Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The reciter: He said -may Allah have mercy on him-: "The chapter on the dislike of wishing for death due to a hardship that has befallen one, and that there is no harm in doing so out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the religion:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7235 Agreed upon, and this is the wording of al-Bukhari.
And in a narration by Muslim: It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 11:126 " .
The Shaykh : The author said -may Allah have mercy on him- "The chapter on the dislike of death due to a hardship that has befallen one": meaning from an illness or something similar. "And as for if it is out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the religion, then there is no harm in it": this is what the author said at the end, meaning that if one fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the religion for himself, then there is no harm in wishing for death. We will speak about this, if Allah wills, in the hadiths. As for the first part, what the author said is correct: that if a person is afflicted with hardship, he should not wish for death, for this is an error, foolishness in intellect, and misguidance in religion:
As for it being foolishness in intellect, it is because if a person remains in his life, he is either doing good, in which case he may increase, or doing evil, in which case he may seek forgiveness and repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And the fact that he dies without knowing, perhaps he will die with the worst ending, and may Allah protect us from that. For this reason, we say: do not do it, because it is foolishness in intellect. As for it being misguidance in religion, it is because it is committing what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7235 : The prohibition here is for prohibition (tahrim), because wishing for death contains an element of not being pleased with the decree of Allah. And the believer must be patient when hardship befalls him. He is patient, and if he is patient with hardship, he attains two important things: the first: the expiation of sins. : If a thorn pricks a person, it expiates his sins.
The second: if he is granted the ability to seek reward from Allah, and he is patient thereby seeking the Face of Allah, then he will be rewarded. And Allah the Exalted said:[Az-Zumar 39:10] .
As for his wishing for death, this indicates that he is not patient with what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has decreed, and is not pleased with it.
And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear that he is either among the doers of good, in which case he increases in his continued life, increasing in righteous deeds. And it is well known that a single glorification (tasbih) in a person's record is better than the world and what is in it, a single glorification, because the world and what is in it pass away and vanish, while the glorification and righteous deeds remain. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Al-Kahf 18:46] : So if you remain, even if it is with pain or hardship, you may perhaps increase in good deeds. Or he is doing evil: meaning he has done an evil deed, so perhaps he may seek forgiveness: meaning he asks Allah for satisfaction and pardon, and he dies having repented from his evil deeds. So do not wish for death, because the matter is all decreed, and perhaps there is good for you or for you and others in your remaining. So do not wish for death, be patient and seek reward, and the continuation of a state is impossible, and Allah is the One who grants success.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
None of you should long for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil-doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent.
لا يتمنَّ أحدكم الموت إما محسنًا فلعله يزداد، وإما مسيئًا فلعله يستعتبAnd in a narration by Muslim: It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:
None of you should wish for death, nor ask for it before it comes, for when a person dies, his deeds are cut off, and the life of a believer is not increased except in good
لا يتمنَّ أحدكم الموت ولا يدع به من قبل أن يأتيه، إنه إذا مات انقطع عمله، وإنه لا يزيد المؤمن عمره إلا خيراًThe Shaykh : The author said -may Allah have mercy on him- "The chapter on the dislike of death due to a hardship that has befallen one": meaning from an illness or something similar. "And as for if it is out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the religion, then there is no harm in it": this is what the author said at the end, meaning that if one fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the religion for himself, then there is no harm in wishing for death. We will speak about this, if Allah wills, in the hadiths. As for the first part, what the author said is correct: that if a person is afflicted with hardship, he should not wish for death, for this is an error, foolishness in intellect, and misguidance in religion:
As for it being foolishness in intellect, it is because if a person remains in his life, he is either doing good, in which case he may increase, or doing evil, in which case he may seek forgiveness and repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And the fact that he dies without knowing, perhaps he will die with the worst ending, and may Allah protect us from that. For this reason, we say: do not do it, because it is foolishness in intellect. As for it being misguidance in religion, it is because it is committing what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
None of you should long for death
لا يتمنّى أحدكم الموتFor a person is not struck by worry, grief, pain, or anything else, but Allah expiates it for him, even a thorn that pricks him
فإن الإنسان لا يصيبه همّ ولا غمّ ولا أذى ولا شيء إلاّ كفّر الله به عنه حتى الشوكة يشاكهاThe second: if he is granted the ability to seek reward from Allah, and he is patient thereby seeking the Face of Allah, then he will be rewarded. And Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account."
وإنّما يوفّى الصّابون أجرهم بغير حسابAs for his wishing for death, this indicates that he is not patient with what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has decreed, and is not pleased with it.
And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear that he is either among the doers of good, in which case he increases in his continued life, increasing in righteous deeds. And it is well known that a single glorification (tasbih) in a person's record is better than the world and what is in it, a single glorification, because the world and what is in it pass away and vanish, while the glorification and righteous deeds remain. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: