The King of Terrors

After greeting with Basmalah and Salaam, the Moon said, "The gentleman told me a story,

'An aged Man saw with surprise, the appearance of Death before him, and was seized with terror, when summoned to follow him immediately. 'Pray grant me a little time,' said the old man, 'at least, till I have made my will and testament.'

'I cannot longer delay,' replied Death, 'as I have so often given you warning to prepare yourself for my final call, which I perceive has had no effect upon you, nor have you paid the least regard or attention to it.'

'Surely you mistake,' said the old man, 'you never came to me before this moment, nor have you ever admonished me to prepare to follow you.'

'How,' said Death, 'have I not given you frequent and awful warnings sufficient to awake your conscience, when I have one by one taken away your youthful companions as they stood around you, and your children in their infancy, all which you have disregarded, as if you thought yourself exempt from my power, and now complain that you are not prepared. But prepared or not your hour is now come, and you must obey the summons.'

The gentleman then said, 'This Fable forcibly impresses on our minds the necessity of being always prepared for death, as we know not the hour, the day, nor year of the awful visitation.

Death is a harsh and fearful reality faced by everyone who lives. No one has the power to avoid it, nor does anyone around the dying person have the ability to prevent it. It is something which happens every moment and is encountered by the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. They are all the same in that they have no plan or means of escaping it, no power, no means of intercession, no way to prevent it, nor to delay it, which shows that indeed it comes from one having tremendous power - so that the human is helpless in this regard and can only submit to it.

So in Allah's Hand alone is the granting of life, and in His Hand is the return of what He gave at the appointed time, and after the allotted life span, whether the people are in their houses amongst their families, or striving to seek provision or striving for 'aqeedah (correct belief). Reward and recompense are with Him, and He has full knowledge and power.

EVERYONE SHALL TASTE DEATH. This reality, must be established firmly in one’s heart, the reality that life in this world is limited and has an appointed end - and this end will definitely come.

All will die. Everyone's soul will taste it and will depart from this life. There will be no difference between one soul and another in tasting from this cup which passes between them all, rather the difference is in something else, the place of their destination.

A poor and toil-worn Peasant, bent with years, and groaning beneath the weight of a heavy faggot of firewood which he carried, sought, weary and sore-footed on a long and dusty road, to gain his distant cottage.

Unable to bear the weight of his burden any longer, he let it fall by the roadside, and sitting down upon it, lamented his hard fate. What pleasure had he known since first he drew breath in this sad world? From dawn to dusk, one round of ill-requited toil! At home, empty cupboards, a discontented wife, and disobedient children! He called on Death to free him from his troubles.

At once, the King of Terrors stood before him, and asked him what he wanted. Awed at the ghastly presence, the Old Fellow stammering, the changed his mind, saying that, it was nothing more than to have helped once more upon his shoulders, the bundle of sticks which he had let fall.

Know that this world is passing away and the Hereafter is coming towards us, so keep in mind the point of death.

The righteous will die and the wicked will die

The warriors who fight Jihaad will die and those who sit at home will die

Those who busy themselves with correct belief will die and those who treat the people as their slaves will die

The brave who reject injustice will die, and the cowards who seek to cling on to this life at any price will die

The people of great concern and lofty goals will die,

and the wretched people who live only for cheap enjoyment will die

The Moon wrapped up with, "When people lose loved ones, they need the love and support of people around them, to get over it. One of the best ways to do this is, to just be there to talk to them in the initial stages of the shock, and as time goes on, try to get them to re-adjust to their regular routines and daily lives. A loss of a loved one is like an open wound, it needs time and care to heal, so do be careful not to pour salt where it will only harm.

May Allah have mercy upon all of the deceased of the Muslims. May He grant them firmness in answering. May He widen their graves and fill them with light and many pleasures. May he protect them from any punishment and harm in the grave or in the hellfire. May He enter them into the highest of paradise in the companionship of the prophets, martyrs, truthful ones, and the righteous. May He make the deaths of deceased a lesson for those they have left behind. May He grant comfort, solace, and firmness to those they have left behind, and may He replace all of their sorrows and dismays with unlimited pleasure and joy in this life and the next. Aameen. Aameen. Aameen. And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Shaykh 'Alee Hasan 'Abdul Hameed, Death, Al-Hidayah
- J.B. Rundell, Aesop's Fables, Cassell, Petter and Galpin
- James Northcote, RA, One Hundred Fables, Originals and Selected, J. Johnson

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