Voice of British Muslim Women

Munazzah Chou, Farnham

So much has changed about the way we live but the one certainty of our lives remains. 114,272 deaths worldwide have been associated with Covid-19 to date. Doctors, nurses, carers, teachers and others at the frontline have all offered the ultimate sacrifice. From what we read of the bravery and selflessness of the doctors including many who came out of retirement here in the UK (therefore at high risk of succumbing to the virus) to treat others is an exemplary form of giving preference to others over oneself, as mentioned in chapter 59 verse 10 of the Holy Qur’an: ‘…those who…prefer others to themselves…’

During this pandemic we have or probably will experience bereavement of elders, family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. In general within British society we don’t talk enough about death. As Muslims however, our own mortality is the very first thing on our mind when we wake in the morning and recite ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has brought us to life after causing us to die (sleep.)’ Our thoughts turn to death and the afterlife at least 5 times a day when we beseech the help and favour of the Master of the Day of Judgement in recognition of our feeble efforts at spiritual and moral improvement.

The life of this world is a mere dot in time, we are advised to consider this life as transient as the break a traveller takes under the shade of a tree. Our destination is the next life and this life is only a means to an end.

We know that death is a certainty but when it comes, knowledge of its inevitability does little to dampen the overwhelming grief experienced by the bereaving. Other emotions surface following the death of a loved one such as guilt or fear but in my experience the overriding feeling is one of profound sadness. The gentle ebb and flow of sadness through the day is disturbed only by an unpredictable tsunami of sadness that crushes you, but then soon enough rolls back to leave you more or less as you were.

Many of our elders spent their lives in the service of Allah and our colleagues spent their lives in the service of humanity. The attributes of the deceased are moving and inspirational and the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be on him) has said that ‘If your neighbours praise you, you are good…’ We can be comforted by understanding the reality of what awaits our loved ones, a veritable certainty if one is considered a martyr by the Khalifa of the time. [i]

The nature of heaven has been elucidated by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and communicated by  His Holiness Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on his soul) in the following terms: ‘If a man is almost dying of thirst but is otherwise healthy, cool water can provide him such deeply satisfying pleasure as cannot be derived from the ordinary experience of drinking water, or even the most delicious drink of his choice. If a man is thirsty and hungry as well, and he needs an immediate source of energy, a chilled bunch of grapes can provide him with such deep satisfaction as is not experienced by the same in ordinary circumstances. But the pre-requisite for these pleasures is good health. Now visualise a very sick man, who is nauseated and trying to vomit whatever liquid is left in him and is on the verge of death through dehydration. Offer him a glass of cool water, or a chilled bunch of grapes, then not to mention his accepting them, a mere glance of them would create a state of revulsion and absolute abhorrence in him.

A healthy soul which has acquired the taste for good things, when brought into close proximity of the objects of its choice, will draw even greater pleasure than before. All that a healthy spiritual man was craving was nearness to God and His attributes and to imitate divine virtues. In heaven, such a healthy soul would begin to see and conceive and feel the nearness of the attributes of God like never before.’[ii]

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) is said to have remarked that there are two blessings of which people do not take full advantage: health and leisure. Many of us in the current state of lockdown have been granted an abundance of both these invaluable resources. At this time we would do well to remind ourselves of another hadith to instil a sense of urgency: In the evening do not look forward to the morning and in the morning do not look forward to the evening; in periods of health put by a store of good deeds for periods of illness and in life do the same for death.[iii]

[i] https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2020-04-10.html

[ii]  https://www.alislam.org/book/study-of-islam/life-after-death/

[iii] https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Wisdom-of-Holy-Prophet.pdf