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Chapter 1 of 334 min read
1. الشهادة
Those people who are present should encourage the dying person to repeat after them the Declaration of Faith (Shahaadah) until he or she passes away confirming Allaah’s unique oneness (tawhid). Both Aboo Sa ‘eed al-Khudree and Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Prophet (r) as saying, ))ﻨﱠﺔﹶﺨﹶلَ ﺍﻟﹾﺠ ﺕِ ﺩﻭ ﺍﻟﹾﻤ ﻋِﻨﹾﺩ ﺇِﻻﱠ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ ﻜﹶﻼﹶﻤِﻪِ ﻻﹶ ﺇِﻟﹶﻪ ﺁَﺨﹶﺭ ﻜﹶﺎﻥﻥﻤ ﻭ ﺇِﻻﱠ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ ﻻﹶ ﺇِﻟﹶﻪﺘﹶﺎﻜﹸﻡﻭ ﻟﹶﻘﱢﻨﹸﻭﺍ ﻤ ﻪﺎﺒﺎ ﺃَﺼ ﻤلَ ﺫﹶﻟِﻙ ﻗﹶﺒﻪﺎﺒ ﺃَﺼﺇِﻥﺭِ، ﻭﻫ ﺍﻟﺩﺎ ﻤِﻥﻤﻭﻴ (( “Prompt your dying ones (to say): laa ilaaha il-lal-laah1 and whoever’s last words before dying are: laa ilaaha il-lal-laah, will enter paradise one day, even if he is afflicted before that by punishment.” This prophetic statement does not simply mean that the Shahaadah should be mentioned by others in the presence of the one who is dying. The dying person, himself or herself, should be instructed to say the Shahaadah, as is evident from the Prophet’s statement “whoever’s last words are: laa ilaaha il-lal-laah”. The following hadith narrated by Anas indicates the Prophet’s practise in this regard: 1 Sahih Muslim, vol.2, p.435, no. 1996, Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, p.887, no.3111, Sunan Ibn-iMajah, vol.2, p.365, no.1444, Mishkat Al-Masabih, vol.1, p.337 and Riyadh-us-Saleeheen, vol.2, p.474, no. 918. 2 This addition is only found in sahih Ibn Hibbaan and it is authenticated in Irwaa al-Ghaleel, vol.3, p.150.
ِﻭلَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺴ ﺭﺎﻟِﻙٍ ﺃَﻥﻥِ ﻤ ﺃَﻨﹶﺱٍ ﺒﻥﻋ r ﺎﺭِ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﺍﹾﻷَﻨﹾﺼﻼﹰ ﻤِﻥﺠ ﺭﺎﺩ ﻋ )) : ﺇِﻻﱠ ﺎ ﺨﹶﺎلُ ﻗﹸلْ ﻻﹶ ﺇِﻟﹶﻪﻴ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ (( ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ : ؟ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَﻡ ﻋﺃَﺨﹶﺎلٌ ﺃَﻡ : )) ﹶﻻ لْ ﺨﹶﺎلٌ ﺒ (( ﻗﹶﺎلَ : ؟ ﺇِﻻﱠ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ ﺃَﻗﹸﻭلَ ﻻﹶ ﺇِﻟﹶﻪ ﻟِﻲ ﺃَﻥﺭﻓﹶﺨﹶﻴ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲ )) : r ﻡﻨﹶﻌ (( Anas ibn Maalik reported that the Messenger of Allaah (r) visited a man from among the Ansaar and said to him,“O Uncle, say : laa ilaaha il-lal-laah. The man asked, “Am I a maternal uncle or a paternal uncle?” and the Prophet (r) replied,“Indeed you are paternal.” The man then asked, “Is it better for me to say : laa ilaaha il-lal-laah? The Prophet (r) replied, ‘Yes.’”3 Muslims are also encouraged to be present when non-Muslims are dying in order to present Islaam to them, in the hope that they would accept Islaam prior to their death. For the acceptance of Islaam at this point to be of any benefit, it must be based on knowledge,4 it must be expressed sincerely5 and with certainty,6 and it must take place before the actual throes of death begin.7 This point is evident in the Prophet’s (r) attempt to get his uncle Aboo Taalib to bear witness to Allaah’s oneness when the latter was on his deathbed.8 Aboo Taalib knew about Allaah, Islaam, and the Prophet (r) very well. Similarly, the following incident involving the Prophet’s servant is one of a person who knew about Allaah and the Prophet (r). 