5th Jumada-I 1447H | Assalamu'alaikum, | Walk into any store today, and you'll find skeletons of all shapes and sizes. Tombstones with punchlines. Glow-in-the-dark ghouls with silly grins. | Welcome to Halloween season, where death is packaged as entertainment. | People dress their kids as ghosts and zombies, decorate their homes with fake graves, and spend billions making death "fun" and "spooky" instead of what it really is… inevitable, transformative, and worthy of reflection. | Halloween is a symptom of something deeper: a culture desperate to avoid thinking about death or to trivialize it so it's not taken seriously. Society is so uncomfortable with death that they've turned it into a joke. | I'm not here to tell you whether Halloween is halal or haram, but I want to focus on this issue of avoiding remembrance of death (or making fun of it) and how it impacts focus and Barakah in our lives. | We're living in a time when entire industries exist to help us avoid thinking about death: anti-aging products, retirement communities that hide the elderly, and hospitals where death happens behind closed doors. | But Islam tells us: Remember death often. | The Prophet ï·º said, "Remember frequently the destroyer of pleasures (i.e., death)." (Ibn Majah) | This might sound morbid. But it's not about being depressed or paralyzed by fear. It's about gaining clarity on what matters. | When you remember death properly (not as entertainment but as an inevitable reality), something shifts: | 1. Your priorities crystallize: That argument with your spouse suddenly seems petty. That grudge you've been holding feels pointless. That next promotion doesn't define you anymore, whether you get it or not. | 2. Your intentions purify: When you know this could be your last day, you stop asking "what's in it for me?" and start asking "how can I please Allah?" | 3. Your productivity doubles: Not in the hustle culture sense of "do more," but in the Barakah sense of "do what matters." | Remembrance of death isn't morbid; it's liberating for the slave of God. | How Remembering Death Brings Barakah | In my book The Barakah Effect, I dedicated a chapter to this because remembering death is a powerful catalyst for inviting Barakah into your life. | Here's why: | When you remember you'll die, you'll plant seeds of good deeds, as many as you can, trusting Allah will grow them, knowing you may not see the harvest. | When you remember you'll die, you'll prioritize your parents while they're alive, you'll invest in your children's character, and you'll forgive faster and let go of your ego-centric arguments. | When you remember you'll die, you'll be honest in your business, you'll produce work with Ihsan, you'll treat people ethically and fairly, even if you don't like them. | When you remember you'll die, you'll realize that your time here is limited and uncertain, and stop wasting it on nonsense. You'll stop delaying your Quran and stop scrolling mindlessly. And you'll start living with intention because you know the clock is ticking and start investing in what matters. As Prophet Muhammad ï·º said: "When a person dies, all their deeds end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them." (Muslim) | Practical Ways to Remember Death in a Healthy Way | How do we remember death in a culture that avoids it? | 1. Attend funeral prayers regularly. Make it a habit to go to janazah prayers when you hear about them, even if you don't know the person. | 2. Contemplate death weekly. After Jumu'ah or during a quiet moment, imagine your own death. What will your last words be? Who will wash your body? What will the first night in the grave be like? Then ask: what needs to change today? | 3. Prepare your "In Case I Die" file. Write your will. Organize your passwords. Make it easier for those left behind so they don't suffer after you. | 4. Discuss death naturally with your family. Talk about your last wishes. Medical will, financial will, etc. | As Halloween approaches, let's see it differently. A culture's desperate attempt to laugh at what it's terrified to face. | But we have a tradition that honors death without fearing it, remembers it without being paralyzed by it, and uses it as fuel for us to live the most productive life possible. | May Allah ï·» grant us sincere remembrance of death, beautiful endings, and deeds that continue long after we return to Him. Ameen. | Sincerely, | | P.S. Speaking of deeds that continue after you, our next Certification Program starts next week. If you've been thinking about becoming a certified trainer and spreading these teachings in your community, this is your chance. Limited spots available. Apply here |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment