Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Nabi’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) Warning on the Sahaabah’s Laughing
Once, when Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came to the musjid for salaah, he noticed that some people were laughing and giggling among themselves.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed them saying, “Had you remembered death often, I would not see you like this. Therefore, think of death often. Not a single day passes when the qabr (grave) does not call out, ‘I am a place of estrangement and loneliness; I am a place of sand; I am a place of worms and insects.’ When a Muslim is placed in the qabr, the qabr addresses him saying, ‘You are welcome here! It is good of you to have come into me! Of all the people walking on the earth, I liked you the most! Now that you have come into me, you will see how well I treat you!’ The grave then expands as far as the eye can see. A door from Jannah is then opened for him in the qabr, and through this door, he continues to enjoy the fresh air and sweet fragrances of Jannah.
“But when an evil man is placed in the qabr it says, ‘You are not welcome here! Your coming into me is very bad for you! Of all the people walking on the earth, I hated you the most! Now that you have come to me, you will see how I treat you!’ The qabr then closes upon him and squeezes him so much that his ribs of one side go into the ribs of the other side. As many as seventy snakes are then set upon him to keep biting him till the Day of Qiyaamah. These snakes are so poisonous that if just one of them spits its poison upon the earth, not a single blade of grass would ever grow again.”
After this, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The grave is either a garden of Jannah or a pit of Jahannum.”
Note:
The fear of Allah Ta‘ala is a very important and vital aspect of a Muslim’s life. It is for this reason that at most times, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would remain in deep thought (thinking of death and the life of the Hereafter). Similarly, thinking often of death is greatly beneficial for a believer.
Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) showed the ummah a prescription to save oneself from the world and the fitnah i.e. he asked us to remember death often (and to always keep the fear of Allah Ta‘ala in our hearts). Remembering death is extremely beneficial for a believer.
(Fazaa’il-e-A’maal [English] pg. 53, [Urdu] pg. 40)
