In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Living Through Dying
The more intensely we live, the faster we approach death. Yet those who live in fear of death barely live at all. In Islamic thought, true life begins when we accept our mortality. As the Quran states a certainty that paradoxically frees us to truly live.
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.”
Quran 3:185 (Surah Ali ‘Imran)
Gaining Through Losing
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allāh is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allāh multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.”
Quran 2:261 (Surah Al-Baqarah)
- The more we grasp at worldly possessions, the more they possess us
- Those who give freely become spiritually wealthy
- The richest soul may own nothing material
- The poorest soul may have overflowing coffers
“Who is it that would loan Allāh a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward?”
Quran 57:11 (Surah Al-Hadid)
Eternal Moments
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures,’ meaning death.”
Sunan Ibn Majah
The present moment is infinitely brief yet contains eternity. We are taught to live each day as our last, yet plan as if we’ll live forever. This tension creates a deeper sense of awareness.
“… And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of those which you count”
Quran 22:47 (Surah Al-Hajj)
LIFE PRESENTS ITSELF AS BOTH A PRECIOUS GIFT AND A PASSING SHADOW. WHAT APPEARS AS LOSS BECOMES GAIN, WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN ENDING REVEALS ITSELF AS A BEGINNING, AND WHAT WE PERCEIVE AS LIMITATIONS ACTUALLY SETS US FREE. IN THE SPACE BETWEEN BREATH AND PRAYER, BETWEEN INTENTION AND ACTION, BETWEEN THE TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL, WE FIND OUR TRUE PURPOSE.
Ready for the Unknown
“Indeed, Allāh [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs.1 And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.”
Quran 31:34 (Surah Luqman) [1] i.e., every aspect of the fetus’ present and future existence.
How does one prepare for an event whose timing is unknown? Through:
- Accepting uncertainty as certain
- Finding stability in instability
- Being constantly ready yet never anxious
- Living fully while remaining detached (Fana)
Lasting Through Passing
“Whatever you have will end, but what Allāh has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.”
Quran 16:96 (Surah An-Nahl)
- Our most permanent impacts come from accepting impermanence
- The more we focus on our legacy, the more it may elude us
- True influence often comes from those who seek none
- We live on through what we let go of
Strength in Surrender
“And whoever submits his face [i.e., self] to Allāh while he is a doer of good – then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allāh will be the outcome of [all] matters.”
Quran 31:22 (Surah Luqman)
The greatest strength comes through complete surrender to Allah. In acknowledging our absolute dependence, we find ultimate independence. Fear of divine judgment leads to experience of divine mercy.
Finding by Losing
“… But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allāh knows, while you know not.”
Quran 2:216 (Surah Al-Baqarah)
- Success in the Hereafter requires “failing” at worldly attachment
- The more we invest in the unseen, the more we enhance our visible reality
- Those most prepared for death are often most alive
- The end is actually the beginning
“And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allāh, so will you not reason?”
Quran 6:32 (Surah Al-An’am)
Freedom Through Submission
“And rely upon Allāh; and sufficient is Allāh as Disposer of affairs.”
Quran 33:3 (Surah Al-Azab)
True purpose emerges when we stop insisting on our own purposes. Islamic teachings show that by submitting to divine will, we discover our authentic way forward.
Wisdoms for the Seeker’s Heart
- Death teaches us how to live
- Loss shows us what we truly possess
- Limitations reveal our infinite potential
- Uncertainty guides us to certainty
- The temporary nature of life gives it permanent meaning
Life presents itself as both a precious gift and a passing shadow. Islamic wisdom reveals that embracing this duality—rather than resisting it, our very mortality is what makes each moment sacred.
What appears as loss becomes gain, what seems like an ending reveals itself as a beginning, and what we perceive as limitations actually sets us free.
In the space between breath and prayer, between intention and action, between the temporal and eternal, we find our true purpose.
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Quran 51.56 (Surah Ad-Dhariyat)
As muslims navigate this delicate balance between living fully and preparing for death, we come to realise that the greatest mystery of all is not death itself, but how the awareness of death enriches life – that by fully accepting our finite nature, we touch the infinite.
And perhaps this is Allah’s most beautiful sign – that in our very transience, we find our permanence, and in our surrender, we find our power.
Moment by moment, breath by breath, as we walk this path between existence and eternity. For in the end, it is not about solving the mystery, but living it.
