Part 30

+ Showing servitude and submissiveness to Allah, Exalted be He, as perfectly as possible.

+ Giving the dying and deceased person the kindest treatment, that benefits him in his grave and on the day when he is resurrected. Such a kind treatment includes many acts, such as visiting the dying person, instructing him to utter "There is no deity but Allah" before breathing his last. Kind treatment also includes purifying the deceased by washing his body and preparing him for meeting Allah, Exalted be He, in his best form and state, standing in rows while performing the Funeral Prayer over him, praising Allah and extolling Him while praying over the deceased, and asking Allah to confer His blessing upon the Prophet (PBUH) to forgive the deceased, to have mercy upon him and pardon his sins, Among the acts of the Sunnah is standing on the side of the deceased person's grave asking steadfastness for him (when questioned by the Two Angels), visiting his grave, invoking Allah for him, being good to his family and relatives, and so on”!

It is worth mentioning that it is an act of the Sunnah to mention death frequently and prepare oneself for it through repentanceand contrition, returning the (unlawfully acquired) rights to their rightful owners, and hastening to do good deeds lest one dies unexpectedly, The Prophet (PBUH) said:

(Related by the Five Compilers of Hadith’ with authentic chains of transmitters, and deemed sahih (authentic) hadith by Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim, and other compilers of Hadith)

Moreover, Al-Tirmidhi and other compilers of Hadith related on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ tid the following marfii' (traceable) hadith:

“Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said, ‘Show due bashfulness to Allah? We (the Companions) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! We show bashfulness, thank Allah’ He (PBUH) said, ‘It is not that (as you think). True bashfulness to Allah is to keep the head and what it contains (i.e. to keep the eyes, ears, tongue, etc., away from sins) and to keep the abdomen (away from unlawful food) and what is related to it (i.e. to keep the private parts and the legs, etc., away from committing what is prohibited), and to remember death and decay (in grave); and whoever seeks the Hereafter should abandon the adornments of the worldly life. Whoever does so will be the one showing due bashfulness to Allah. ””

When one is afflicted with an illness, one should bear it patiently hoping for divine reward and should not be impatient or discontented with fate and Divine Decree. Yet, one is allowed to tell others about one’s illness and its kind, provided one is satisfied with Allah's predestination, Also, complaining of one’s illness to Allah and asking Him for recovery does by no means contradict patience; on the contrary, it is desirable and highly recommended in Islam to complain (to Allah) and ask Him for recovery. Prophet Ayyab (Job; PBUH), for example, called to his Lord, as revealed by Allah in the Qur'an, saying:

“Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” (Qur'an: Al-Anbiya: 83)

Moreover, there is no harm in receiving lawful medical treatment; some scholars strongly recommend resorting to lawful medication to the degree that it seems to be obligatory. This is because there are many hadiths stressing adopting reasonable means to reach an end and seeking medical treatment when necessary, for this does not contradict one’s reliance on Allah and trust in Him. It is just like satisfying hunger and thirst by means of food and drink.

Yet, it is not permissible to use prohibited things for medical treatment according to what is related in Sahih Al-Bukhari (Al-Bukhdri’s Authentic Book of Hadith) that Ibn Mas‘ ad (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“allah has never made your remedy in what He has prohibited for you.”

Besides, Abii Dawdid and other compilers of Hadith related the following marfa' (traceable) hadith on the authority of Abdi Hurayrah:

“The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Allah has sent down both disease and cure, and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but use nothing prohibited’ “

In addition, it is stated in Sahih Muslim (Muslim's Authentic Book of Hadith) that when the Prophet (PBUH) was asked about using an intoxicant as remedy, he replied, “It is not a remedy; it is a malady.”°

Likewise, it is prohibited to use whatever might affect the correctness of one’s creed, as a remedy, such as wearing amulets containing polytheistic words, superstitious names, nonsensical writings, and the like. It is also prohibited to wear beads, strings, earrings, or pendants on one’s arm, upper arm, or elsewhere, believing that they are means of protection against the evil

eye and affliction. The idea behind prohibiting such things is that one’s heart would be attached to them instead of Allah, seeking their aid and protection against harm, which is a kind of polytheism or one of its causing factors. The same prohibition applies to seeking a remedy through resorting to sorcerers, witchdoctors, shamans, clairvoyants, and those employing the jinn, as a Muslim's creed is more important to him than his health,

Allah, Exalted be He, has appointed lawful means of remedy which are useful to one's body, mind and creed, the first of which are the Glorious Qur'an, the legal Quranic incantations, and the legal invocations. Ibnul-Qayyim said:

“The best of remedy is performing good deeds, remembering Allah, supplicating and imploring Him, and turning to Him in repentance, the effects of which are much greater than medicine. Yet, their effects depend on how much one returns to Allah and Allah's acceptance of one’s supplication.”

