Chapter 7 of 33 2 min read
7. The Death Wish
7. تمني الموت
No matter how severe the pain of the sickness may become, one is not allowed to hope or wish for death. The death wish reflects a belief that Allaah has burdened one beyond his capacity and indicates a lack of patience. The longer people live, the more opportunity they have to do good and improve their lot. ِﻭلَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺴ ﺭلِ ﺃَﻥ ﺍﻟﹾﻔﹶﻀ ﺃُﻡﻥﻋ r ﺎﺱﺒﻨﱠﻰ ﻋﺸﹾﺘﹶﻜِﻲ، ﻓﹶﺘﹶﻤﻭلِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻴﺴ ﺭﻡ ﻋﺎﺱﺒﻋ، ﻭﻬِﻡﻠﹶﻴﺨﹶلَ ﻋ ﺩ ﻭلُ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﺴ ﺭﺕﹶ، ﻓﹶﻘﹶﺎلَ ﻟﹶﻪﻭﺍﻟﹾﻤ r : )) ﻡﺎ ﻋﻴ ! ﺴِﻨﹰﺎ، ﻓﹶﺄﻥﺤ ﻜﹸﻨﹾﺕﹶ ﻤ ﺇِﻥﺕﹶ، ﻓﹶﺈِﻨﱠﻙﻭ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﻥﻻﹶ ﺘﹶﺘﹶﻤ ﺘﹸﺅَﺨﱠ ﺎﺌَﺘِﻙ ﺇِﺴ ﻤِﻥﺘِﺏﺘﹶﻌ ﻓﹶﺘﹶﺴ ﺘﹸﺅَﺨﱠﺭﺌًﺎ ﻓﹶﺄﻥﺴِﻴ ﻜﹸﻨﹾﺕﹶ ﻤ ﺇِﻥ، ﻭ ﻟﹶﻙﺭ ﺨﹶﻴﺎﻨِﻙﺴﺎﻨﹰﺎ ﺇِﻟﹶﻰ ﺇِﺤﺴ ﺇِﺤﺍﺩﺩ ﺘﹶﺯﺭ ﺕﹶﻭ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﻥ، ﻓﹶﻼﹶ ﺘﹶﺘﹶﻤ ﻟﹶﻙﺭﺨﹶﻴ ((. Umm al-Fadl reported that the Prophet (r) came to see them while the Prophet’s (r) uncle ‘Abbaas, was complaining (of his sickness). When ‘Abbaas wished for death the Prophet (r) told him, “O uncle, don’t wish for death, for verily if you were good and your death is delayed, it will add more good to your previous goodness and it will be better for you ; and if you were bad, find fault in your bad (and seek forgiveness) and it will be better for you, so don’t wish for death.” 27 26 Collected by at-Tirmithee and Ibn Maajah and authenticated in Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz, p.3, nt.2. See Mishkat Al-Masabih, vol.1, p.335 for the English text. 27 This narration is found in al-Mustadrak, vol.1, p.339 and is authenticated in Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz, p.4.
ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺒِﻲﻨﹾﻪ ﻋﻀِﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺎﻟِﻙٍ ﺭﻥِ ﻤ ﺃَﻨﹶﺱِ ﺒﻥﻋ r : )) ﺕﹶ ﻤِﻭ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﻜﹸﻡﺩ ﺃَﺤﻥﻨﱠﻴﺘﹶﻤﻻﹶ ﻴ ﺭ ﻀﻥ ﺩ ﻻﹶ ﺒ ﻜﹶﺎﻥ ﻓﹶﺈِﻥﻪﺎﺒﺃَﺼ ﻓﱠﻨِﻲ ﺇِﺫﹶﺍ ﻜﹶﺎﻨﹶﺕِ ﺘﹶﻭﺍ ﻟِﻲ ﻭﺭﺎﺓﹸ ﺨﹶﻴﻴﺎ ﻜﹶﺎﻨﹶﺕِ ﺍﻟﹾﺤﻴِﻨِﻲ ﻤ ﺃَﺤﻡﻘﹸلِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻬﻓﹶﺎﻋِﻼﹰ ﻓﹶﻠﹾﻴ ﺍ ﻟِﻲﺭﻓﹶﺎﺓﹸ ﺨﹶﻴﺍﻟﹾﻭ ((. As Anas reported that the Prophet (r) said, “None of you should wish for death because of some harm which has afflicted him. But if one must do it, let him say: Allaahumma ahyinee maa kaanatil-hayaatu khayran lee [Oh Allaah keep me alive as long as living is best for me] wa tawaffanee ithaa kaanatil-wafaatu khayran lee [and take my life if death is better for me].”28