CHAPTER 3: THOSE UNDERGOING DISASTERS AND AFFLICTIONS : PART 3
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prohibited the one afflicted with a calamity to wish death on themselves due to the harm that has befallen on them:
Anas ibn Malik said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Let none of you wish for death due to a harm that befalls him. If one must say something, then let them say: ‘O Allah, keep me alive as long as being alive is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.’”(Reported by Al-Bukhari (5671) and Muslim (2680).)
An-Nawawi said: “This narration explicitly mentions the disliked nature of the act of wishing for death due to a harm that befalls an individual, such as poverty, being tested with an enemy, and other such tests of this life. As for if a person fears harm or a trial in their religion, then there is no such disliked nature, due to the implied meaning of this narration.” (The explanation of An-Nawawi on the book of Muslim (8/17).)
In fact, some of pious predecessors did that, such as `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab who said towards the end of his life, “O Allah, I have become old and have grown weak, and my subjects have spread all around, so take my life to you while I have not lost or been negligent in what You have ordered me to do.” (Reported by Malik in his book Al-Muwatta’ (1560).)
Abu Salamah ibn `Abdur-Rahmaan (a Companion) said:
“I visited Abu Hurayrah when he was on his deathbed, held him to my chest and said: ‘O Allah, cure Abu Hurayrah.’
He (Abu Hurayrah) said: ‘O Allah, do not return it (my soul to this life),’ then said: ‘O Abu Salamah, if you are able to die then do so.’
I said: ‘O Abu Hurayrah, we love life.’
He said: ‘By Him in Whose hand is Abu Hurayrah’s soul, the scholars will face a time wherein death is more beloved to them than gold; one of you will approach the grave of his brother and will say, ‘I wish I was in his place.’” (Reported by Al-Hakim (8581).)
An explicit narration that shows this is that of Ibn `Abbas where the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, supplicated: “If You wish to test Your slaves (with regards to religion), they take my soul back to You without subjecting me to that trial.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi (3233).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, informed Muslims that living a long life is better, even if the individual is sick:
Living a long life is better for a believer, because the longer the life of the believer is, the more righteous actions that believer does.
Abu Bakrah (a Companion) narrated that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is best?” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to him: “Those who live long and do good actions.” So the man followed up with a question, saying: “O Messenger of Allah, who are the worst of people?” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Those who live long and do evil actions.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi (2330).)
So if a Muslim is faced with a tight situation, or is afflicted with a sickness, then they should not wish for death, that way, they are not deprived of continuing in doing righteous actions.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Let none of you wish for death, because an individual might be someone who does good, and perhaps they will be able to increase their good deeds. Either that, or the person is someone who does evil, so perhaps they will be able to seek Allah’s Pleasure through giving up that evil and seeking forgiveness.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (7235) and Muslim (2682).)
The narration in the book of Muslim states that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Let not one of you wish for death, and also let not one of you supplicate for it before it comes to him. If one of you dies, their actions cease, and the long life of a believer only increases them in good.”
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would not allow the one afflicted to see their dead loved one, for fear that they might become disturbed and sad:
An example of that is the incident with Safiyyah (the Prophet’s aunt) after her brother Hamzah (the Prophet’s paternal uncle) was killed.
`Urwah (a Companion) said:
“My father, Az-Zubayr (a Companion) told me that on the day of Uhud, a woman appeared, and she was walking hastily, until she approached the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He disliked that she should see them(In the narration that Al-Bayhaqi reports in his book Dala’il Al-Nubuwwah (3/289), it states, “He disliked that she see him in that state, for the polytheists had mutilated his body. So Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent Az-Zubayr to her to stop her [from seeing him].”) and he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘The woman… the woman.’
Az-Zubayr said: ‘So I stared at her, noticing that it was my mother, Safiyyah, so I hurried over to her and reached her before she reached the dead bodies. She struck me in my chest – and she was a strong woman – and she said: ‘Go away from me!’
So I said: ‘The Messenger of Allah is determined to not allow you’
So she stopped and took out two garments that she had with her and said: ‘These are two garments that I brought for my brother Hamzah. I heard that he has been killed, so shroud him in these two garments.’
