Death as a Transition

Reflection on the Reality of Death

In navigating life in this world, humans certainly experience periods of transition that come and go one after another: there is morning and evening, day and night, health and sickness, life and death. All these things will happen to all of us.

There is something that sometimes we forget to think about, even though one day we will face it. That matter is none other than death. Anyone will experience death. Death is an inevitability experienced by every human being, even though the causes are different.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

قُلْ اِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِى تَفِرُّوْنَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَقِيكُمْ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّوْنَ اِلَى عَلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

Meaning: “Say: ‘Indeed, the death from which you flee — indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do.’” (QS Al-Jumu’ah: 8)

The Reality of Worldly Life and the Afterlife

Then, what is the meaning of our life in the world? The world is a place where we prepare ourselves for the true life, namely life in the afterlife. As a place of preparation, we must have sufficient preparation because of the long journey that lies ahead. Despite our love for the world and its contents, one day this world will leave us, or we will be the ones left behind. The life of this world is only temporary and ephemeral. True life is the life in which there is no death — the afterlife.

If we may think of it this way: this world is just a stopover, not an eternity. A terminal, a temporary stopping place. We transit in it for a moment, until the specified time. After that we leave and continue our journey again.

If that is the nature of the world, why do we devote so much of our lives to worldly needs? Whether we admit it or not, of the 24 hours we spend in a day, we can say that only a few percent are used to prepare for the afterlife. The rest is drained by activities circulating around the world. Yet we really need to balance the two.

Self-Examination and Good Deeds

From our current age, have we ever examined ourselves? How much virtue have we accumulated? How many good deeds have we gathered? Or how much disobedience have we committed, how many sins have we engaged in? Of course, only we ourselves know.

Now, let us remember Allah’s infinite blessings. Every moment blood flows in our bodies. But why do we ignore it all? The heartbeat never stops. We blink countless times a day. We breathe every moment, always enjoying it without ever paying for it, without ever thinking about what would happen if Allah withheld that blessing for just a moment. But because of our ignorant and unjust nature, we — intentionally or not — always take it for granted and forget about it.

We often easily thank someone who has helped us, while we often forget to remember Allah, who always showers us with His blessings. As a result, we will definitely forget the afterlife. From here, the world will always consume our time.

The Importance of Remembering Death

Meanwhile, remembering death will encourage a person to prepare provisions for the journey ahead, to avoid committing acts that lead to disobedience, and to foster piety. In connection with remembering death, the Prophet said:

اَكْثِرُوا مِنْ ذِكْرِ الْمَوْتِ فَإِنَّهُ يُمَحِّصُ الذُّنُوْبَ وَيُزْهِدُ الدُّنْيَا

Meaning: “Multiply the remembrance of death, for it will wipe out sins and cause asceticism in the world.”

In the Islamic perspective, people who remember death often are considered intelligent. Rasulullah SAW said:

إِكْيَسُ النَّاسِ اَكْثَرُهُمْ ذِكْرًا لِلْمَوْتِ وَاَشَدُّهُمْ اِسْتِعْدَادًا لَهُ اُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ اْلاَكيَاسُ ذَهَبُوْا بِشَرَفِ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَامَةِ اْلاَخِرَاةِ

Meaning: “The most intelligent people are those who remember death the most, and who prepare the most to face it. They are the truly intelligent ones. And they will go to the afterlife bringing with them the honor of this world and the honor of the afterlife.” (HR Ibn Majah)

Let us always engage in self-reflection, remembering our own shortcomings, reflecting on the mistakes and sins we have committed, always hoping for forgiveness from Him and repenting to Him — before death comes and takes us without us ever realizing it, without ever wanting it, and without ever expecting it. Because death is a transition from worldly life to the afterlife, and surely every soul will experience it.

May we leave this world in a state of faith and husnul khotimah. Aamiin.

This article was written to remember and pray for our teacher, our leader, our motivator, the late Mr. Suharno, S.Pd, Principal of SMPN Purworejo, Padang Ratu District, Central Lampung Province, Lampung. 😭

اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَاَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مَدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرْدِ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ اْلاَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَاَبْدِلْهُ دَارًاخَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَاَهْلاً خَيْرًا مِنْ اَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ وَاَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَاَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَفِتْنَتِهِ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ. اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيْرَنَا وَكَبِيْرَنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَاُنْثَانَا. اَللهُمَّ مَنْ اَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَاَحْيِهِ عَلَى اْلاِسْلاَمِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى اْلاِيْمَانِ. اَللهُمَّ لاَتَحْرِمْنَا اَجْرَهُ وَلاَتُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَآاَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ. وَالْحَمْدُ ِللهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ.