Meditate upon Death

Summary of Letter:

باسمه تعالى
Respected Mufti Saheb

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

… You had advised me to meditate upon death. I have not yet understood how to do this. Please explain it to me.

Summary of Reply:

… When you lie down upon your bed at night, imagine it to be the last moments of your life. Hence repent and seek forgiveness for all your sins. Thereafter imagine that your life is actually leaving you.

You are then being given ghusal and your body is being wrapped in the kafn (shroud). Thereafter your salaatul janaazah is being performed and you are being lowered into your grave. In the grave you are being faced with the questions of Munkar and Nakeer (the two angels who question the deceased in the grave). In short, ponder over the aspects that will follow after death until you fall asleep. When you wake up the next morning, regard it as an extension in your life that Allah Ta’ala has granted you. This extension in life is also to enable you to prepare for death. Therefore do not perpetrate any such action which you will find difficult to answer for (on the day of judgement). Also during the course of the day with everything that you do, regard it as the last day of your life until it is finally night. At night repeat the same process.
(Maktoobaat – pg. 50)

NB. In the ahadith Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has exhorted the Ummah to remember death excessively. The above prescription is to induce that required awareness of death. While this particular method of developing the awareness of death can be practiced by anybody, it is best if one takes advice in this regard from a spiritual guide. Considering one’s personal condition, the guide may prescribe some other method for one.