There is no harm in receiving medical treatment, at hospitals or elsewhere, at the hands of qualified doctors who know how to diagnose diseases and treat them.

It is an act of the Sunnah (Prophetic Tradition) to visit the sick and the dying, for the Prophet (PBUH), as stated in the Two Sahths, stressed that there are five duties of every Muslim toward his fellow Muslim, among which is visiting him when sick’. When one visits a sick person, one should ask him about his health, as the Prophet (PBUH) used to come close to the sick person he visited and ask him about his health.

One should visit the sick person every two or three days, unless the sick person wants one to visit him daily. On the other hand, one should not stay long with the sick person unless it is his will. When visiting the sick person, one should say to him, “Do not worry, it (your illness) is a means of purification (from your sins), if Allah wills.” He should also try to make him happy, invoke Allah to cure him, and recite legal Quranic incantations for him, particularly the surah of Al-Fatihah (the Opening Chapter of the Quriin), the surah of Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity of Faith), and Al-Mu ‘awwidhatan, namely the Suras of Al-Falaq (Daybreak)" and An-Nés (Mankind)".

It is also an act of the Sunnah for the sick person to bequeath some of his money to be given in charity. He should also determine in his will how his money should be divided; the bequests to be fulfilled, the debts to be settled, the deposits and trusts to be returned to their owners. Even healthy people should do the same and write their wills beforehand, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Tt is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to declare in testimony to stay for two nights without having his (last) will written and kept ready with him.”

“Two nights” in the above hadith is not meant literally, but it refers to any short period of time. That is to say, it is impermissible for a Muslim, who has something to write down in a will, to stay - even for a short period of time - without having his will written and kept ready with him, for one does not know when death may overtake him.

A sick person must think highly of Allah, and be confident of His mercy, as Allah says in a Qudsi (Divine) hadith”:

“Tam just as My servant thinks of Me, (i.e. I am Able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him)?"

That must be the feeling of every Muslim, especially at death's door, when he is about to meet his Lord.

It is an act of the Sunnah for visitors to make the dying person desirous of Allah's mercy rather than being afraid of His punishment, for he may become desperate. However, when one is healthy, one should be both desirous of Allah’s mercy and afraid of His punishment. Both hope and fear are needed for the healthy because being just overcome by fear of Allah’s punishment makes one give up hope (in Allah's Mercy). On the other hand, being overwhelmed by hope in Allah's Mercy, without fearing His punishment, makes one feel secure from Allah, and thus feel no remorse.

When the dying person is breathing his last, it is an act of the Sunnah to exhort him to say, “There is no deity but Allah,” for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Exhort the dying among you to say, ‘There is no deity but Allah. ” (Related by Imam Muslim)

The idea behind that is to make “there is no deity but Allah” his last words; in a marfi* (traceable) hadith, Mu‘adh Ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Whoever his last words are ‘there is no deity but Allah’ will enter paradise."

It is important to bear in mind that instructing the dying person to say so should be done gently so as not to annoy or exhaust him while he is breathing his last.

It is also an act of the Sunnah to make the dying person face the qiblah (direction of prayer), and to recite the surah of Ya Sin "’ over him, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Recite the surah of Ya Sin over those dying among you.”

(Related by Abd Dawid and Ibn Majah,” and deemed sahih (authentic) by Ibn Hibban)

It is worth mentioning that the Quran is to be recited over the dying, not the dead, as the latter case is bid‘ah (a matter innovated in religion) whereas the former case is an act of the Sunnah. Accordingly, reciting the Quran at funerals or graves over the dead is among the innovated acts in religion that have never been revealed or permitted by Allah. Therefore, Muslims should stick to the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and give up such innovated acts in religion.

Once a person dies, it is desirable for the attendant one to close his (the deceased) eyes, for the Prophet (PBUH) did the same to Aba Salamah when he died, and said:

“When the soul is taken away, the sight follows it. So, do not pray for anything but good (in the presence of a dying person), for the angels say ‘Amen’ to what you say.”

