The transition of the soul from the temporary realm of this world to the everlasting realm of the Hereafter is called death. It is the most critical stage of a human’s existence, and marks the beginning of an eternal life of either success and bliss or failure and punishment. After a person departs, he is unable to do anything more for the betterment of his eternal life. It is thus imperative to adequately prepare for such a juncture before reaching it.
Firstly, we should keep ourselves dedicated to preparing for death in a manner that our own deeds are sufficient to attract the Mercy of Allāh S, and we do not remain in need of anybody else to pray for our forgiveness and send us reward after we pass away.
Secondly, we should also have concern for those of our relatives and associates who have already passed away or are expected to pass away soon. A person in an emergency will receive instant help from worried and concerned individuals who, despite not knowing him, will desperately rush to his aid. When this is our response to an emergency related to this temporary life, then what should our response be to an emergency associated to the everlasting life of the Hereafter? Should our response be limited to condolences, grieving and meeting one another or should we be more focused towards those actions that will help the deceased in his eternal abode? When a person departs, it is the family members and friends who should do their utmost to help him. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarise ourselves with the correct steps to take in order to help a dying person succeed in the stages of the Hereafter.
What to Do in the Final Moments
When a person is on his deathbed, family and friends should try to adhere to the following guidelines:
1. Ensure cleanliness and purity of the body, clothes and bedding of the dying person. If possible, you may also give them a bath.
2. Clean their teeth with a miswak. A short while before his demise, Nabī s cleaned his teeth with a miswāk.
3. Apply or diffuse a pleasant scent on them and around them.
4. If possible, lay them onto their right-hand side with the body facing the qiblah. If this is not possible or uncomfortable, then they can be made to lie on their back with the legs facing the qiblah and the head tilted slightly towards the qiblah by placing an extra pillow behind it. If this is also not possible or uncomfortable, then they can be left to lie in whichever position is most convenient and comfortable for them.
5. Carry out talqīn of the kalimah. Rasūlullāh s said,
Exhort your dying ones to recite ‘Lā ilāha illallāh’. (Muslim)
The method of talqīn is to recite the kalimah shahādah,
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ
or the kalimah ṭayyibah,
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
loud enough for the person on his deathbed to hear so that they are reminded and encouraged to recite it. Talqīn should continue until they recite the kalimah or display any sign of Īmān such as uttering the Name of Allāh S or even raising the shahādah finger. Once this happens, talqīn should be stopped. If they then speak about any worldly matter, talqīn should be renewed. There should be pauses during the talqīn to give them a chance to recite the kalimah.
The dying person should not be instructed to recite the kalimah, as this could frustrate them in their state of pain and agony, and consequently result in them saying something inappropriate.
Another dhikr Nabī s instructed to do talqīn of is:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ، سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ، اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ
There is no deity except Allāh, the Most-Forbearing, the Most-Generous. Pure is Allāh, the Rabb of the magnificent throne. All praise is for Allāh, Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of all the worlds. (Ibn Mājah)
Anyone present by the person in his final moments can and should do talqīn, but the talqīn of a pious individual will be more beneficial.
6. Recite Sūrah Yāsīn next to the person. Rasūlullāh s said,
Recite (Sūrah) Yāsīn upon your deceased. (Abū Dāwūd)
This Ḥadīth refers to reciting Sūrah Yāsīn upon three junctures: when someone is close to death; after the ghusl has been performed; and once the burial has taken place.
The mashāyikh would say that when it is recited upon the dying person, death is made easy for them. (Musnad Aḥmad)
The more times it is recited besides the dying person, the better. Each family member who visits should try to recite it at least once. Passing on the reward of this recitation to the dying person would also be fruitful.
7. Help and encourage the dying person to recite the following du‘ā:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
Rasūlullāh s said, ‘One who recites this du‘ā during an illness and thereafter passes away, will not be touched by the fire (of Jahannam).’ (At-Tirmidhī)
The virtue mentioned in this du‘ā can be acquired when recited in any illness after which one passes away, be it a minor illness or a severe one. Therefore, whenever somebody becomes ill, they should try to recite this du‘ā. If the dying person had not recited this du‘ā at an earlier stage of their illness or had suddenly become severely ill and thus was unable to do so, they should be made to recite this du‘ā with affection. If the dying person is unable to recite the du‘ā, even then one should recite it audibly in their presence. It is not beyond the Mercy of Allāh that He grants salvation to the dying person upon him just following the du‘ā in his mind or having a desire to recite it.
