Mentioning examples of a good ending while striving to ask Allah for it.
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The Shaykh : Now, in the previous lesson, I did not mention an example of someone whom Allah granted a good ending, despite him being a disbeliever at first. Does any of you recall? Yes.
The student: The man who embraced Islam and then entered into jihad, and was killed without having prayed a single rak'ah for Allah, and without having bowed a single rak'ah for Allah.
The Shaykh : I mean, do you not remember? Give us his name.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, come on.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, no, that is fine.
The student: Al-Asir ibn 'Amr.
The Shaykh : From the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal.
The student: Now, this Al-Asir from the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal was a disbeliever. When he heard the commotion or the uproar during the Battle of Uhud, he went out to fight, may Allah be pleased with him. He fought and was killed as a martyr. His companions passed by him while he was in his last breath, at the end of his life, and they said to him: What brought you here? We knew you disliked this matter—that is, this religion. He informed them that when he heard the uproar, he went out and fought, and he asked them to convey his salam to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They conveyed that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so this man’s ending was martyrdom, and with it, happiness.
We mentioned that this phrase entails encouragement and warning. Which of the two phrases entails the warning?
The student: The one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise and then does the deeds of the people of the Fire.
The Shaykh : Well done. Now, the one that entails the warning is: the one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise and then his ending is with the deeds of the people of the Fire.
Every person fears that his ending will be a bad one. For this reason, it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that. I ask Allah to make my ending and your endings good.
So a person should always ask Allah for a good ending, and say: O Allah, make the best of our deeds the last of them, and make the best of our deeds the endings of them,Sunan Abi Dawud 3116Sahih (Al-Albani).
And which of the two phrases entails hope and expectation?
The student: The one who does the deeds of the people of the Fire and then his ending is with the deeds of the people of Paradise.
The Shaykh : Yes. That is fine.
The one who does the deeds of the people of the Fire and then does the deeds of the people of Paradise; this entails hope and expectation. Therefore, do not despair. Some people now, when they see a misguided person or a disbeliever and are told: Call him to good and to the truth? They say: No, he is not guided, and may Allah protect us, no, this is not permissible. Keep hope open before you and call him to good. Perhaps he will embrace Islam and believe, until Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, makes his guidance through your hand. And how many people were at first greatly sinful, but Allah guided them until they became among the most upright people in religion.
Yes, now we begin to take the hadith. Who is the reader tonight? You? That is fine.
The reciter: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
The student: The man who embraced Islam and then entered into jihad, and was killed without having prayed a single rak'ah for Allah, and without having bowed a single rak'ah for Allah.
The Shaykh : I mean, do you not remember? Give us his name.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, come on.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, no, that is fine.
The student: Al-Asir ibn 'Amr.
The Shaykh : From the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal.
The student: Now, this Al-Asir from the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal was a disbeliever. When he heard the commotion or the uproar during the Battle of Uhud, he went out to fight, may Allah be pleased with him. He fought and was killed as a martyr. His companions passed by him while he was in his last breath, at the end of his life, and they said to him: What brought you here? We knew you disliked this matter—that is, this religion. He informed them that when he heard the uproar, he went out and fought, and he asked them to convey his salam to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They conveyed that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so this man’s ending was martyrdom, and with it, happiness.
We mentioned that this phrase entails encouragement and warning
Indeed, one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise, and indeed, one of you may do the deeds of the people of the Fire.
إن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة، وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل النارThe student: The one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise and then does the deeds of the people of the Fire.
The Shaykh : Well done. Now, the one that entails the warning is: the one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise and then his ending is with the deeds of the people of the Fire.
Every person fears that his ending will be a bad one. For this reason, it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that
Deeds are judged by their endings.
الأعمال بالخواتيمSo a person should always ask Allah for a good ending, and say: O Allah, make the best of our deeds the last of them, and make the best of our deeds the endings of them,
If anyone's last words are "There is no god but Allah" he will enter Paradise.
ومن كان آخر كلامه لا إله إلا الله دخل الجنةAnd which of the two phrases entails hope and expectation?
The student: The one who does the deeds of the people of the Fire and then his ending is with the deeds of the people of Paradise.
The Shaykh : Yes. That is fine.
The one who does the deeds of the people of the Fire and then does the deeds of the people of Paradise; this entails hope and expectation. Therefore, do not despair. Some people now, when they see a misguided person or a disbeliever and are told: Call him to good and to the truth? They say: No, he is not guided, and may Allah protect us, no, this is not permissible. Keep hope open before you and call him to good. Perhaps he will embrace Islam and believe, until Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, makes his guidance through your hand. And how many people were at first greatly sinful, but Allah guided them until they became among the most upright people in religion.
Yes, now we begin to take the hadith. Who is the reader tonight? You? That is fine.
The reciter: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.