It is also an act of the Sunnah to cover the body of the deceased immediately after his death with a garment, for ‘A ishah (the Prophet's wife, may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:

“When the Prophet (PBUH) died, he was covered with a decorated garment made of linen (or cotton).”

Muslims should hasten in preparing the corpse of the deceased for burial when they are certain about his death, for the Prophet said:

“The corpse of a Muslim should not remain withheld among his family (without being buried).”

Moreover, hastening in burying the deceased is intended to avoid waiting until the corpse changes (emitting odor). Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said,

‘A sign of honor to the deceased is to hasten his burial.” Yet, there is no harm in waiting until the coming of the deceased’s guardian or anyone else (whose presence is necessary) provided he is near and there is no fear that the corpse of the deceased might undergo change.

Besides, it is permissible to announce the death of a Muslim for the purpose of gathering people to prepare him for burial, attend his funeral, perform the Funeral Prayer over him, and pray to Allah for him. Yet, announcing someone’s death by wailing and lamentation, as well as enumerating his good qualities, isa misbehavior belonging to the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance (the Jahiliyyah); the same goes for funeral orations and funeral ceremonies.

Itis desirable to hasten in carrying out the dead person's will; Allah, Exalted be He, has called for carrying out the deceased's will prior to settling his debts, enjoining people to take an interest in writing wills and carrying them out.

The debts of the deceased should be settled as fast as possible, whether they are due to Allah or to people. The debts due to Allah include unpaid Zakéh, unperformed Hajj, unfulfilled vows of worship, and unfulfilled expiation. However, those due to people include trusts, ill-gotten things or gains, loans and borrowed things, arrears, and the like. Such debts are to be settled on behalf of the deceased, whether stated in his will or not. This is because the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“The soul of a (dead) believer is suspended to his debt until it (the debt) is settled.”

(Related by Imam Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi; the latter deems it a hasan (good) hadith)”

Thus, the deceased person's soul is asked to pay off his debt and is suspended until the debt is settled. Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) urges us to hasten in settling the debt of the deceased; this is when the money left by the deceased is enough to settle his debts. As for one who does not have enough money to pay off his debts, and dies while having the intention of settling them, Allah will settle them for him as indicated in many hadiths.

Washing the deceased is obligatory for those acquainted with the rulings and conditions of washing a deceased person and able to perform it. To illustrate, when the Prophet (PBUH) was informed of a man who fell down from

the back of his camel and broke his neck and died, he (PBUH) said, “..wash him with water and sidr...”” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)" Washing the deceased is reported to have been recurrently enjoined and observed by the Prophet (PBUH) . Moreover, the body of the Prophet (PBUH) himself, the pure and purified Messenger, was washed (when he died),”* what then will be the case of other Muslims?

Washing the deceased is a collective duty on those acquainted with his death (and able to perform it). Besides, washing the body of a deceased man should be performed by a man (and that of a deceased woman by a woman). In addition, it is better and highly recommended that the washer should be a trustworthy person who is well-acquainted with the rulings on washing a deceased person. This is because such a kind of washing is a legal ruling that has a special way of application and performance, and only those wellinformed about it can perform it in the proper, legal way.

If one determines in one’s will to be washed by a certain person when one dies, then that person should be given priority in washing one, provided he is a fair, trustworthy person. This is because Abii Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stated in his will to be washed (after his death) by Asma’ Bint ‘Umays, his wife”. Thus, it is permissible for a woman to wash the body of her deceased husband and for a man, likewise, to wash his deceased wife's body. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), for example, determined in his will to be washed (after his death) by Muhammad Ibn Sirin.

The one stated in the dead person's will has the priority to wash him; after him comes the father, as a father is the worthiest person of washing his son. This is also because of a father’s deep affection, tenderness, and sympathy for his son. After the deceased's father (regarding priority of washers) comes the grandfather, as he has the same affection for the deceased, then comes the closest kin, the closer, and so on. The closest person outside the family comes next in this regard, and then come last those unrelated to the deceased. It is important to point out that such prioritization of washers is to be applied if they are aware of the rulings on such washing and claim it; otherwise, priority should be given to those acquainted with its rulings over those unacquainted.

As for females, a body of a deceased female is to be washed by a female. Priority here is also given to the one stated in the will of the deceased woman. In other words, a woman determined in the will is to be given preference in washing her over anybody else, provided she is legally qualified for that, then