Page 59 - The Truth of the Life of This World

All human beings will live until a certain day and then die; Allah in the
Qur'an gives an account of the attitude commonly shown towards death in
the following verse:

Say: "The death from which you flee will truly overtake you: then you will
be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you
(the truth of) the things that you did!" (Surat al-Jumu'ah: 8)

The majority of people avoid thinking about death. In the rapid flow of
daily events, a person usually occupies himself with totally different sub-
jects: what college to enrol in, which company to work for, what colour of
clothing to wear next morning, what to cook for supper; these are the
kinds of major issues that we usually consider. Life is perceived as a rou-
tine process of such minor matters. Attempts to talk about death are always
interrupted by those who do not feel comfortable hearing about it.
Assuming death will come only when one grows older, one does not want
to concern himself with such an unpleasant subject. Yet it should be kept
in mind that living for even one further hour is never guaranteed.
Everyday, man witnesses the deaths of people around him but thinks little
about the day when others will witness his own death. He never suppos-
es that such an end is awaiting him!
Nevertheless, when death comes to man, all the "realities" of life sud-
denly vanish. No reminder of the "good old days" endures in this world.
Think of everything that you are able to do right now: you can blink your
eyes, move your body, speak, laugh; all these are functions of your body.
Now think about the state and shape your body will assume after your
death.
From the moment you breathe for the last time, you will become noth-
ing but a "heap of flesh". Your body, silent and motionless, will be carried
to the morgue. There, it will be washed for the last time. Wrapped in a
shroud, your corpse will be carried in a coffin to the graveyard. Once your
remains are in the grave, soil will cover you. This is the end of your story.
From now on, you are simply one of the names represented in the grave-
yard by a marble stone.

The Truth of the Life of This World 57