Not to die as an unbeliever-1-

Dear Readers,

Of course, dying as a unbeliever when expiring is the most intense fear for a Muslim. One day some of his lovers asked Junayd al-Baghdadi hazrats that "Sir, what is the greatest issue for a Muslim?" He ordered that “The most important issue for a Muslim is to leave this world as a believer. For this reason, it needs to dread and shudder so much from leaving the world as an unbeliever”

Islamic scholars ordered that "the one who doesn’t fear to die as an unbeliever, dies as an unbeliever" . For this reason, not to die as a unbeliever, you should dread dying as an unbeliever.

# It is needed to thank Allah for the faith benefaction

Allah (swt) produced countless benefactions for human. But faith and Islam are the most great and important benefactions that Allah has granted to human. Through them, the world life of human becomes peaceful and happy, he is overwhelmed with countless benefactions in life to come. For this reason, human must thank Allah for the benefactions he had. Abu Khanife hazrats ordered that :
"It is needed to thank Allah for benefaction of faith not to die as an unbeliever."

It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that:

"What can Allah gain by your punishment, if ye are grateful and ye believe?" [Nisaa, 147]

"If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed." [Ibrahim, 7]

In other words, praise is a very important reason for a benefaction not to be lost, on the contrary to be increased. For this reason, it is needed to thank Allah so much for "Faith" which is the most important benefaction. It is informed that whenever Rasulullah (s.a.w.) perform an ablution, after intending and before performing an ablution, prays saying:

"I thank Allah, who has rendered water as cleaner and Islam as a heavenly light and honored me with faith and Islam."

Thus, human praises at least 3 to 5 times to his creator for faith benefaction he had.

# Mother’s and father’s feelings shouldn't be hurt

Dear readers, one of the issues causing to leave the world as an unbeliever is to hurt mother’s and father’s feelings, and displease them. The distresses suffered by mother and father can not be perceived before being mother and father personally. Especially our mother has exclusive rights on us. That’s why, we must be so respectful to our parents, and by no means intent to hurt them, attempt to do kindness on all occasions. It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that:

“We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents.” [Ahqaf, 15]

“and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor.” [Isra, 23]

It is ordered in the hadiths that:

“The greatest right owner on human; his mother is for man, her husband is for woman.” [Hakim]

“The most righteous act after the salat performed in time is to do mother and father a kindness” [Muslim]

“The kindness done to mother and mother converts misfortune to happiness, lengthens the life, protects human from bad death” [Abu Nuaym]

“If those, disobedient to his mother and father, prays for them after they died, Allah considers them as those who were obedient to his mother and father.” [Ibn Abiddunya]

# Alkama's story

Since mother and father’s right is extremely important issue, those disregarding this right face a great danger like dying as an unbeliever. The story of Alkama from Salaf-i Salihin is the most exemplary example in terms of this issue.

While Rasulullah (s.a.w.) is communing, a woman came to the presence of him in a flurry. She said that her husbands was on his death bed, and although she implemented him to repeat the Islamic testimony of faith, he couldn’t be able to do it, and she worried about him to be die as an unbeliever. Rasulullah asked her if he had acted in any bad way when he was healthful. The women told that he hadn’t had any bad behavior and performed his salat and had done his religious exercises completely. Hereupon Rasulullah asked if any his relative existed in the world, and when he learned that her mother was alive, he called her to the presence of himself. He asked her if she was pleased his son. Upon her mother said that her son began to despise her after he got married and that’s why she was offended to him, Rasulullah wanted her to renounce her rights on him. The women didn’t accept this offer. Upon this, Rasulullah sent the people around him to supply wood stating that it would be better for him to pay in this world than burning in hell. Upon this, the woman couldn’t stand any more and told that she renounced her rights on him. When Bilali Habashi hazrats arrived at near Alkama on request of Rasulullah, he had started to talk: Saying

- Lailahe illallah Muhammedur Rasulullah, and then yielded up the spirit.

It is the brief of the story being told longer in hadith books.

Fort this reason, not to die as an unbeliever, you should extremely take care of the rights of mother and father and attempt not to hurt their feelings.

