Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Allah Ta‘ala created this worldly life as a preparation for the everlasting life of the Hereafter. Hence, this life is man’s one and only chance to earn the great rewards of the Hereafter and his ticket to Jannah. Whatever good deeds a person carries out in this worldly life, he will receive the full reward for it in the Hereafter. On the contrary, whatever sins a person carries out in this worldly life, then if Allah Ta‘ala does not forgive him, he will have to face the consequences in the Hereafter.
In the entire life of man, the most important and crucial time is the time when he is about to leave this world, as this is the time which will determine whether he will be eternally successful or unsuccessful. If he leaves this world with imaan and in a good condition, then he will be successful eternally, and if he leaves this world without imaan, then he will be unsuccessful eternally.
The pious servants of Allah Ta‘ala were greatly concerned about their end, and throughout their lives, they made preparations for their end.
The Final Moments of Hazrat Haaji Muhammed Farouq Saheb (rahimahullah)
Hazrat Haaji Muhammed Farouq Saheb (rahimahullah) remained ill for some while. Despite his ailing condition, he would undertake journeys to various places for the purpose of guiding people in deen and attending to their self-reformation. He used to say, “Our borrowed life has been decreed in the knowledge of Allah Ta‘ala. We can neither decrease it nor increase it.” He would also mention, “I have just two objectives in life; (1) to travel to the different corners of the world to speak about the love of Allah Ta‘ala, and (2) to visit the Haramain Shareefain whenever I get the opportunity.”
Hazrat Haaji Muhammed Farouq Saheb (rahimahullah) had a deep and intense love for the Haramain Shareefain. His special attendant, Hazrat Dr Saabir Saheb (rahimahullah), was with him at the time of his demise. He describes the manner in which Hazrat Haaji Saheb (rahimahullah) passed away saying: Hazrat said to me, “Recite the kalimah.” He himself then began to recite the kalimah in a loud voice. He then uttered the words “Makkah! Madinah!” and passed away.
His soul left his body while he was engaged in the remembrance of Allah Ta‘ala and while thinking of Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah. He received a death similar to the way he led his life. (Extracted from Sound Admonitions 1/316)
Hazrat Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Muhammed Zakariyya’s (rahimahullah) Concern Over His End
Hazrat Moulana Manzoor Nu’maani (rahimahullah) once wrote a letter to Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Muhammed Zakariyya Kaandhelwi (rahimahullah). He wrote the following:
People do not value and appreciate a person when he is alive, and they do not go to derive benefit from him. When they learn about his excellent qualities after his demise, they realize this and express regret saying, “We had such a great saint in our midst, but we deprived ourselves of his blessings.”
This is why I want to pen whatever I have observed about you and publish it. In this way, people who do not know you will realize who you are and begin to derive blessings from you.
Hazrat Shaikh (rahimahullah) wrote the following reply which was short and brief. He said:
Dear Moulana Manzoor! Neither do you nor I have any knowledge about how my end is going to be and the end is taken into consideration. (Extracted from Sound Admonitions 1/320)
Hazrat Shaikh (rahimahullah) was such a great scholar and saintly personality. He was an embodiment of the sunnah and he spent his entire life spreading the sunnah to the four corners of the globe, yet this was the state of his heart and his concern about his end and his final moments in this world!
