The Companion of the Prophet, the leader of Quranic exegetes, Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAbbās رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا, says: “The word 'warner' in this verse refers to old age.^[1] It is stated in one narration, ‘When one hair turns white, it says to the other hairs, “Get ready! Undoubtedly, death is near.”’”^[2]

Old age is a stairway to death

The noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “The example of the son of Ādam is such that 99 deaths hover around him. If they miss him, he reaches old age until he dies.”^[3]

Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says in reference to this Hadith:

This means that there are countless causes of death for a person. Death is always imminent, but if, by the command of Allah Almighty, he is saved from this, then old age will undoubtedly come, after which death is a certainty.^[4]

White hairs are enough for admonition

It is said:

A king had a coffin placed in his house which he used to look at to remember his death. Once, when he looked in the mirror, he saw a white hair in his beard. So, he said, “The coffin should be removed now because I do not need it anymore. I have seen a white hair in my beard, which is a harbinger of death. Therefore, I will now look at my white hair to remember death.”^[5]