Quran says on the matter of death-

"Every soul shall taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden, has triumphed. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of delusion,” (3:185)

"O you who believe! Do not let your wealth or children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. Whoever does that is lost. Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says, ‘O Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give sadaqa and be one of the righteous.’ Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. Allah is aware of everything you do.” (63:9-11)

“When their specified time arrives, they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward,” (16:61)

Ahadith speaks about the matter of death-

Ibn ‘Umar used to say, “In the evening, do not anticipate the morning, and in the morning do not anticipate the evening. Take from your health for your illness and from your life for your death.” [al-Bukhari]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: “O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.’ ”
Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 70 Hadith 575

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Do not wish for death, for the terror of the place whence one looks down is severe. It is part of a man’s happiness that his life should be long and Allah Who is Great and Glorious, should supply him with repentance.”
Ahmad transmitted it.
Al-Tirmidhi

“When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end, except three: Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous son who will pray for him.” – (Sahih Muslim, 3084)

My dearest readers, What is death? Am sure all of you know what death is! Death is the destroyer of pleasures. Something that takes away your breaths. Something that is frightening and heartbreaking at the same time. This topic is really avoided in our society. It's considered kind of a taboo. Have we forgotten the hidayah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam? We have been advised to remember death and not forget it in any circumstances. Remember always that we are just travellers in this dunya and soon we will have to leave. Remember that whatever we do here will earn it's results in the hereafter.

What is life? Simplest answer my friends is that it's the time between the Adhan and Salah. The Adhan given at the time of the birth and it's Salah of janazah done after our death and before our burial.

Why did I choose this topic? Recently I came across the death of a loved one, a relative, a sister. 'Inna lillahi Wa inna ilaihi rajioon', Surely we belong to Allah and surely to him is our return... (I would request each reader to pray for her Maghfirah). Her death forced me to think about my life. What am I doing with it and if I die right now, will I go to Jannah? And the answer is no. I haven't don't anything that can take me to Jannah. I have sinned, many times and I am ashamed of myself. I thought about my deeds and I found them lacking. I am one of the worst Ummati of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam and I am scared. When death comes will I go with it peacefully and happily? All these questions are plaguing my mind.

My sister was a relatively young person beloved readers. She is not an old woman. Yet death came for her. Being young or old doesn't deter death. Being rich or poor, popular or commoner can bother us people, but death doesn't differentiate. Death treats all of us equally. Every soul shall taste death, whenever their time comes. If anybody would have escaped death it would have been no one else but our beloved Prophet Muhammad. But even the best of the mankind did face death.

What can come in handy are your deeds. Whether you did good deeds and followed Allah's commands will make a difference. My dear readers let us stop being arrogant and let us leave our egos and self importance behind, remember that the first thing that will be taken away after death are our names. The names which are so beloved to us in life will be changed to 'Mayyat', after death. Then what use is the self importance which we display in life?

Our book of deeds is closed the moment our breaths stop. Am sure all of us have gone through this situation at least once in our life- Have you ever stood outside the examination Hall and felt sorry for yourself that there is no more time for you to study and pass the test? Have you ever felt like crying because there can be no more procrastination as the time is up? Now multiply that feeling by hundred, my friends. That's how we will feel when death comes for us and we realise that nothing more can be done. Whatever you want to do, do it now. Salah, sadaqah, dawah.... Do it now. Because when the end comes nothing will be able to stop it. My Hindi sir always used to tell us something that suits this situation. He used to say- When death comes calling, even the highest monarch has to go. No excuses and no procrastination.

Prepare your will before you die. What all should be done and how you want things to be done, when you die. It's important. What all you have, make a will for it so there is no confusion when you leave this world. Make sure to give sadaqah when you live and even after death. In life, start a sadaqah jariah that will In sha Allah continue after death too. Because that and your knowledge that will benefit others and a just child, who prays for you, are the only things that will still be adding up your aamal in the book of deeds, after death.

Pray for a beautiful death my readers, a death that every mumin in this world will envy. A death so easy that we will experience no pain. A death that will be equal to shahadah (Martyrdom) and happen in sujood, while we are reading kalma and are fasting (Aameen). Ask for it and Allah will give it. Ask for a beautiful akhirah. Pray that the last aamal that we do, be the best deed of our whole life. Pray that the day we shall meet our Rabb will be the best day of our entire existence. Pray that he is happy with us when we die and also pray that our death shall be easy on us and also our journey after death. Pray that the house of darkness (grave), will be lighted up for us with noor. Pray now my readers, when we have chance and time. Do not forget death, because forgetting it hardens our hearts.

While we are at this topic. I advice you to start when you are young and not procrastinate it till your old age... because my Rabb, the Lord of the whole universe, love the Ibadah of youth. When we are young we are usually easily diverted towards dunya. When we kill that wish in ourselves and turn towards Rabb he likes it more, because it takes more effort. I advice you to pray Tahajjud. I advice you to do things which he love. Who knows when the Angel of death will descend to take away our souls.

*****

Ma'arij

Ma'arij and his cousins prayed the Friday congregation in the Masjid of Mubazzara and came back to the camp to wait for the girls. After everyone returned they decided to bring food from the KFC. Two of his cousins departed to bring the food and the rest went about their business. Ma'arij decided to take a walk to the playground where he had met Asweera the day before. He chuckled in amusement and began walking.

He had just spoken to his Uncle in the morning and enquired about Sahla, receiving a reply that was heartbreaking. His foster mother blamed herself for everything that had happened. He fisted his hands in anger. His blood boiling again. He stopped in his tracks. He should concentrate on making her cry not on hoping to continue their banter. But his legs started again, going against his mind.

He reached the playground to find it full of kids of all ages. There was laughter ringing around him. His eyes began their search for her unconsciously, to land on a woman. She was wearing abaya and niqaab, covering herself from head to toes. She was graceful even when she stood in silence, watching. Her head was held high. She appeared to be pregnant. And her right hand was placed on her stomach as if she was cradling it. She was watching the slides, where a man was helping a small girl of about three.

He gravitated towards the man. He had seen him before... in pictures that he had accumulated of the Shams family. He was Umar Ghamadi, the husband of Rubdha Shams. He clenched his hands in anger. He wanted to punch this man to pulp, but breathe deeply to control his anger.

"Let go off your hands habeebti... Slide!" He was talking to the girl, calming her down. She appeared to be stressed.

"I will fall down Umal!" She breathe the words, shaking her head in disagreement. He frowned and began to hear them talk.

"Trust in your Rabb Ya binti! He doesn't let his people fall!" Umar smiled at her assuredly. She watched him with big eyes. Ma'arij stilled. Her eyes were just like... Asweera.

"Haya!" The boy behind her shouted. He looked about five years old. "Get off the slide if you don't wanna do it! There are people waiting!"

"Talha!" An older boy reprimanded him. "She is young! Be patient with her!" Talha looked down ashamed. Haya was becoming more nervous watching the kids waiting. She turned towards Umar.

"Umal! Please! I am scaled (Scared)!" She pleaded. Her eyes filling with tears. He bit his lip to stop his smile. She was adorable. He was going to lift her from the slide, when a hand stilled his. He immediately stopped and smiled as he turned around, to see Rubdha standing there. He allowed his wife to take his place as he stood beside her, placing a hand on her back, protectively.

"Haya meri jaan (My life)! Let go! We are here to hold you if you fall! Don't be scared! If you continue being scared how will you face that biggg monster who had captured the princess? For you to be able to fight that monster you have to become brave! Isn't it? And what did you tell me before? That you trust Allah! People who trust Allah do not doubt on their own self baby!" Rubdha was baby talking with Haya and Umar was watching her, deciding who was more adorable. He watched as Haya nodded timidly and let go off one hand. He smiled in appreciation and encouragement at the child. She let go off the other hand and begun sliding down slowly under watchful eyes and reached the bottom.

"Yayy! I did it! See phuphu I did it! I was not scaled!" She started jumping around them making them smile. Ma'arij smiled unconsciously at the child. Umar laughed in amusement and lifted her before throwing her in air. Her laughter rang out in the ground. Umar held her in his arm and placed his hand on Rubdha's back as he led them towards the slides. Ma'arij followed them. He wanted to see them interact with the other.

Umar placed Haya on the swing and just as he was about to push her, the boys from earlier came running to him and requested that they be allowed to push the swing. He agreed and moved back.

"Hanzala! Be careful!" Rubdha said and the boy smiled at her. Umar cane back to Rubdha, as they started walking.

"Enjoying my love?" He asked her as he led her towards the bench at the edge of the play ground. She nodded. "How is my baby doing?" He asked her sweetly. She chuckled.

"Alhamdulilllahi rabbilaalameen all is fine!" She responded.

Ma'arij watched them closely. He had already gathered that Umar was adamantly protective about Rubdha. And Rubdha too was quite happy with him. They had to be near each other at all the times. He felt a tiny second of self doubt before he trampled it.

Rubdha and Umar continued to talk with each other and he had to rush away. They were quite vocal about their feelings for the other and he had no interest to watch that. He watched the playground again to see if Asweera was present and felt disappointed. He reprimanded himself harshly and began to walk back.

He had just turned when someone clashed with him and fell down. He stayed standing.