# Our hearts should not be in heedlessness

Dear readers,

One of the issues causing to die as an unbeliever is "heedlessness". Heedlessness means that the human forgets his Creator by engaging in fun and pleasures of the world resulting in neglecting his Creator. Contrary of this issue is mentioning, in other words, remembering the Creator.

The reason why the human deprive of faith and the right way is that they love the life of the world.

It is ordered in a Qur’an verses that :

"This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter." [Nahl, 107]

When the human loves the life of world and engages in fun and pleasure of the world, his heart gets full of desire and wishes completely that the world life demands, that’s why human forgets his Rab. A person’s heart is connected with those that he loves through a spiritual bond. The imagines, thoughts and images of those that he love always existed in that person’s heart.

# Remedy of heedlessness: Zikr (remembering Allah)

The sekerat status occurred before death is a kind of sleeping mode. The person is involved with those which his heart is connected with, in the sekerat status. With statement of M. Said Arvas Effendi "The human thinks of those he cared, in his last times before the death, and yield up the ghost with that thoughts...." Remedy of heedlessness is zikr. That’s why, Allah must be remembered so much in our daily lives in order to remember of our Rab in our last times before death and be able to yield up the ghost as a believer.

Allah attached quite importance to be remembered. It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that :

"Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you." [Baqarah, 152]

"Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah." [Munafiqun, 9]

"and remember without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and be not thou of those who are unheedful." [Araf, 205]

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) attached quite importance to mentioning due to the same reasons. He ordered that :

"The cases of those mentioning Allah and those not mentioning Allah is like the cases of the alive and the dead." [Bukhari]

"Make mention about Allah so much until you are mentioned as a mad!" [Hakim]

"Those who can’t be able to perform salat over night, and spend his property for eleemosynary, do make mention about Allah so much!" [Bazzar]

"A person who get rid of being in heedlessness by mentioning Allah while being in heedlessness is like a jihadist fighting for Allah." [Dâmâd]

"Do you want me to inform you about the religious act that is most beneficial, the cleanest, the one which will raise your religious degree, and more beneficial than gold and silver donating, even more beneficial than truncating your enemy’s head or wearing the crown when you fought with your enemy? That is remembering Allah. Then make mention of Allah very much." [Ibn Hibban]

Besides, he declared that the most favorable mentioning could be performed by saying "Lailahe illallah".

"The most righteous mentioning is to say Lailahe illallah" [Nasai]

By remembering Allah, this expression must frequently be uttered hidden or obviously .

# Salat never must be left

Dear Readers, one of the issues causing to die as an unbeliever is to leave salat.

The scholars of tenets of faith surveying on Islamic faith agreed about that faith and practices of religion are different matters, leaving the practices of religion will not cause the human to get out of religion, after paying for their sins, they will be rewarded with paradise. In fact, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that :

"Don’t qualify the person saying Lailahe illallah as unbeliever due to his sins! The one qualifying this person as unbeliever will be unbeliever itself." [Bukhari]

"Those with faith in their heart in slightest degree will get out of fire." [Tirmidhi]

However, a full reconciliation couldn’t be established on salat. Because, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that:

"The difference between believers and unbelievers is salat. Those leaving salat become unbeliever." [Nasai]

"Faith means salat. The one performing the salat with utmost care showing respect for its time and other conditions is Muslim." [Ibn Najjar]

# Salat is the pillar of religion

Salat is pillar of Islam religion. The one leaving salat will cause the religion to be destroyed.

"The place of salat in the religion is like the head’s place in the body." [Taberani]

"The one leaving salat on purpose is an unbeliever." [Taberani]

"Salat is pillar of religion, the one leaving salat will cause the religion to be destroyed." [Bayhaqi]

It is understood from these hadiths that salat differs from other religious acts and it is one of the important indicators revealing one’s religion and religious faith. Islamic scholars informed that leaving salat will cause to die as an unbeliever.

For this reason, not to die as an unbeliever, unless a great necessity occurs, we mustn’t leave salat, and the salats that couldn't be performed due to some special cases like sickness, must be performed at the first convenience.

Be entrusted to Allah.