[b]Heart trembling story of the grave[/b]
Sayyiduna Umar bin Abdul Aziz once went to the graveyard with the funeral where he sat pondering. Someone asked him, `Why are you sitting in astonishment next to this grave?` He replied, `This grave called out to me and said, `Why don`t you ask me what I do to the people who come into me.` I said to the grave, `Do tell me.` The grave said, `When a person comes inside me, I rip off his shroud and then rip the persons body to pieces and eat his meat. Are you not going to ask me what I do with the joints?` I said, `Do tell me.` The grave said, `I separate the hands from the wrists, the knees from the calves and the calves from the feet`.` After saying this, Sayyiduna Umar began to cry. When he stopped crying, he said, `My dear brothers! We are to live in this world for a short period. Those who are sinners in this world and still hold high status will be disgraced in the Hereafter. Those who are envied in this world because of their wealth will be hated in the Hereafter due to their actions. The one who is young will grow old and the one who is alive will die. This world will deceive you because you are aware that it will soon depart. Where are those individuals who recited the Qur`an? Where are those who went to the house of Allah to perform Hajj? Where are those who fasted in Ramadan? What did the earth do with their bodies? What did the insects of the grave do to their flesh? What happened to their bones and joints? I swear in the name of Allah ! In the world, they slept on soft beds but now they have left behind their families, their wives have remarried, their children are suffering in the streets and their families have shared the inheritance amongst themselves. Amongst these are those fortunate ones who are successful in their graves and some are being punished.
How sad! Oh foolish! Today at the time of your fathers, your sons or brothers death, you close their eyes, you bathe them, you wrap them in a shroud, you carry their body on your shoulder, you go along with the funeral procession and you bury them in the grave. (Remember! This will soon be happening to you.) How I wish I knew which cheek would rot first (in the grave).` After saying this, Sayyiduna Umar started crying until he fell unconscious. He departed from this world a week later. (Raud-ul-Faaiq, P138, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)
Hujja-tul-Islam Imaam Muhammad Ghazali writes in Ihya-ul-Uloom, `At the time of his death, Sayyiduna Umar was reciting,
Translation Kanzul-Imaan: This abode of the Hereafter - We make it for those who do not wish greatness in the land nor turmoil; and the Hereafter is only for the pious. (Sura Qasas: 83) (Ihya-ul-Uloom, V4, P510, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)
Royal death
Dear Islamic Brothers! This heart trembling incident of Sayyiduna Umar bin Abdul Aziz is a big lesson for the intelligent. Listen to an incident of a royal death. Hujja-tul-Islam Sayyiduna Imaam Muhammad Ghazali states in Ihya-ul-Uloom, `At the time of death of caliph Abdul Malik Marwan, he was asked, `How do you feel?` He replied, `I feel just like Allah says in the Holy Qur`an, Sura Al-An`aam, verse 95,
َTranslation Kanzul-Imaan: And indeed you have now come to Us alone as We had created you at first, and you have left behind you all the wealth and riches We had bestowed upon you. (Ihya-ul-Uloom, V4, P510, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)
Kingdom wasn`t useful
Hujja-tul-Islam Imaam Muhammad Ghazali writes in Ihya-ul-Uloom, `When it was close to the time of death of well known caliph Haroon Rashid , he kept looking at his shroud with desire and recited verses 28 and 29 from Sura Al-Haaqa,
Translation Kanzul-Imaan: My wealth did not in the least benefit me. All my power has vanished. (Ihya-ul-Uloom, V4, P511, Dar-ul-Kutubul Ilmiyyah Beirut)
Purpose of coming in this world
Dear Islamic Brothers! The reality is that after coming into this world we face a hard test. The reason for our life in this world was something else but maybe we have misunderstood it! Our lifestyle shows that we are never going to die (Allah forbid). Remember! We are not going to stay in this world forever. The reason for us coming to this world was not only to earn worldly wealth or to gain worldly qualifications or to succeed in this world. It is stated in the Holy Qur`an,
Translation Kanzul-Imaan: So do you think that We have created you needlessly, and that you do not have to return to Us? (Sura Mu`min: 115)
Ministries will be of no use
Indeed, Allah has created humans to worship him. If a person does not succeed in this purpose of life, on the day of judgement when he comes in the court of Allah with heaps of sins, even his worldly wealth will not be able to save him from the anger of his Lord . The worldly knowledge and degrees, factories, weapons, worldly sources, high positions, ministries, worldly status, fame, strength and worldly dignity will not be successful in the court of Allah .
Those who are lost in the desires of reaching a high status and tell others about ones faults, those who cause terrorist acts and those who break Muslims rights should ponder over this. If due to disobedience, Allah becomes angry and His beloved messenger becomes upset and your Imaan is ruined, you will face difficulties which will never end. It is written in Sura Humaza,
Translation Kanzul-Imaan: Allah in the name of the Most Gracious the Most Merciful. Ruin is for every open slanderer, backbiter. Who accumulated wealth and hoarded it, counting. Does he think that his wealth will prolong his stay on earth forever? Never! He will certainly be thrown into the Crushing One. And what have you understood what the Crushing One is! The fire of Allah, that is ablaze. Which will climb on to the hearts. Indeed it will be shut over them. In extended columns.