"Allah!" He heard her before he saw her. "Andhe ho kya? Dekh ke nahin chal sakte (Are you blind? Can't you watch where you are going)?" She asked as she lifted her head to see him and stilled. He smirked as her eyes filled with anger. "Tum? Again! What's your problem haan? You have some enmity with me or what! You always reach wherever I go, to spoil my mood!" She was ranting again and he got his peace seeing her furious. He smiled in contentment. She huffed.

"Am sure YOU are the one searching for reasons to clash with me!" Her face resembled a tomato when he finished his statement.

"I HATE YOU!" She said vehemently and proceeded to move ahead, when he blocked her way, whistling a tune nonchalantly as he watched the sky. "Move!"

"Meri marzi (my wish)! I can go wherever i want whenever I want!" He said.

"You are blocling my way intentionally!" She said gritting her teeth.

"Then you change your way! Ma'arij Afandi doesn't budge for anybody!"

"Egoistic brat!" She growled and turned back the way she had come. He smiled happily. This was his sole purpose... to see her defeated and enraged. He lost his smile and watched her go intently.

"I will make sure you always stay defeated and sad in your life Asweera Shams!" He promised with vengeance.

*****

Nawal

She reached their camp and stood in the stream angrily as it soaked her anger away. What an arrogant man! She hated such people with a passion. She huffed and faced skywards. And just when her eyes met the blue expanse she stilled in guilt. Her sister's words rang in her ears. She thought of her Rabb and if her actions would please him. The answer was in negative. She sighed asking forgiveness from him. She had been unnecessarily fighting with a na mahram. What was the need to even stay there when he was there? She should have seen him and turned back that very instant. She sighed.

She watched as Rubdha and Umar returned with the kids. Haaziq had already brought food and they were waiting for everyone to return. The kids excitedly chattered to their parents about their time in the playground. Her parents hadn't yet returned from the toilets. Zinneera had accompanied them.

Rubdha came and stood by her in the stream. Umar was still watching her. She smiled softly. She wished Farhan would love her like this. Rubdha tapped her shoulders and as she faced her sister, she gestured with her hand asking her what the problem was. She shook her head.

"Di... Can I ask you something?" She asked Rubdha. who nodded at her.

"Why do you wear niqaab? You suddenly started wearing it after..." She trailed off. Rubdha lifted her niqaab as she pulled her to sit at the edge and faced away from the crowd.

"Why the sudden question?" She asked.

"I dunno. I just want to know why!"

"Hmm! I wear niqaab because I want to wear it! I want to hide my face because my face is not a public property to be gazed upon!" She chuckled making Asweera smile. Asweera unconsciously thought of the arrogant brat and his eyes that had been fixated on hers as he irritated her intentionally. "I like to hide my face from any na mahram because I am sure the reward for this will be more than just doing hijab. It gives me peace and saves me from harmful eyes. Also it guarantees me my Rabb's love!"

Asweera fell silent as she thought about it. She was feeling uneasy by Ma'arij's eyes. There was something in them... something strong and powerful which was scaring her. She decided to hide her face from that moment onwards. It was her first step towards being more closer to her Rabb. She smiled as it made her peaceful. She turned towards her sister and began speaking to her about other topics.

They soon had their food and the women began to play badminton, taking turns. The men went swimming. The kids were playing nearby. She heard the 'beep' of the arrival of a message and fished her cell phone from her purse. She laughed on something Zinneera said to her as she checked her messages.

'Hey'

She had received a message from an unknown number. She thought of deleting it and was about to touch the option, when she received another message from the same number.

'Farhan here'

Her fingers stilled. Should she reply or not? She watched Rubdha as she sat and chatted with Shamaila. He was still her na mahram. Rubdha would be disappointed if she replied, she thought and was about to delete it, when another thought propped up in her head. She could enquire about his actions on the day they met. It had been bugging her anyway. She nodded to herself and began to type.

'Assalmualaikum!' She sent the text without any more delay and waited. She received the reply really soon.

'Walaikumassalam! I thought you wouldn't reply'

'Oh' She sent and face palmed when she realised how awkward she sounded.

'Umm... so? What are you doing?' She received a text again.

'nothing... just out with fam.'

'Enjoying?'

'A lot!:)'

Their conversation reached a lull as they didn't know what else to talk about. But soon she received another text.

'So what else?'

'Umm. if u dont mind me askin, y were u so reluctant the day we met n now u sound as if u hv no prob!'

'Sorry for that day! I was really tensed! But I am not at all reluctant! Why did you think so?'

'I jus gt d feelin u kno.'

'Umm you got the wrong feeling then;)'

':)'

'You must be wondering why I am messaging you suddenly.'

'yes'

'I just want to get to know you before we are married. So we don't feel like strangers!'

'Umm.'

'You don't want to message?'

