16 Nov Death: a reminder for the living
– In Islamic practice, the deceased is placed in the grave laying on their right side, facing the qibla. It’s beautiful to imagine an entire community of believers under the earth facing the same direction that we (the living) face at least 5 times a day. In life and in death, we need community and connection.
– In an age of hyper individualism, we don’t realize how much we need community until we lose a loved one and experience the receiving end of expressions of love and support. What would have been lonely Uber rides to and from the airport are replaced by smiling, familiar faces of family and friends dropping off and picking up; what would have been Doordashed meals left at the door turn into loved ones dropping by with homemade meals; and so on. What is touted today as “convenience” is really just a subtle, gradual way of disconnecting us from a human experience of hospitality, sacrifice, and service.
– If we sincerely believe that our loved ones are deserving of Paradise at the time of their return to Allah, we should hold the same compassionate and good opinion toward ourselves.
– In our lifetime, we perform ghusl, wear ihram for Umrah or Hajj, slip into unawareness in deep sleep, profess the shahadah, and so on — all experiences we will have in death, too. Perhaps God prescribes these practices for the living such that we feel as comfortable and familiar with them when we are washed, shrouded in white unstitched cloth, placed in the grave, and answer to the questions of the angels. In some ways, life is a practice run for death. The Most Compassionate never leaves us unprepared.
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