The following is a translated article from Arabic that appeared in al-Waie Magazine.
Life is a short journey that ends with the inevitable death of every creature
1- Man, by nature, fears death and is wary of its occurrence. He even flees from it, trying to escape its power. The countless facts of life confirm this human nature, and many of the noble verses in the Book of Allah, the Most High, say:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُواْ مِن دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللّهُ مُوتُواْ ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَشْكُرُونَ
” Have you not considered those who left their homes, thousands in number, for fear of death? And Allah said to them, “Die.” Then He gave them life. Indeed, Allah is full of bounty to mankind, but most of the people are not grateful. ”
(Al-Baqarah: 243)
And the Almighty says:
وَجَاءتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ
{ And the stupor of death will come in truth. That is what you were avoiding. } [Qaf: 19]
And the Almighty says:
قُلْ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَاقِيكُمْ
{ Say, “Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you. “} [Al-Jumu’ah: 8]
And the Almighty says:
قُل لَّن يَنفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ إِن فَرَرْتُم مِّنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِ
{ Say, “Flight will not benefit you if you flee from death or killing.” } [Al-Ahzab: 16]
2- Just as these verses have shown that man tries to escape from death, they have also shown that there is no benefit in escaping from death and no way to escape from it, as { God Almighty says: {Then God said to them, “Die ,” } { And the stupor of death will come in truth,} { Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you ,} { Say, “Flight will not benefit you if you flee from death or killing.” } [Al-Ahzab: 16], And the Almighty says: { Every soul shall have the taste of death } [ Surah Al-Anbiya: 35 ], And the Almighty says: (Until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties]) [Al-An`am: 61]
Indeed, Allah Almighty challenges them to protect themselves from death if it comes to them, as He Almighty says: ( Say, “Then avert death from yourselves, if you should be truthful.” ) [Al Imran: 168]. Even if they tried to protect themselves from death or to escape from it when their time came, they would not be able to escape it, as in the words of Allah Almighty: { Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you were in fortified towers } [An-Nisa’: 78]. And as the son of Noah tried to do, but he did not succeed in protecting himself, as Allah Almighty said about him: { He said, “I will seek refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water.” He said, “There is no protector today from the decree of God except for him upon whom He has mercy.” And a wave came between them, and he was among the drowned .} [Hud: 43]
3- If death is inevitable, and every soul will inevitably taste its bitterness, as the Holy Quran guides us and as is clear as the sun to anyone with eyes, then who will make people taste the bitterness of death, and who will make it the end of every creature? The Holy Quran answers this question conclusively by saying that Allah Almighty alone is the One who has decreed death for every creature and has obliged them to drink its cup and submit to His authority, as we have explained in the verses we cited above.
4- Even if some deny that there is a Creator who created them, and that it is He who gives them life and causes them to die, they cannot deny that there are two processes of life and death taking place before their eyes, in millions of newly living beings of humans, animals, and plants, and in millions of dead people. However, they attribute this to time and eternity, denying, of course, that there is another life after this worldly life. These people are called materialists. The Holy Qur’an records their falsehood, as Allah the Almighty says: { And they say, “There is not but our worldly life. We die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.” And they have no knowledge of that They are only assuming. } [Al-Jathiyah: 24]
5- Allah Almighty did not only decree death for every creature, but He also set for every creature, and indeed for every nation, an undoubted term, which no one has the power to exceed by increasing or decreasing it. The verses of the Qur’an clearly establish this. Allah Almighty says: “ No soul can die except by Allah’s permission at a decreed time. ” [Al Imran: 145], and He says: “ Then He keeps the one for whom He has decreed death and sends the other back for a specified term .” [Az-Zumar: 42] And He says: { And Allah will not delay a soul when its term has come. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do. } [Al-Munafiqun: 11] And He says: { And for every nation is a term appointed; so when their term comes, not an hour can they delay it, nor can they advance it .} [Al-A’raf: 34] He says: “ And if God were to punish people for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on the earth a single creature, but He delays them for a specified term. And when their term comes, they cannot delay it an hour, nor can they advance it. ” (An-Nahl: 61) Allah Almighty said: “ He said, ‘O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner, that you worship God and fear Him and obey me . He will forgive you some of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the term of God, when it comes, cannot be delayed, if you only knew. ’” (Noah 2-4) Allah the Almighty said: { Have they not seen that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, is able to create the likes of them and has appointed for them a term about which there is no doubt? But the wrongdoers refused except disbelief. } [Al-Isra: 99] Allah the Almighty said: { Then We produced after them other generations. No nation can outstrip its term, nor can they delay it. } [Al-Mu’minun: 42-43]
6- If some people have the illusion that anyone other than Allah is able to impose death on a soul whose time has not yet come, then the Qur’an has come to invalidate and refute this illusion. The people of Ibraahim, peace be upon him, plotted to kill him in order to avenge their idols that he had destroyed. They lit a fire for him and threw him into it, but Allah Almighty saved him from their plot and treachery. Allah Almighty said: “ They said, ‘Burn him and support your gods, if you are going to do something.’ We said, ‘O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham.’ And they intended a plan against him, but We made them the greatest losers. And We saved him and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds .” (Al-Anbiya’: 68-71)
When Yunus, peace be upon him, left his people in anger and came to a ship that was taking him far away from his people, the waves played with it and its passengers suggested throwing some of them into the sea in the hope that the others would be saved from drowning. Yunus, peace be upon him, was thrown into the water and the whale picked him up, not to be a grave for him, but rather a lifeboat that carried him to the shore of safety and security with shade and food. The Holy Quran mentions this great event: ( And indeed, Jonah was among the messengers. When he fled to the laden ship, and drew lots, he was among the losers. Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy. And had he not been among those who glorify Allah, he would have remained within its belly until the Day of Resurrection . Then We cast him upon the shore while he was sick. And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine. ) [As-Saffat: 139-146].
Among the plots mentioned in the Holy Quran is what the polytheists of Mecca did when they conspired in Dar al-Nadwa against the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They finally resolved to kill him. Little did they, and all the people, realize that if all creation gathered together to harm someone with something Allah had not decreed for him, they would not be able to do so. And if they unanimously agreed to put an end to the life of a person whose time had not yet come, they would not be able to do so. Therefore, Allah the Almighty saved His Prophet from their plot and protected and preserved him and his companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) until they arrived among the people of support in Medina, honored and victorious. God Almighty says: ( And when those who disbelieved plotted against you to imprison you or kill you or expel you. And they planned, and Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners. ) [Al-Anfal: 30] . And the Almighty says: { If you do not aid him – Allah already aided him when those who disbelieved had expelled him, the second of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.” So Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. } [At-Tawbah: 40]
