said: “Death is fearsome and its danger is great. Nevertheless, people still remain heedless. They do not think about it or recall it and if someone does happen to remember it, he thinks of it unattentively because their hearts are occupied with worldly desires. Therefore, the heart does not obtain benefit from the thought of death. However, benefit can be obtained by considering death to be in front of him, whilst removing all worldly thoughts from his mind. For example, if a person intends to travel through a dangerous jungle or by sea, then he only thinks about these matters. Therefore, when the remembrance of death is directly linked to the heart, it will be effective and every joy of this world will become worthless to him.”

(Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 5, p. 195)

Dear Islamic brothers! Having listened to the reality of death, let us now listen to some of the virtues of remembering death:

Once, Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah Siddiqah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا asked: “O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Will others be resurrected along with the martyrs?” He  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied: Yes! The one who remembers death 20 times in the day and night.” (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, vol. 5, p. 381, Hadith 7676)

The Beloved Prophet  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed by a gathering in which people were laughing loudly. He  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘Also talk about the things that make pleasures tasteless.’ They asked: ‘What is the thing that makes pleasures tasteless?’ He  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمreplied: ‘Death.’

(Mawsu’ah Imam Ibn Abid Dunya, vol. 5, p. 423, Hadith 95)

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْـهُمَا said: “I was the tenth person who went to the Prophet  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم when an Ansari companion asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Who is wiser and more respectable amongst the people?’ He  صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمreplied: ‘The one who remembers death more and makes more preparations for it. These people are wiser as they depart from the world to the Hereafter with honour.’

                                                                         (Makarim-ul-Akhlaq, p. 5, Hadith 3)