The Fiqh of travelling from the Flight Home to the Enduring Home (3)

•  Question 1/3: Wishing for death because of an affliction is forbidden

The one who is inflicted with a calamity such as sickness or something else should not wish for death because of the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you should make a request for death because of the trouble in which he is involved, but if there is no other help to it, then say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me.”[1]

The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) is raised: “None of you should long for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil-doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent..”[2] The Hadith forbids  the wishing for death or invoking for it against oneself, because the increase of lifetime is better for him if he benefits therefrom by increasing obedience or invoking for forgiveness. In the words of Al Bukhari it came as: “None of you should long for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil-doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent.”[3]

There are two exceptions from wishing death:

First: If he fears to be tried in his religion:

The proof for that:

A. Allah's words about Mary:

{يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا}

“Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten” [Maryam: 23].

That is when she was pregnant and feared of shame if she was accused in her chastity when she brought a child without a father. That was the reason for the Righteous predecessors' wishing for death when they feared to be tried in their religion.

B. The long Hadith of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you have willed Fitnah (trials in the religions) for your slave, then take me to You, without making me suffer from Fitnah.”[4] The death of a man even in a young age without trial is better for him than a life with trial.

Second: if his death is martyrdom for the sake of Allah Almighty.

Proof of that:

A. The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said: “If it were not to be too hard upon the Muslims, I would not lag behind any expedition which is going to fight in the cause of Allah. However, I do not have abundant means to provide them (the Mujahids) with riding beasts, nor have they (i. e. all of them) abundant means (to provide themselves with all the means of Jihad) so that they could he left behind. By the Being in Whose Hand is Muhammad's life, I love to fight in the way of Allah and be killed, to fight and again be killed and to fight again and be killed...”[5]

B. The Hadith of Sahl ibn Haneef (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Who seeks martyrdom with sincerity shall get its reward, though he may not achieve it.”[6]

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[1] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (5671) Narrated by Muslim number (2680)

[2] Narrated by Muslim number (2680)

[3] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (7235)

[4] Narrated by At-Tirmidhy number (3233) and Al Albany authenticated him

[5] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (36). Narrated by Muslim number (1876)

[6] Narrated by Muslim number (1908)