Question:
Is it true that death is a minor doomsday?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Death is a certainty for every living thing. This is because Allah SWT has stated clearly in the Quran that death will surely come to humans and it will not be coming even a minute faster or later:
- Allah SWT says in the Quran:
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
And for every nation is a [specified] term. So when their time has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
Surah al-‘Araf (34)
Syeikh al-Zuhaily when interpreting this verse states that every nation among the existing nations, as well as each generation of the existing generations, have their own specified age as in the knowledge of Allah SWT. When the specified age reaches the end, then his life will end and he will leave the world without it being faster or later for even a minute. [See: Tafsir al-Wasit, 5/267]
Based on the above question, there is a hadith which indicates or states that death is a minor doomsday as narrated by Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim:
- Narrated by Aisha R.Anha, where the Prophet PBUH said:
كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ جُفَاةً يَأْتُونَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَيَسْأَلُونَهُ مَتَى السَّاعَةُ، فَكَانَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَصْغَرِهِمْ فَيَقُولُ " إِنْ يَعِشْ هَذَا لاَ يُدْرِكْهُ الْهَرَمُ حَتَّى تَقُومَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَاعَتُكُمْ "
Some rough Bedouins used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) and ask him, "When will the Hour be?" He would look at the youngest of all of them and say, "If this should live till he is very old, your Hour (the death of the people addressed) will take place."
[Sahih al-Bukhari (6511) and Sahih Muslim (2952)]
In addition, Syeikh Dr Sulayman al-Ashqar stated in his book that the definition of a minor doomsday is death. Therefore, when a person passes away, he is undergoing a doomsday.
Imam Ibn Kathir stated that what is meant by this is the passing of their time by entering the hereafter. Therefore, those who pass away are entering the hereafter. Some people said: Whoever passes away, then doomsday has already happened to him. [See: al-Qiyamah al-Sughra, 11]
Closing
In conclusion, we have no power to decide on the place and time of our death as it is the right of Allah SWT. We are commanded to always be ready by performing many good deeds in this world so that these will drive us to Allah SWT’s paradise. May Allah SWT bless us with a good ending. Ameen.
Wallahua’lam.