8. Speak only good in the presence of the dying person and make du‘ā for ease and success in the critical stages they are soon to encounter. Rasūlullāh s said,
When you visit a sick or dying person, speak good words; for indeed, the angels say āmīn to what you say. (Muslim)
9. Say things that will make them have hope in the Mercy of Allāh and success in the Hereafter. Rasūlullāh s said,
None of you should die except with good thoughts regarding Allāh. (Muslim)
10. Do not speak to the dying person regarding anything that will turn their attention towards matters of this world and away from Allāh S and the Hereafter. Soon they will be departing from this world to their Creator, thus we should not try to attach their heart to the creation. Unfortunately, due to not understanding this, even at this critical stage, we try to bring to their attention family members, loved ones and visitors.
Once the person has breathed their last, do the following:
1. Make du‘ā for them. Rasūlullāh s said,
When you visit the sick or deceased, speak good words; for indeed, the angels say āmīn to what you say. (Muslim)
The above-mentioned Ḥadīth demands that we supplicate for the deceased, as doing so is speaking good of them.
It was also the practice of our beloved Nabī s to make du‘ā for the deceased. He made the following du‘ā for Sayyidunā Abū Salamah t upon learning about his death:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِأَبِيْ سَلَمَةَ وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَهُ فِي الْمَهْدِيِّـيْنَ
وَاخْلُفْهُ فِيْ عَقِبِهِ فِي الْغَابِرِيْنَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ
وَافْسَحْ لَهُ فِيْ قَبْرِهِ وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيْهِ
O Allāh! Forgive Abū Salamah and elevate his status amongst the guided ones. And take his place (by becoming a guardian) for his descendants who remain behind, and grant us forgiveness as well as him, O Rabb of the worlds! And make his grave spacious for him and fill it with nūr. (Muslim)
This du‘ā should be learnt and recited for the deceased when they pass away, using the name of the deceased in place of the name, Abū Salamah.
2. Recite Sūrah Yāsīn by the body after the ghusl has been performed. As mentioned previously, the Ḥadīth, ‘Read sūrah Yāsīn upon your deceased’, applies to this stage too.
3. From after the demise until the burial is complete, engage in as much īsāluth-thawab (sending reward) as possible. The unfortunate trend of relatives and friends remaining busy in conversation in the presence of the bereaved without doing anything noteworthy for the deceased, is deplorable and worthy of rectification. Similarly, the family members of the deceased should also have concern for their loved one and spend extra time in the Masjid or in solitude, making du‘ā for them and sending them reward of good deeds. To help maintain focus in this regard, we should set ourselves targets, e.g. I will give so much ṣadaqah, I will complete so much tilāwah, dhikrullāh, nafl salāh, etc.
One point worthy of mention is that for īṣāluth-thawāb to be fruitful and beneficial for the deceased, the person sending the reward needs to have acquired reward from his deed to begin with, and that will only be possible if the deed is rewardable in the Court of Allāh S. Acquiring reward from a deed is dependent on ikhlāṣ and adherence to the Sunnah. Therefore, ikhlāṣ should be maintained at every step and all customs contrary to the Sunnah should be abandoned. It is against the sunnah to invite people to gather and recite the Qur’ān for īṣāluth-thawāb. Gatherings of īṣāluth thawāb ruin all prospects of ikhlāṣ, as many people feel compelled to attend and only do so to ‘show their faces’. It would be more fruitful if each person were to do īṣāluth-thawāb on their own accord on an individual basis. It is advised to consult the honourable Muftis and ‘ulamā for correct guidance regarding the different forms of īṣāluth-thawab prevalent in our times.
4. The ghusl and burial of the deceased should be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity. They should not be delayed for family members and friends to arrive from other cities or countries. Upon the occasion of the demise of Ṭalḥah ibnul Barā t, Rasūlullāh s said,
Hasten (the funeral preparations and burial), for it is not appropiate that the corpse of a Muslim be withheld among its family. (Abū Dāwūd)
If for any unavoidable reason, the burial has to be delayed, then the ghusl and takfīn (shrouding) should take place as soon as possible.
5. Participate in the janāzah ṣalāh with a genuine intention of asking Allāh to forgive the deceased. Rasūlullāh s said,
If a Muslim dies and forty people participate in his funeral prayer solely for the Pleasure of Allāh, then Allāh will accept their intercession for him. (Muslim)
This Ḥadīth shows that the guaranteed acceptance of the janāzah ṣalāh performed by forty people, is contingent on their sincerity. Therefore, we should participate in the janāzah ṣalāh with a genuine concern to increase the chances of the deceased being forgiven, to acquire the virtues of participating in a janāzah ṣalāh, and to become a source of solace for the bereaved family who find comfort in witnessing many people seeking forgiveness for their loved one.
In this regard, no stone should be left unturned in perfecting the janāzah ṣalāh. This includes reciting as many masnūn ad‘iyah in the janāzah ṣalāh as possible:
اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا
اَللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيْمَانِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلَا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ
O Allāh! Forgive our living and our dead, those of us who are present and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allāh! Those of us whom You keep alive, keep them alive upon Islām, and those of us whom You grant death to, let them die with Īmān. O Allāh! Do not deprive us of his reward and do not lead us astray after him. (Abū Dāwūd)
اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ
وَاغْسِلْهُ بِمَاءٍ وَثَلْجٍ وَبَرَدٍ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ
وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِّنْ دَارِهِ وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِّنْ زَوْجِهِ وَقِهِ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابَ النَّارِ
O Allāh! Forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him and grant him ‘āfiyah. Make honourable his reception and make vast his place of entry (the grave). Cleanse him with water, snow and ice, and purify him from sins just as a white cloth is purified from filth. Exchange his home for a better home, his family for a better family and his spouse for a better spouse. Protect him from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the fire. (Muslim)
اللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّ فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ فِيْ ذِمَّتِكَ، وَحَبْلِ جِوَارِكَ، فَقِهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ، وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَأَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْوَفَاءِ وَالْحَقِّ، فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ
O Allāh! Indeed, so-and-so who is the son of so-and-so is under Your care and protection, so protect him from the trial of the grave and torment of the Fire. Indeed, You keep to Your Promise and are truthful. Forgive him and have mercy upon him; Indeed, You are the Most-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful. (Ibn Mājah)
اَللّٰهُمَّ عَبْدُكَ وابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، اِحْتَاجَ إِلٰى رَحْمَتِكَ، وَأَنْتَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْ عَذَابِهِ، إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِناً فَزِدْ فِيْ حَسَنَاتِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيْئاً فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْهُ
O Allāh! This is Your servant and son of your servant. He is in need of Your Mercy and You are not in need of punishing him. If he was righteous, increase his rewards, and if he was a wrongdoer, pardon him. (Al-Mustadrak lil-Ḥākim)
اللّٰهُمَّ عَبْدُكَ، وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ كَانَ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُوْلُكَ، وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهٖ مِنِّيْ، إِنْ كَانَ مُحْسِنًا فَزِدْ فِيْ إِحْسَانِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسِيْئًا فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ، وَلَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلَا تَفْتِنَّا بَعْدَهُ
O Allāh! This is Your servant and son of Your servant. He bore testimony that there is no deity except You and that Muḥammad is Your servant and messenger. You are more aware of this than me. If he was righteous, increase his rewards, and if he was a wrongdoer, pardon him. Do not deprive us of his reward and do not put us to trial after him. (Ibn Ḥibbān)
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنْت ربُّهَا، وَأَنْتَ خَلَقْتَها، وأَنْتَ هَدَيْتَهَا لِلْإِسْلَامِ، وَأَنْتَ قَبَضْتَ رُوْحَهَا، وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِسِرِّهَا وَعَلَانِيَتِهَا، جِئْنَاكَ شُفَعَاءَ لَهُ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ
O Allāh! You are his Rabb; You created him, guided him to Islām and took his soul. You are most aware of his private and public matters. We have come to You as intercessors for him, so forgive him. (Abū Dāwūd)
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَوْرِدْهُ حَوْضَ رَسُولِكَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
O Allāh! Forgive him, bestow him with Your Special Mercy and make him reach the pond of your Rasūl s (the pond of Kawthar). (Ad-Du‘ā liṭ-Ṭabarānī)
Imāms, especially, those who lead the janāzah ṣalāh, should have utmost concern for the deceased and try to recite as many of these ad‘iyah as possible, ensuring not to cause inconvenience to the congregation.
6. After performing the janāzah ṣalāh attend the burial too. Performing the janāzah ṣalāh and attending the burial both hold great reward. Rasūlullāh s said,
Whoever performs the janāzah ṣalāh will receive (reward equal to) a qīrāṭ; and whoever (remains thereafter and) attends the burial, will receive (reward equal to) two qīrāṭs; one qīrāṭ is equivalent to mount Uḥud. (Muslim)
After the janāzah ṣalāh, the burial should take place straightaway. Nabī s said,
Hasten the janāzah (to the grave after the janāzah ṣalāh) for if it is pious, you are taking it towards goodness, and if it is otherwise, you are laying an evil off your shoulders. (Al-Bukhārī, Muslim)
When the janāzah is being carried to the grave, it is mustaḥabb to follow it. Sayyidunā Barā ibn ‘Āzib t said,
Rasūlullāh s commanded us to do seven things and prohibited us from seven things. He commanded us to visit the sick and follow the deceased (to the grave) … (Al-Bukhārī, Muslim)
We should also look for an opportunity to lift the janāzah. Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd t said,
When one of you follows the janāzah, then he should hold on to the four corners of the bier (one after another). Thereafter, he may continue (holding it) if he wills or leave it. This (carrying the bier from all four corners) is from the sunnah. (As-Sunanul-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī)
7. After the deceased is lowered in the grave, we should take part in the burial too. This is the last service we can render to our loved one. As a minimum, throw three handfuls of soil into the grave, reciting the following three sentences of a Qur’ānic verse with the three throws respectively:
مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ
From it (the earth) we created you.
وَ فِیۡهَا نُعِیۡدُکُمۡ
And to it we shall return you.
وَ مِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُکُمۡ تَارَۃً اُخۡرٰی
And from it we will extract you a second time.
If it is a close relative or associate and one has a say, then he should try to make sure the burial takes place according to the sunnah method. Try to arrange for someone who knows the sunnah method to be present by the grave when the burial is taking place.
Our focus should be towards Allāh whilst having utmost concern for the deceased throughout the burial and avoiding any worldly conversation. These moments should be spent in helping the deceased through recitation of the Qur’ān, first kalimah, third kalimah, durūd, du‘ā, etc.
I would like to share a personal practice at this juncture which will hopefully be a means of encouragement for the readers. Whenever I attend a janāzah, I recite Sūrah Yāsīn a total number of five times, the intention being to send the reward of each recitation to the following: 1. Our beloved Nabī s; 2. my parents; 3. the deceased whose janāzah we are attending; 4. all the other deceased Muslims resting in that particular graveyard and 5. all the deceased Muslims of the world.
We should also use this opportunity to take a glance at the many graves surrounding us and take heed. Absorb and internalise the reality of death, which will inevitably knock at our door one day, and add us to the rows of graves that we pitifully glare at. As we watch the body being lowered into the grave, we should tell ourselves that we will be in the place of that body one day, and possibly very soon.
