A Believer’s Beautiful Exit: Lessons from the Sunnah on a Good Ending
1 –“A person whose last words are Laa ilaaha illAllaah [there is no God but Allaah]
The Prophet (SAWS) said,
عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلَامِهِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ»
رواه أبو داود (2673)، وصححه الشيخ الألباني رحمه الله في صحيح أبي داود
“A person whose last words are Laa ilaaha illAllaah [there is no God but Allaah] will enter Paradise.”
- Saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2673.
2 – Dying with sweat on the forehead:
عَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ بْنِ الْحُصَيْبِ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ
«مَوْتُ الْمُؤْمِنِ بِعَرَقِ الْجَبِينِ»
رواه أحمد (22513)، والترمذي (980)، والنسائي (1828)، وصححه الشيخ الألباني رحمه الله في صحيح الترمذي
Al-Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (R A) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (SAWS) say, “The believer dies with sweat on his forehead.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 22513; al-Tirmidhi, 980; al-Nasaa’i, 1828. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
3 – Dying on the night or day of Friday:
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَوْ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَّا وَقَاهُ اللَّهُ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ
رواه أحمد (6546)، والترمذي (1074)
وقال الشيخ الألباني رحمه الله
«الحديث بمجموع طرقه حسن أو صحيح»
(باعتبار مجموع أسانيده وطرقه)
The Messenger of Allaah (SAWS) said: “there is no Muslim who dies on the day of Friday or the night of Friday, but Allaah will protect him from the trial (fitnah) of the grave.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 6546; al-Tirmidhi, 1074.
Al-Albaani said: When all its isnaads are taken into consideration, this hadeeth is hasan or saheeh.
4 – Dying as a fighter for the sake of Allaah:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ (169)
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:169]
And the Prophet (SAWS) said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«مَنْ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ»
رواه مسلم في صحيحه (1915)
“Whoever is killed for the sake of Allaah is a martyr, and whoever dies for the sake of Allaah is a martyr.”
Narrated by Muslim, 1915.
5 – Dying of the plague, a stomach disease, being crushed by a falling wall or by drowning, .Death caused by burning, pleurisy and tuberculosis:
The Prophet (SAWS) said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ
الشُّهَدَاءُ خَمْسَةٌ: الْمَطْعُونُ، وَالْمَبْطُونُ، وَالْغَرِيقُ، وَصَاحِبُ الْهَدْمِ، وَالشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
رواه البخاري (2829)، ومسلم (1915، 1916)
“The martyrs are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies from a stomach illness, the one who drowns, the one who dies beneath a collapsed structure, and the one who is martyred in the cause of Allah.”
Additional narrations mention: the one who dies by burning and the one afflicted with tuberculosis.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2829; Muslim, 1915,1916
(Abu’l-Awaam, the custodian of Bayt al-Maqdis added: and burning and tuberculosis).
Al-Albaani said: Hasan saheeh. Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1396.
6– If a woman dies as a result of childbirth, or when she is pregnant.
Narrated by Abu Dawood (3111)
The Prophet (SAWS) said,
عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«وَالْمَرْأَةُ تَمُوتُ بِجُمْعٍ شَهِيدَةٌ»
📖 رواه أبو داود (3111)، والنسائي (1846)، وأحمد (22575)
“The woman who dies with a child (during pregnancy or childbirth) is a martyr.”
عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
وَذَكَرَ مِنَ الشُّهَدَاءِ: وَالْمَرْأَةُ يَقْتُلُهَا وَلَدُهَا جَمْعًا، يَجُرُّهَا بِسُرَرِهِ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
رواه أحمد، وصححه الشيخ الألباني رحمه الله في كتاب الجنائز، صـ 📖39
‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: The Messenger of Allaah (SAWS) told us about the martyrs and mentioned among them, “A woman who is killed by the child in her womb attains martyrdom, and her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.”
Narrated by Imaam Ahmad ,
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz, p. 39.
7 – Dying to defend one’s religion, one’s wealth or one’s life.
The Prophet (SAWS) said:
عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ
مَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ، وَمَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ دِينِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ، وَمَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ دَمِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ، وَمَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ أَهْلِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
رواه الترمذي (1421)، وأبو داود (4772)، والنسائي (4095)
“Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr; whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr; whoever is killed in self-defence is a martyr.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1421.
8– Dying guarding the borders of Islam for the sake of Allaah.
Narrated that Salmaan al-Faarsi (R A) said:
عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ
رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صِيَامِ شَهْرٍ وَقِيَامِهِ، وَإِنْ مَاتَ جَرَى عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُهُ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْمَلُهُ، وَأُجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ، وَأَمِنَ الْفَتَّانَ
رواه مسلم (1913)
The Messenger of Allaah (SAWS) said:
“Guarding the borders of Islam for one day and one night is better than fasting and praying at night for a whole month, and if he dies (whist performing this duty), he will go on receiving the reward for this great deed and his provision (continually), and he will be spared the questioning in the grave. ”
Muslim (1913)
9– One of the signs of a good end is dying whilst doing a righteous deed.
عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ، خُتِمَ لَهُ بِهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ خُتِمَ لَهُ بِهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ خُتِمَ لَهُ بِهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ
رواه أحمد (23324)، وصححه الشيخ الألباني رحمه الله في السلسلة الصحيحة (1114)
“The one who says Lā ilāha illAllāh seeking the Face of Allah, it will be the seal of his life and he will enter Paradise; the one who fasts a day seeking the Face of Allah, it will be the seal of his life and he will enter Paradise; and the one who gives charity seeking the Face of Allah, it will be the seal of his life and he will enter Paradise.”
