One Day, We Will Leave This World: What the Prophet ﷺ Taught Us🌹
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your full compensation on the Day of Resurrection.”
Surah Āl ʿImrān — 3:185
فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“So whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted into Paradise has certainly succeeded. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion?”
Surah Āl ʿImrān — 3:185
❓ BUT WHAT IS DEATH ?
Have we really understood the purpose of death?
Or have we simply avoided thinking about it because the thought of leaving this world frightens us?
Death is not something that happens only to the elderly, the sick, or other people.
Death is the appointment that every soul has.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكْكُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
“Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within fortified towers.”
Surah an-Nisā’ — 4:78
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us not to live in heedlessness of death, but to remember it in a way that motivates us to repent, worship Allah, correct our affairs and prepare for the Hereafter.
Here are 8 authentic narrations to help us better understand death:
❶ REMEMBER DEATH OFTEN 🌹
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«أَكْثِرُوا ذِكْرَ هَاذِمِ اللَّذَّاتِ»
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures,” meaning death.
📚 Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 2307 — Hasan
Imām at-Tirmidhī رحمه الله described the narration as Hasan gharīb.
Death puts the temporary pleasures of this world into their proper perspective.
It reminds us that wealth, beauty, possessions, status and worldly achievements will eventually be left behind.
What will accompany us? Our deeds.
❷ THE WISE PERSON PREPARES FOR DEATH
📚 Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī — Hadith 2459
Imam al-Tirmidhī himself said: «هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ» — “This is a hasan hadith.”
❸ ALLAH ACCEPTS REPENTANCE UNTIL THE SOUL REACHES THE THROAT 🤲
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رضي الله عنهما قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ»
Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah accepts the repentance of His servant as long as his soul has not reached his throat.”
📚 Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 3537 — Hasan
Imām at-Tirmidhī رحمه الله described it as Hasan Gharīb.
This is a tremendous mercy from Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Do not say:
“I will repent later.”
We do not know when “later” will disappear.
Repent while the door of repentance is still open.
❹ WHEN THE SOUL LEAVES, THE EYES FOLLOW IT
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ رضي الله عنها قَالَتْ
«إِنَّ الرُّوحَ إِذَا قُبِضَ تَبِعَهُ الْبَصَرُ»
Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها narrated that when Abū Salamah رضي الله عنه died, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to him. His eyes were open, so the Prophet ﷺ closed them and said:
“When the soul is taken away, the sight follows it.”
He then taught the family to say only what is good and made duʿā’ for Abū Salamah رضي الله عنه.
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 920a
The Prophet ﷺ did not teach the family to despair. He taught them:
🤲 Duʿā’.
🧘 Patience.
💬 Good words.
🕋 Turning to Allah.
❺ DO NOT ABUSE OR INSULT THE DEAD ⚰️
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها قَالَتْ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ
«لَا تَسُبُّوا الْأَمْوَاتَ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَفْضَوْا إِلَى مَا قَدَّمُوا»
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not abuse the dead, for they have reached the result of what they put forward.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1393; also Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6516
Once a person dies, his opportunity to perform deeds has ended.
He has gone to what he sent ahead.
This should make us think about what we are sending ahead.
❻ THREE THINGS CONTINUE TO BENEFIT A PERSON AFTER DEATH 🌱
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ
إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ
Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1631
What are you building today that will continue benefiting you after you leave this world?
Do not underestimate a small deed done sincerely for Allah.
❼ CHARITY IS A PROTECTION FROM AN EVIL DEATH 💝
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ لَتُطْفِئُ غَضَبَ الرَّبِّ وَتَدْفَعُ مِيتَةَ السُّوءِ»
Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, charity extinguishes the anger of the Lord and wards off an evil death.”
📚 Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 664
Note: Imām at-Tirmidhī himself said this narration is Hasan gharīb, although the grading displayed by some later editions/databases classifies it as ḍaʿīf.
And regardless, charity is firmly established in numerous authentic texts.
🤲 Give charity.
🌙 Give it secretly.
❤️ Give it sincerely.
🔄 Give it regularly.
❽ VISIT THE GRAVES — THEY REMIND US OF THE HEREAFTER 🪦
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged remembering death and the Hereafter.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
«زُورُوا الْقُبُورَ فَإِنَّهَا تُذَكِّرُكُمُ الْآخِرَةَ»
“Visit the graves, for they remind you of the Hereafter.”
This meaning is established through narrations concerning visiting graves, including the narration reported by Buraydah رضي الله عنه in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and the wording reported by at-Tirmidhī.
A graveyard is a powerful reminder:
One day, we will be there.
The question is not:
“Will I die?”
The question is:
“What am I preparing for the day when I die?”
🌹 ONE MORE BEAUTIFUL REMINDER
The Prophet ﷺ taught us that death is not the end of existence.
For the believer, there is an eternal life after this temporary world.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ
“And the Hereafter is better and more lasting.”
Surah al-Aʿlā — 87:17
Therefore, remembering death should not make a believer abandon hope.Rather, it should make us:
🤲 Repent more.
🕌 Pray more sincerely.
📖 Read and live by the Qur'an.
❤️ Forgive people.
💝 Give charity.
🏡 Treat our families well.
🫶 Repair broken relationships.
🌱 Leave behind beneficial deeds.
And most importantly:
RETURN TO ALLAH BEFORE WE ARE RETURNED TO HIM.
🌙 DEATH WILL COME FOR EVERY ONE OF US
No one knows the exact day.
No one knows the exact hour.
No one knows where they will be when the Angel of Death comes.
Therefore, do not wait until you are lying on your deathbed to remember Allah.
📿 Remember Him now.
🌿 Repent now.
🕌 Pray now.
🤍 Forgive now.
🤲 Give charity now.
✨ Do good now.
Because tomorrow is not promised.
اللَّهُمَّ حَسِّنْ خَاتِمَتَنَا، وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا، وَارْحَمْنَا عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَثَبِّتْنَا عِنْدَ السُّؤَالِ، وَاجْعَلْ قُبُورَنَا رَوْضَةً مِنْ رِيَاضِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَاجْمَعْنَا مَعَ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فِي الْفِرْدَوْسِ الْأَعْلَى
O Allah, grant us a good ending, forgive our sins, have mercy upon us at the time of death, make us firm when we are questioned, make our graves a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and gather us with our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the highest level of Jannatul-Firdaws. Āmīn. 🤲❤️
May Allah guide us all, forgive our shortcomings, grant us a beautiful ending, and make us among those who meet Him while He is pleased with us. Āmīn.🤲
🪦 DEATH IS CERTAIN.
🌑 THE GRAVE IS REAL.
🌅 THE RESURRECTION IS REAL.
⚖️ THE ACCOUNTABILITY IS REAL.
🌿 JANNĀH IS REAL.
🔥 JAHANNAM IS REAL.
SO LET US PREPARE BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT ARRIVES.
اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنَا حُسْنَ الْخَاتِمَةِ 🤲
Āmīn, yā Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn.
