Death reminders

Al-Hasan Al-Basri attended a funeral prayer. When they had buried the dead person he said to a man from the gathering: “Do you think that this dead person would wish to come back to the earth to increase his deeds from dhikr, good actions and istighfaar from his sins?” The man replied, “Yes.” So al-Hasan said, “Then why aren’t we like this dead person?”

[Taken from the book al-Hasan al-Basri by Ibn al Jawzee]

Sheikh Yasir Qadhi: "The more a Muslim thinks of death, the better he acts in life."

Ibn Abdul-Barr writes:
رأى إياس بن قتادة شعرةً بيضاء في لحيته، فقال: أرى الموت يطلبني

Iyaas bin Qataadah saw white hair in his beard and he said: “I see that the death is looking for me”.
(Bahjat Al-Majalis)

Ahmad Fareed writes:
“One of the pious said: “Amazing how men cry over the death of a body, but never cry about the death of the heart, while the death of the heart is way more awefull”
["Tazkiyah al-Nufus", 33].

Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab said:
“Everyday we are told so and so has just died. Most definitely, one day it will be said: ‘Umar has died.”
["Sharh Risalat al-Mustarshidien", 111].

Al-Fazari has narrated:
لما أراد الله تعالى قبض إبراهيم عليه السلام هبط إليه ملك الموت فقال له إبراهيم رأيت خليلا يقبض روح خليله قال فعرج ملك الموت إلى ربه ثم عاد إليه فقال له يا إبراهيم ورأيت خليلا يكره لقاء خليله
“When Allaah decided to take the sould of Ibraheem, He sent the Angel of Death to him. Ibraheem said to the Angel of Death: “Do you know someone who wants to kill his own friend?” The Angel of Death returned to Allaah. He then came back and said: “O Ibraheem, and do you know a friend who does not want to meet his friend?”

["Hilyat Al-Awliya", 10/9].


Mujaahid said that the grave will say:
أنا بيت الدود وبيت الوحدة وبيت الغربة وبيت الظلمة هذا ما أعددت لك, فما اعددت لي؟
“I am a house of worms, a house of seperation, and a house of darkness. This is what I have prepared for you. What have you prepared for me?”