What should be done for whom about to die (2)

 It is a Sunnah to dictate the dying the testification of faith: "La Ilaha Illalah (There is no God except Allah)"

The proof to that is:

A. The Hadith of Abu Sa`id (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Exhort to recite" There is no god but Allah" to those of you who are dying.”[1] It also came in Muslim from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).[2]

B. The Hadith of Muath ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If anyone's last words are "There is no god but Allah" he will enter Paradise.”[3]  

Al Qurtubi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Regarding the Prophet's command with dictating the dead the testification faith, it is a proof that people must attend the death agony of the dying to remind him of monotheism and closing his eyes, as it is one of the rights of Muslims over one another.”[4]

It is funny to mention that when death came to Abu Zar`ah, the great scholar of Hadith, his students wanted to dictate him the phrase of monotheism "La Ilaha Illalah," they were shy because he was a great scholar. They wanted to remind him of the chain of narration, and he knows his narrations, then he fainted. They stumbled and differed about a narrator whether he was Shuba or Al Aghmash Sulayman ibn Mahran. He woke up and heard their dispute about the chain of narrators so he said: The Hadith was reported by so and so from so and so from so and so on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who said: the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Exhort to recite" There is no god but Allah" to those of you who are dying.”[5] So and so narrated from so and so of Mu`adh about the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said: “If the last words of a person are "There is no god but Allah" he will enter Paradise.”[6] Then he died and this is among the signs of a good ending –we ask Allah for His Bounty.

Should a person command the dying to repeat “La Ilaha Illalah”?  

The correct view is: This differs according to the condition of the dying.

• If he is a disbeliever, then he is commanded with it by saying: “Say La Ilaha Illalah.”

The proof to that is the Hadith of Al Musayyab ibn Hazn (may Allah be pleased with him) that when death came to Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Prophet commanded him by saying: “O uncle! Say La Ilaha Illalah.”[7] If he had said it, he would have hecome one of the winners; otherwise he shall be a ge However, if he did not, he is a disbeliever in principle.

• If he is a believer with strong faith and can handle what he is commanded to do, then he is commanded to say: “La Ilaha Illalah.”

The proof to that is the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) visited a man from the Ansar (and in a narration, from Banu-Najjar), so he said: “O uncle! Say La Ilaha Illalah.”[8]

The reason for the Prophet's saying to him “O uncle” is that the man was from Banu-Najjar and Banu-Najjar are the maternal uncles of `Abdul-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

• If he is a believer with a weak faith and cannot handle the issue, he is not commanded with it but should be reminded of the testification of faith so that he can hear and remember it.

The reason is: He needs leniency and kind treatment in such situation, so he may get bored or speak badly when someone commands him. So, it is better to show leniency to him and spreak gently with him so as to come out of this world in the best condition.