Inspirational

HOW TO COPE WITH DEATH

I lost my mother when I was 19. It was obvious to anyone that she had been unwell for some time, yet I refused to accept the clear signs of her terminal illness. To me, denial would somehow keep death at bay, and of course I was wrong.

Years later, my best friend in her late 20s lost her newborn baby. She passed away at the tender age of twelve hours old. She was taken away before she could even enter our lives.

More years passed, and a friend of mine lost her husband without warning. He was fine in the morning, suffered a heart attack around lunchtime, and was buried by evening.

What exactly is the “correct” age for death? There is none. It’s always too early.

These deaths, together with the other deaths that I have witnessed in between and since, drove home the point that death is definite and indiscriminate. It can happen in a flash, or with months of warning signs, but when the time comes, nothing can hold it back.

How do we handle it when we lose someone?

We know that death is a certainty but in reality we tend to harbour illusions that we will live forever. We feel as if those around us will not be taken from us, and we form deep attachments that make it difficult for us to cope, or even comprehend, when someone is not there anymore.

In understanding death, we have to first understand life. The nature of this world is that everything in it is temporary. Monuments crumble, civilizations perish, people come and go. Health alternates illness. The old make way for the new, and the cycle of life continues.

People are placed in our lives for a reason, but we lull ourselves into the false sense of security that they will be around indefinitely. This is why we cannot cope with the loss. We feel as if the death of a parent, a relative or a loved one is against the natural order of things, almost a betrayal, when in fact, the opposite is true – death is the only certainty in life.

We also approach life with an inherent sense of ownership. We feel as if people belong to us – our parents, children, spouses or friends – and many of us rely on them to be there for us forever; even more than we rely on our Creator.

In truth, we enter this world owning nothing and we leave taking nothing. We do not even own our bodies – our souls occupy them as trustees or as custodians, and our physical flesh is the temporary vessel for hosting our souls in the journey of  life. Our permanent life is in the hereafter. Meantime, everything that crosses our paths, and everything that is placed in our hearts and hands, were put there as a trust from God.

People are placed in our lives for different periods of time and at different points in our lives, as a trust and for a reason and wisdom that only Allah knows. We have to accept these relationships for what they are – something transitory. The situation will change: we will leave them, or they will leave us. We cannot claim a permanent stake in any relationship.

In fact, one of the things already ordained for us before we were even born, is when we will die. It is written for everyone and beyond our control to prevent or delay: from the cancer patient to the person who suddenly slipped on the pavement, death is an imminent appointment, not a random accident.

If we can fathom this, we will appreciate that everything in our lives is on borrowed time. Even those who we feel should be in our lives forever, aren’t there to stay. When the Prophet SAW passed away, some of his followers, including Umar Al Khattab (RA), initially denied reports of his death, until they were reminded that like the rest of us, even Prophets die, and that the only permanent presence in our lives is the Almighty Creator. The One who will be waiting for us on the other side; the One who will never die.

It is a part of Life

Instead of shielding ourselves from the certainty of death, we should accept it as a part of life. We cherish, celebrate and appreciate those who are in our lives when they are still alive, and we accept Allah’s decree when their time is up. Resisting and denying death will not prolong their lives. By accepting the reality, we rid ourselves of the notion that life is everlasting, and instead acknowledge that like all who came before them, their time will run out.

Death is also an acute reminder of our goal in life. It brings us back to the basic purpose of our existence, which is to worship our Creator. Everything else that is placed in our lives are simply embellishments, to either support us or detract us from our journey to Paradise. Therefore, all relationships, love and attachments that we form should be relative to that goal.

We are placed here on trust for each other. This is beautifully illustrated by Umm Sulaim (RA), in a long hadith reported in Muslim. While her husband was away, their son died. She forbade her family members from breaking the news to her husband until she had relayed it herself. When he came home, she presented him with his meal, decorated herself and relaxed him with physical intimacy. She then asked him “Abu Talha, if some people borrow something from another family and then (the members of the family) ask for its return, would they resist its return?” He said: “No.” She said: “I inform you about the death of your son.” The story continues, her husband, being annoyed with her for conveying him the news in such a fashion, consulted with the Prophet SAW, who endorsed her actions. As time passed, she was blessed with nine other sons, all of whom were pious.

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17 Comments

  1. How to cope with death

    Alhamdullilah a comprehensive article. I like the ending whereby we are asked to get close to home…and consider our mortality. Subhanallah. A relative just passed on this week and was buried within a few hours just before midnight. With a full moon and utter quietness…we surely need Allah ‘s Mercy for a good farewell.

  2. JazakAllah

    An article with depth and perspective. Enjoyed reading it & found it worth sharing. May Allah bless you and us all, & may He give us all the true understanding of life & deep. (Ameen).

  3. jazakALLAH

    i read your article and it gave me alot comfot.i lost my beloved father two months ago.no doubt we all belong to our mighty creator and he ows our souls and body.we have to return to Him one day.THANK YOU again 🙂

  4. Alhamodolilla

    Mashalla..Great article, It is not easy accepting the death of a loved one, but with time and trust Allah will make it easy. i know its easire said than done, but all we have is Allah, that is all, we have to accept and trust.

  5. how to cope with death

    Great article. Sums up everything I think and believe. I lost my mother at 18 and have lost my father in may. The loss of my father just refreshed the loss of my mother too. Although I truly believe what you have said in the article, my pain is unbearable most days. Doing my best to carry on.

  6. From Admin

    Asm Marium
    I guess that is our test, for the Qur’an says that we will be tested with loss of those we love. It would be superhuman not to feel any grief, but ultimately it is holding on to iman that cushions the blow and makes the recovery faster. May Allah grant you the strength to cope through this difficult period in your life.

  7. From Admin

    Wsm Dulla
    Death is one of the hardest things to bear, and Allah does not expect us not to feel any grief or pain. After all that would be at odds with our ability to feel emotion. However, trust Allah that when you turn to Allah for help through the pain, He will respond. Never underestimate the power of Allah to make things better.

  8. JazakAllah

    Beautiful and very close to heart article. love the way you put this harsh reality in words and tried to make the loss easy for everyone.

  9. From Admin

    Asm Hanif, thank you for your support. We are pleased that you find the article worth sharing, may Allah reward you.

  10. From Admin

    Wsm, may your father be granted jannah and may Allah make it easier for you to cope with the grief. Always turn to Allah in your darkest times, and from there, things will only get better.

  11. From Admin

    Asm Shumaila
    Death is indeed a harsh reality, and because of that, many of us were brought up totally shielded from its inevitability. I have also found that iman is the best shock absorber, over the years I have seen how those with a high level of iman deal with death for what it is and cope with it better, whereas those without (including Muslims) just fall apart and are unable to handle reality. May Allah protect us from falling into the second category, ameen.

  12. my mom

    Thanks..the article made me cry..,and relieved… my mom passed away over a month, it’s seems as i was reading my emotions.subhanallah…

  13. incomprehensible

    I must admit it a great article,I lost my mum when i was young so i never had much memory of her,but few year ago my dad pass way and it was d saddest moment of my life but alihamdulilah im getting over it.Thank so much for sharing this,JZK.

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