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By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

A Muslim faces death in a state of complete and total submission to the inevitable will of Allah, his Lord; and avoids being restless and frustrated. He cherishes hope and expectation in the boundless mercy and grace of Allah. The Prophet (upon whom be Allah's blessings and peace) said, "None of you should die except while cherishing good faith and trust in Allah's mercy. " (Reported by Muslim)

A Muslim also derives inspiration from the Prophet (upon whom be Allah's blessings and peace) who, on the verge of death, was heard retreating, "Lord!Ease the pains of death for me, and lighten its throes for me.! (Reported by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah), and

"Lord! Forgive me and have mercy on me....!" (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

While facing death, a Muslim should prepare himself both physically and spiritually for meeting his Lord. Therefore, he should try to be physically clean and exchange his clothes for clean ones. He should also seek absolution from sins, and ask pardon and forgiveness from all those whom he may have hurt or injured in one way or another.

He should take care of his worldly obligations such as unpaid loans etc, either by leaving clear instructions or writing a will. He should advise his family and relatives to persevere patiently and shun all un-Islamic customs and practices.

Spiritually, he should ensure that his heart and tongue are busy with Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and constantly repeat the Kalimat as Shahadah.

The Prophet (upon whom be Allah's blessings and peace) said, "Whoever utters La ilaaha illa Allah immediately prior to breathing his last, will enter paradise." (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, etc).

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