By At the beginning of Ayah 175 in Surah Al-Imran, Allah SWT informs us of his promise: “Every soul shall taste death (3:175).”
Our lives on this earth are short. And while there are many things we can predict, death is unpredictable. We strive to experience life to the fullest by completing our goals, traveling as much as we can, and earning as much money as possible. But ultimately, we’re all going to end up in the same place.
Death is an expected reality. All of us know of someone who has returned to their Creator, each under different circumstances. While none of us can control how we die, we can most definitely prepare ourselves for an easy and beautiful Hereafter. Here are five ways to prepare, InshAllah!
1. pray your 5 daily salah
Abu Hurairahra narrates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAWS said, “The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Judgement will be his Salat. If it is found to be complete, then it will be recorded as complete and if anything is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what he neglected of his obligatory prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be reckoned in like manner.”
Salah will be the first thing Allah SWT will hold us accountable for on the day of Judgement. Being the second pillar of Islam, and the key to Jannah, Salah is extremely important. It’s a direct way for us to connect with Allah SWT. It’s essential for us to have that connection with Allah SWT and continue striving to pray five times a day with utmost concentration and Khushoo (serenity and tranquillity). While praying five times a day may be difficult for some, it’s always beneficial to start performing as many prayers as you can and go upward from there.
2. Keep good company
There’s a saying that goes something along the lines of “if you want to know what kind of person so and so is, look at the people they surround themselves with.” Having righteous companions is extremely important to leading a good life. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) stressed the importance of keeping good company. Our friends should be those who give us good advice, those who remind us of Allah SWT and influence us to be better Muslims. Keeping good company and choosing the right friends will not only give us good rewards in this life but in the hereafter as well.
3. do as many good deeds as you can
One of the easiest ways to do good deeds is to look into Sadaqah Jariyah, which is an ongoing form of charity. A good example of Sadaqah Jariyah is when you teach someone how to read Quran or donate to build a new masjid in an area where there isn’t one. Every person that prays in that masjid or every time that person reads Quran will get rewarded but you will also reap the rewards as well.
4. ask allah for forgiveness
In a hadith, Anas RA narrates that he once heard the Messenger of Allah SAW say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.
Forgiveness is an important part of Islam. Allah (SWT) loves those who ask Him for forgiveness. He is the Most Forgiving! It’s one of His blessed names, Al Ghaffar, the All-Forgiving. No matter what we do, or what kind of sin we commit, we should be in the habit of asking Him for forgiveness every single day.
5. EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY TO IMPROVE
Remember, thinking about death has been encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad SAWS. We should be as prepared as we can for the eventual day. And it’s never too late to start improving and doing new things. At the end of the day, when our time finally arrives, we can only pray that Allah SWT gives us an easy and blessed death. Ameen.