We went with the two garments in order to shroud Hamzah, and found beside him a man from the people of the Ansaar. Whatever was done to Hamzah was also done to him and we found it was falling short and we were too ashamed to shroud Hamzah in two garments, and not shroud the Ansaar man in anything.
So we said: ‘We will use one garment for Hamzah and the other for the Ansaar man,’ so we measured them and found that one of the garments was longer than the other, so we shrouded each of them with the garment that was his size.” (Reported by Ahmad (1421).)
Anas ibn Maalik said:
“The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to Hamzah on the day of Uhud, stood near him, seeing how he had been mutilated, and said: ‘Had it not been for the fact that Safiyyah would become sad, I would have left him in order for the beasts of prey and birds to eat, that way, he will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection in their stomachs (He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wanted to send a message to the disbelievers that leaving him to be eaten by the beasts would not affect his rank (in the Hereafter) just as emulating him would not. However, he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, refrained from doing so lest it saddens his sister.).’
Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, called for a woolen cloak, and shrouded him in it. If his head was covered, his feet would become uncovered, and if his feet were covered, his head would become uncovered. So his head was veiled.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi (1016).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, consoled them and eased the pain of the calamity for them:
Asmaa’ bint `Umays (a woman Companion) said:
“When Ja`far and his companions were killed, I entered on the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, having tanned forty skins, kneaded by dough, washed my children, put perfume on them, and cleaned them. Then the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Bring me Ja`far’s children.’ So I brought them to him, he smelled them and began to shed tears.
I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, why are you crying? Has news come to you about Jafar and his companions?
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Yes, they have been killed today.’
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then went to his family and said: ‘Do not forget to cook for the family of Ja`far, because they are consumed with the affair of their companion [the affliction of his death].’” (Reported by Ahmad (26546).)
`Abdullaah ibn Ja’far (a Companion) said: “When the news of the demise of Ja`far came, the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Cook for the family of Ja`far, because they have just received news that will keep them engaged.’” (Reported by Abu Dawood (3132), At-Tirmidhi (998), and ibn Maajah (1610).)
Al-Mubaarakpoori (a scholar) said: “The meaning is that sadness has come and has consumed them, making them incapable of preparing food for themselves, otherwise, they may be troubled or hurt while they do not know it.” (Tuhfat Al-Ahwathi (4/67).)
Sometimes he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would take care of their affairs:
`Abdullaah ibn Ja’far (a Companion) said:
`Abdullaah ibn Ja’far (a Companion) said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent an army, and made Zayd ibn Haarithah (a Companion) the general,
and said: ‘If Zayd is killed or martyred, then Ja`far is your leader, and if he is killed or martyred, then `Abdullaah ibn Rawaahah will assume leadership.’
Their news reached the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so he went out to the people, thanked Allah and praised Him, then said: ‘Your brothers have met an enemy, and Zayd has taken the flag. He fought until he was killed or martyred. Afterwards, Ja’far ibn Abu Taalib took the flag and fought until he was killed or martyred, then `Abdullaah ibn Rawaahah took the flag, and fought until he was killed or martyred, then one of the swords of Allah, Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed, took the flag, and Allah granted victory to him.’
Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave the family of Jafar three days of mourning, then went to them and said: ‘Do not weep over my brother after today or tomorrow. Call the sons of my brother to me.’
So we were brought as if we were young nestlings, and the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Call a barber to me.’
So a barber came and shaved our heads. Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘As for Muhammad, he looks like our uncle Abu Taalib, and as for `Abdullaah, he looks like and has similar mannerisms to me.’
Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, took my hand and lifted it, saying: ‘O Allah, succeed Ja`far in his family [i.e. take care of them after his death], and bless `Abdullaah’s transactions.’ He said that three times.
Then our mother came and mentioned our orphaned state to him, which caused him to grieve. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to her: ‘Do you fear poverty for them, even though I am their guardian in this life and the next?’” (Reported by Ahmad (1753).)
By Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid
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