8. Once the burial is complete, we should make du‘ā for the deceased. Making du‘ā after burial is sunnah. Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān t said, ‘When Nabī s would finish burying a dead person, he would stand by the grave and say (addressing the Ṣaḥābah t who were present),
Seek forgiveness for your (Muslim) brother and ask that he is granted steadfastness (during the questioning of munkar and nakīr); for indeed, he is now being questioned. (Abū Dāwūd)
Thereafter, stay at the graveside for as long as time allows, engaging in īṣāluth thawāb, recitation of the Qur’ān, istighfār for the deceased, du‘ā to strengthen him during the questioning in the grave. Read Sūrah Yāsīn as the Ḥadīth, ‘Read Sūrah Yāsīn upon your deceased’, is applicable for this moment too.
Sayyidunā ‘Amr ibnul ‘Āṣ t instructed his son,
When you bury me, place the soil above me slowly, and thereafter remain around my graveside for as long as it takes for a camel to be slaughtered and its meat to be distributed, so that I may be comforted (by your presence and your du‘ā, dhikr, tilāwah and istighfār) and I understand how to answer the angels (with confidence). (Muslim)
9. Fulfil any obligations that remain on the deceased, whether it be ḥajj, debts, unpaid zakāh, missed ṣalāhs and fasts, ṣadaqatul fiṭr, uḍḥiyah, etc.
Rasūlullāh s said,
Every sin of the shahīd (martyr) will be forgiven, except debt. (Muslim)
The children of the deceased should take this responsibility on their shoulders as they are most indebted to their parents. Debts will be paid off from the estate of the deceased before the distribution of inheritance. Other monetary obligations for which the deceased did not make a bequest should be paid off after the distribution of inheritance. Although the inheritors will not be obliged by the sharī‘ah to do this, but if they have the financial capability, they should understand this to be their moral duty towards their parents.
10. Frequently send rewards to the deceased and make du‘ā for them throughout your life. Rasūlullāh s said,
The deceased in his grave is like a drowning person calling for help; he waits (with expectation) for a supplication that may reach him from his father, mother, brother or a friend, and when it does reach him, it is dearer to him than the (whole) world and what it contains. Indeed, Allāh S provides the people of the graves (with mercy and forgiveness) equivalent to the mountains, due to the supplications of the people (alive) on earth. (Al-Bayhaqī).
One should also look for avenues which generate perpetual reward. Rasūlullāh s mentioned three ways in the following Ḥadīth:
When a son of ‘Ādam dies, his deeds come to an end except from three avenues: ṣadaqah jāriyah, ‘ilm (that he disseminated) which people benefit from, or a pious child who prays for him. (Muslim)
The three ways mentioned in the Ḥadīth are:
a. Ṣadaqah jāriyah: According to one’s financial circumstance, make an organised plan to establish ṣadaqah jāriyah for our loved ones. For example, once a year I will dig a well in a deprived area. Become part of every Masjid project even if it be a little. Those who Allāh S has blessed with much wealth should do waqf of properties too, as this is a great ‘ibādah.
b. Disseminating ‘Ilm: Create means for ‘ilm to spread. Purchase books for a Madrasah library or for the students of that Madrasah to use as text books. Sponsor an orphan or poor person to study and become an ‘Ālim or Ḥāfiẓ. Distribute some Islamic literature.
c. Pious descendants: From the various ways of helping and benefiting the deceased, one way is that the children and grandchildren of the deceased adopt piety by practising the Dīn. Their piety automatically benefits their parents or grandparents without them sending reward.
11. Mention the good qualities and characteristics of the deceased and do not make mention of any negative aspects of their life. Rasūlullāh s said,
Mention the good qualities of your deceased and abstain from mentioning their bad qualities. (At-Tirmidhī)
Rasūlullāh s also said,
Do not speak bad of the deceased for they have reached the result of what they sent forth. (Al-Bukhārī)
Mentioning good qualities of our deceased does not necessarily have to be in a public gathering advertised for this purpose. Rather, good mention can and should be made amongst family and friends whenever one sees it appropriate.
If we create a culture of following these points, then people will behave in a similar manner when our turn comes to depart from this temporary world too.
May Allāh S grant us the tawfīq to help our deceased family and friends and ourselves by implementing all the points mentioned. Āmīn.
Extracted from Riyadhul Jannah