'uh! d truth is my fam won't like t if dey come to kno. dey n even me r quite reserved in dis matter u kno. esp my elder sis.'

'But we are getting married, so I don't see a problem!'

She was too confused to reply to him. What do she do now? She sighed as she thought about it. She didn't see a harm in continuing this and he was being a perfect gentleman. She decided to continue it. Rubdha would never know about it anyways. Her heart was happy as her fingers began typing not realising that her steps were leading her into a dangerous territory.

*****
Rubdha

'Husne kirdar se noor e mujassam hoja
ki iblees bhi tujhe dekhe to musalman ho jaye'
Allama Iqbal

(Become the incarnate of light by the beauty of your character
Such that, even iblees becomes a Muslim after seeing you)

Rubdha was sitting on the grass, on the slope of the hill, with Umar. They were silent as he took in the beauty of the starry sky. She watched him and was reminded of the poetry of Allama Iqbal. He was truly of a beautiful character and she felt lucky that he was all her's. He turned feeling her eyes on him and lifted an eye brow in question.

"You are handsome!" She told him without any hesitation. He chuckled making her blush. He looked at her intently.

"Kunt jamilat jiddaan 'anah 'iidha kan hur min jannat taqif 'amamika, fa'iinaha shahib fi almuqaranat! (You are so beautiful that if the hoor of Jannah would stand before you, they would pale in comparison)!" He told her.

"Oh Umar! That's really sweet of you! But we both know that's not true! How can anyone be more beautiful than the Hoor al Ayn?" She asked laughing. He smiled at her.

"Allah created everything! Even the moon and the hoor and the Angels and us! And then he told us 'Laqad khalqnal insaana fee ahsanat taqweem' (Verily we created man in the best stature- Quraan: Sura At-Tiin Ch 95 Ayat 4)! Then tell me Ya rouhi, if you are right or I am!" Rubdha laughed joyously at his explanation filling his heart with pleasure.

"Hmm if I had the permission from Allah, I would have banned the hoor for you in Jannah! But how can I come between you and Allah's reward for you?" She asked him.

"I actually don't want that! What I want is to enter the highest Jannah with you by my side! To watch Al Musawwir's face along with you! Everything else is secondary for me!" He told her. She was in tears.

"Aameen!" She whispered.

They sat there talking a little more about here and there, before they returned to their camp. They slowly entered their tent and went to sleep almost immediately.

*****

Ma'arij

Ma'arij and Iqra walked towards the playground slowly. There were still some people loitering here and there. Many of them stayed close to their camps playing something or the other. He watched as Iqra sighed softly. He smiled. She was still upset about yesterday night. They say 'A woman's sigh can tell you more than a man's sermons!' and maybe they said right. He wondered about it.

"Why are you so quite?" He finally broke the silence.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked.

"Anything!"

"Anything?" He nodded. "Then let's talk about who you were talking to earlier! You had an happy aura around at that time!"

"An employee of mine!"

"Girl?"

"Nope!"

"Hmm ok!"

They continued to walk in silence. He was getting more irritated. His banter with Asweera was more interesting than this. Iqra excused herself after a while and walked back towards the camp, leaving him to walk alone.

He reached the stream and sat down at it's edge, soaking his legs in the warm water. He watched around him in boredom and found a girl silently sitting at the edge, a little far away. She was covered from head to toe. Something about her seemed familiar and then he heard her as she hummed something. His forehead cleared. She was singing the same prayer from yesterday. Asweera... He smirked as he watched her.

"Hey singer?" he called out to her. "All fine? Why the veil?"

"Are you following me?" She replied angrily. "How did you find out our camp?"

"I didn't! My fate seems to be pulling me towards you!" He replied and chuckled as she growled.

"Am leaving! Talk to the air!" She huffed and went away getting angry at him. He smiled happily. His day was complete.

*****

Rubdha

She sat on her musallah and raised her hands as she began to pray.

"My beloved Rabb! The whole world is sleeping... Yet you are awake! People have already closed the doors of their homes but the gates of your halls are wide open! Am an ungrateful slave... The one who doesn't fulfil her duties and still demand her rights! Please forgive me! Ya Rabb make my death as beautiful as my life and make my Aakhirah the most beautiful of all. I have gone astray many times but Rabb you are the only one who can guide me! Ya Allah give me the eyes which cries in your love! A heart filled with fear and sabr and shukr! A tongue which doesn't forget it's Dhikr and knowledge that can benefit me! Make me your beloved as you are mine! Let not one second pass without me remembering your sweet name! The grace which you have bestowed on me is not repayable! So take my very breaths as shukr my Habeeb and let me not face your wrath today or on Yaum al qayamah! Aameen!"

She got up and woke her husband up so she could pray in his leadership.

******