Good Ending

 The Advice Of Al-Fudayl Ibn ‘Iyād

Al-Fudayl Ibn I’yād رحمه الله said to a man, “How many years have come upon you?” The man replied, “60 years.” Al-Fudayl then said, “So for 60 years you have been travelling to meet your Lord and you are on the verge of arriving.” So the man said, “Indeed to Allāh we belong and to Him we shall return.”

Al-Fudayl said, “Do you know the meaning of this statement? You are saying that you are a servant of Allāh and to Him you shall return. So, whomsoever is aware that he is a servant of Allāh, then let him know that he will stand before Him. And whomsoever is aware that he will stand before Him, then let him know that he will be questioned. And whomsoever is aware that he will be questioned, then let him prepare an answer to the questions.” 

So the man said, “What is the solution to this?” Al-Fudayl replied, “Easy. Be righteous in what remains of your life and you will be forgiven for what has passed, for indeed if you incur evil in what remains (no repentance and continuation upon wrongdoing) then you will be held accountable upon it and that which has passed.”

[Jāmi’ Al-‘Ulūm Wal-Hikam, 383. Translated by Abū Mu’adh Taqweem]

🌹A Good Ending

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sālih Al-Uthaymīn رحمه الله said:

“The goal of having a good ending is not that you die whilst you are in the Masjid, or while you are upon a prayer mat, or you die with a Qur’ān in your hands. Indeed the best of all creation died while he was on his bed. His friend As-Siddīq Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه died while on his bed, and he was the best of the Companions. Khālid Ibn Walīd رضي الله عنه died while he was on his bed, and he was given the title, ‘The Sword Of Allāh,’ who plunged into a hundred battles and did not lose in any of them. However, a good ending is:

1. That you die and are far away from Shirk.

2. That you die and are far away from Nifāq (hypocrisy).

3. That you die and you are separate from the people of Bid’ah and far away from Bid’ah.

4. That you die and you are upon the Book, the Sunnah and believe in that which is brought in them without twisting their meanings.

5. That you die and you are relieved of the burden of spilling the blood of the Muslims, their wealth and their honour. 

6. That you fulfill the right of Allāh upon you and the right of Allāh’s worshippers upon you.

7. That you die and your heart is secure with pure intentions and good manners; and does not have hatred, envy, nor spite for a Muslim.

8. That you pray your five prayers on their times in Jamā’ah (congregation) for the one who has to pray in congregation. Also to fulfill what Allāh has obligated upon you.

O Allāh, make all our final matters good. Save us from disgrace in the Dunyā and the punishment of the Hereafter. O Allāh, make our final end good and return us to you in a beautiful way, not disgraced and exposed.”

[ https://followingthesunnah.com/2022/05/12/a-good-ending ]