3 Collected by Ahmad and authenticated in al-Fat-h ar-Rabbaanee, vol.7, p.57, no.34 as well as in Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz, p.11. } ُﻓَﺎﻋْﻠَﻤُﻮاْ أَﻧﱠﮫُ ﻵ إِﻟَﮫَ إﻻﱠ اﷲ { “ Know that there is no god worthy of worship besides Allaah.” Chapter Muhammad, (47):19. } َوَﻣَﺎ أُﻣِﺮُواْ إﻻﱠ ﻟِﯿَﻌْﺒُﺪُواْ اﷲَ ﻣُﺨْﻠِﺼِﯿﻦَ ﻟَﮫُ اﻟﺪﱢﯾﻦ { “ The were only commanded to worship Allaah, making the religion sincere for Him alone.” Chapter al-Bayyinah, (98):5. 6 Aboo Hurayrah reported Allaah’s Messenger as saying, “I testify that there is no god worthy of worship but Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah. Any servant who meets Allaah with those two [testimonies], having no doubt in them, will enter paradise.” (Sahih Muslim, vol.1, p.20, no.41) 7 The Prophet (r) was reported by ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar to have said, “Allaah, Most Great and Glorious, will accept His servant’s repentance until the throes of death begin.” (Collected by atTirmithee and Ibn Maajah and authenticated in sahih Sunan Ibn Maajah, vol.2, p.418, no.3430. See also Riyadh-us-Saleheen, vol.1, p.12, no.18, for an English translation of this hadith). 8 See Sahih Muslim, vol.1, p.18, no.36.
ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲﻡﺨﹾﺩ ﻴﻭﺩِﻱﻬ ﻴ ﻏﹸﻼﹶﻡ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻜﹶﺎﻥﻨﹾﻪ ﻋﻀِﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ ﺃَﻨﹶﺱٍ ﺭﻥﻋ r ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲ ﻓﹶﺄَﺘﹶﺎﻩﺭِﺽ ﻓﹶﻤ r ﺃْﺴِﻪِ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﻟﹶﻪ ﺭ ﻋِﻨﹾﺩﺩ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﻌﻩﻭﺩﻌﻴ : )) ﻠِﻡﺃَﺴ (( ﺇِﻟﹶﻰﻓﹶﻨﹶﻅﹶﺭ ﺎ ﺍﻟﹾﻘﹶﺎﺴِﻡِ ﺃَﺒ ﺃَﻁِﻊ ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﻟﹶﻪﻩ ﻋِﻨﹾﺩﻭﻫ ﺃَﺒِﻴﻪِ ﻭ rﻠﹶﻡ ﻓﹶﺄَﺴ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲﺝﻓﹶﺨﹶﺭ r ﻘﹸﻭلُ ﻴﻭﻫ ﻭ : )) ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺎﺭِ ﻤِﻥ ﻟِﻠﱠﻪِ ﺍﻟﱠﺫِﻱ ﺃَﻨﹾﻘﹶﺫﹶﻩﺩﻤﺍﻟﹾﺤ (( ] ﺎﺕﹶ ، ﺎ ﻤ ﻓﹶﻠﹶﻤ ﻗﹶﺎلَ : )) ﺎﺤِﺒِﻜﹸﻡﻠﹶﻰ ﺼﻠﱡﻭﺍ ﻋﺼ [ (( Anas also reported that, “When a Jewish youth, who used to serve the Prophet (r) got sick, the Prophet (r) visited him. The Prophet (r) sat by his head and said to him, “Accept Islaam.” The boy looked at his father who was near him and the man said, “Obey Abul-Qaasim.” So the boy accepted Islaam and the Prophet (r) left saying, “All praise is due to Allaah who saved him from the Fire.” 9 (When the boy died the Prophet (r) said, “Make salaah for your comrade.”)10