The Fiqh of travelling from the Flight Home to the Enduring Home (17)

Question 4/20: When the time of death comes, a person wishes to return to the world.

 If the deceased is a disbeliever, he wishes to return so that he might believe, but if he is disobedient he wishes to return so that he might repent. The Almighty said:

{حَتَّى إِذَا جَاء أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ ¹ لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ}

“[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back¹ That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.” [Al Mumenoon: 99-100]

But this belief and repentance will not benefit him when death comes and a person rattles. The Almighty said:

{وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الآنَ وَلاَ الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُوْلَئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً}

“But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.” [Al Nisa: 18]

In the Sunan of At-Tirmidhy and Ibn Majah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed Allah accepts the repentance of a person as long as (his soul does not reach his throat).”[1]           
   

It is incumbent on an individual to prepare himself and repent to the Lord Almighty before death comes: