The members of the profane society are basically ignorant, negligent and shallow. Their lives are not based on common sense or logic. On the contrary, they live with vain and false beliefs, and follow conjectures that end with fallacies. One of these is their belief about death. They believe that death is something even not to be thought about.
What they really expect is to escape from it by ignoring it. By not thinking about it, they believe that they can elude it. But this is just like the ostrich who puts her head in the sand in order to escape from the danger. Ignoring danger does not make it disappear. On the contrary, the person at risk will certainly encounter danger, but without having made any preparations for it, will, in consequence receive a much bigger shock— unlike the believers who ponder on and prepare themselves for this important reality, the truth of which has been experienced by all thepeople who have ever lived. Allah, therefore, admonishes the unbelievers in the following verse:
‘The death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to (Allah), the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will tell you the things that you did.”
Death is not a “disaster” which should be forgotten, but an important lesson that teaches people the real meaning of life. It should therefore be the subject of profound thought. The believers ponder deeply on that great reality with sincerity and wisdom. Why do all people live for a period of time and then die? All created beings are mortal, and this shows that they are powerless and unable servants of Allah. Allah is the only owner of life; all creatures have come to life by Allah’s Decree and will ultimately die by Allah’s Decree. On this the Qur’an declares: “All that is on earth will perish:
But will abide (Forever) the Face of your Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.”
Everyone will die, but none can predict where and when that will be. Nobody has any guarantee that he will be alive the next minute. Therefore believers should behave as if they are to die at any moment. Thinking about death will help believers increase their sincerity and fear of Allah and they will always remain conscious of what awaits them. In the Qur’an, the significance of keeping death in mind is expressed in the following verse:
“We granted not to any human being immortality before you, then if you die, would they live forever? Every soul shall have a taste of death:
and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us you will be returned.”
