Death and thorny branch

Amir-ul-Mu`minin, Sayyiduna ‘Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ said to the Sayyiduna Ka’b-ul-Ahbar         رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ: O Ka’b! Inform us about death. Sayyiduna Ka’b-ul-Ahbar رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ said, ‘Death is a thorny branch made to enter the stomach of a man, so that each thorn becomes tangled with an artery. Then someone pulls it out with a jerk, and it takes out whatever it takes, and leaves behind whatever it leaves.’ (Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 5, pp. 518)

Surprise at the dying person

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Amr Bin Aas رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُمَا reported, my respected father Sayyiduna ‘Amr Bin Aas رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has stated: I am surprised at the dying person that despite having the sense of wisdom and tongue why he does not express his condition. Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin ‘Amr Bin Aas رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has stated that when time of death of my father approached, I asked humbly, ‘O dear father! You had stated so and so.’ Then Sayyiduna ‘Amr Bin Aas رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ replied, ‘O my dear son! Severity of death is beyond description, however, I express a little about it; By Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! it is as if Radwa (a famous mountain) and Tihamah have been put on my shoulders and my soul is being pull out from the needle hole; as if I have a thorny branch into my stomach and as if earth and sky both are joined together and I am between them.’

(Al-Mustadrak, vol. 4, pp. 569, Hadis 5969; At-Tabqat-ul-Kubra, vol. 4, pp. 196, Raqm 446)

Severity of death

It is reported that a saint رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه used to visit ill people too much and he would ask them about the death and when his own time of death approached; somebody asked, ‘How did you find death?’ The saint رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه replied, ‘It is as if earth and sky both are joined together and my soul is passing through a needle hole.’ (Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 5, pp. 517)

The most horrible thing

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Shaddad Bin Aws رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ that for a believer there is nothing more dreadful  in this world and the Hereafter than something that is worse that  torture of being ripped open  by a saw, shredded to pieces by  scissors and being scalding by fiercely boiling water as is  experienced in this stage of death; if any deceased come out of his grave and let the people know about death then people would not get any benefit from this world, nor would they sleep peacefully. (Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 5, pp. 516)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

یا اِلٰہی بُھول جاؤں نَزع کی تکلیف کو         شادیِ  دِیدارِ حُسنِ مُصطفٰے کا ساتھ ہو!

(Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish, pp. 132)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب           صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! Have you heard that Sayyiduna Ka’b رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has stated, ‘Death is like that thorny branch which is made to enter the stomach of a man, so that thorns penetrate into each artery.’ Sayyiduna ‘Amr Bin Aas رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ gave a more palpable spectacle of it by stating, ‘It is as if Radwa (a famous mountain) and Tihamah have been put on my shoulders and my soul is being pulled out from the needle hole; as if I have a thorny branch into my stomach and as if earth and sky both are joined together and I am between them’. And Sayyiduna Shaddad Bin Aws رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has stated, ‘If any deceased come out of his grave and let the people know about the agony of death then their lives would become difficult and they find no peace.’