His promise of forgiveness and compassion is something every believer should cling to until their last breath.

Having hope in the Mercy of Allah is the Key to a good ending. While some people may be motivated to worship Allah owing to the fear of His punishment, others may be thrilled by aspiring to be with Him in paradise. On a final note, I share with you hope from the illustrious story of the companion Hudhaifah ibn al-Yamaan on his deathbed, displaying extreme love for Allah when he said:

Oh Allah! This is my last hour in this world. Oh Allah, you know certainly that I love you, so bless my meeting with you.

Let us live in a way that reflects this hope so that when our time comes, we meet Allah with hearts full of trust in His boundless mercy. May Allah grant us a good end, one that is filled with hope, faith, and peace. Ameen!

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Yaumul Jumah 8th Rabiul Akhar 1446H // Friday 11th October 2024