The Good EndingThe meaning of a good ended is that when a servant is about to die he is granted Tawfeeq from Allah to refrain from everything that angers Him, hastening to His repentance, and rushing to perform various acts of obedience and good deeds.
In the Hadeeth of Anas bin Malik (RA), the Prophet (SAW) said: “If Allah intends good for His servant, He makes use of him.”
The companions asked: “How does He make use of him?” He responded: “He assists and directs him to a righteous act before his death.” [Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Hakim]
The signs of a good ending:
1. Stating the Shahadah at the time of death. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever’s last words are “La Ilaha Illa Allah” has entered Jannah.” [Abu Dawud and Hakim]
2. To die sweating from the forehead. The Prophet (SAW) said: “The death of a believer occurs with sweat from the forehead.” [Tirmidhi and Ahmad]
3. Dying on the night of Jumu’ah (Thursday night) or the day of Jumu’ah. The Prophet (SAW) said: “No Muslim dies on the night of Jumu’ah or the day of Jumu’ah except that Allah saves him from the Fitnah of the grave.” [Tirmidhi and Ahmad]
4. Dying upon a righteous action. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever says “La Ilaha Illa Allah” seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah, whoever fasts a single day seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah, and whoever spends in charity seeking the pleasure of Allah and his life ends with it has entered Jannah.” [Ahmad]
5. Attaining martyrdom on the battlefield fighting in the Path of Allah, or attaining it as a result of a plague, a stomach illness, or drowning. All this is mentioned in the Hadeeth where the Prophet (SAW) asked the companions: “Who is considered to be a martyr among you?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, the one who dies in the path of Allah he is the martyr.” He said: “That would make the martyrs of my Ummah few.” They said: “Then who O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Whoever is killed in the Path of Allah then he is a martyr, whoever dies in the Path of Allah then he is a martyr, whoever dies due to a plague then he is a martyr, whoever dies as a result of the stomach then he is a martyr, and the one who drowns is a martyr.” [Muslim]
These are some of the signs that signal to a good ending to one’s life as deduced from various Ahadeeth. It must be noted however, that the occurance of any one of these signs does not necessitate that the person will enter Jannah, just as the non-occurance of any one of these signs does not necessitate that the person is not righteous and will end up in the Hell-Fire, because all of this is from the knowledge of the unseen which is with Allah alone. Rather, Jannah is hoped for the righteous who dies in such state, and the Hell-Fire is feared for the non-righteous.
The means of achieving a good ending:
1. Adhering to the obedience and Taqwa of Allah, refraining from all sins, and hastening to repentance of those sins that one commits.
2. Begging Allah to cause one to die upon Iman and Taqwa.
3. Working hard to reform one’s self, both the inner and the outer, for it is from the Sunnah of Allah that He grants Tawfeeq of following the truth to the one who seeks it, keeping him firm upon it, and ending his life upon it.
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