To die as a believer

Dear Readers,

In my last writings, I explained the issues needed to be performed not to die as an unbeliever. Now, I'm sure you're surprised when you saw this title due to although the expression is different, the title has the same meaning. But do not be surprised. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that some situations indicates if a person is believer. I want to talk about them under this title.

But before moving them, let's try to remember the one described earlier: Not to die as an unbeliever, first of all, it is needed "dread very much about dying as an unbeliever" and "thank God very much for benefaction of faith". Allah (swt) orders good treatment against mother and father, immediately after servitude to Himself. [see Isra, 23]. Then we shouldn't hurt our parents’ feeling and must attempt to make them pleased. We shouldn’t forget our Rab; and we shouldn’t leave salat, which is the most important mentioning (remembrance). We should always stand between fear and hope. We should not persecute anyone; we should love for only Allah’s consent, we should hate for only Allah’s consent. We should keep away from lies and hypocrisy, and we should keep away from sins, especially from major sins.

Dear readers, people always must be on Sirat-i mustakim (the right way). If the human spends his every moment with Riyazat and Mudjahada, in other words, he avoids of prohibitions of religion and behaves in accordance with order of religion, and behaves sincerely in these respects, he gets rid of dying as an unbeliever by acquiring Allah’s consent. But, he shouldn't trust his own labor and effort in any way, he should trust mercy of his Creator, and he shouldn’t forget even for a moment that the divine will of the Almighty Creator is above all. For that reason, we should pray Allah very much not to die as an unbeliever. After all, every thing happens under His potency and knowledge.

# Some behaviors are serious indicators of faith

On the other hand, there are such cases that they are serious indicators of faith. These situations are lived only by mature faith owners. For example, one of these behaviors is to perform the salat in the mosque.

Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"Witness the faith of those attending to mosque on a regular basis." [Tirmidhi]

Therefore, five times salat by all means must be performed in mosque. Especially "salat al fajr" and "salat al isha" by all means must be performed in mosque. It is ordered in a hadith that :

"If believers had known the merit of salat al fajr and salat al isha, they would come to mosque to perform their salat with congregation even they are needed to grovel." [Bukhari, Muslim]

Dear readers, one of the most important faith indicators is keeping ablution. It is ordered in hadiths that:

"The one dying after having performed an ablution, doesn’t suffer the pain of death; because ablution is a sign of being a believer. It is the key of salat and body cleanser from sins."

"Those who have died after having performed an ablution are martyr." [Daylami]

# In order to keep ablution

Of course, it is very difficult to keep ablution permanently for old people and those suffering from gastro-intestinal distress. Since old men couldn’t full discharge due to enlarged prostate, they need to urinate frequently. But in the event of not drinking water more than required, people will be more comfortable by this way. Nowadays, physicians recommend to drink water permanently. For this reason, the people drink water everywhere permanently with water bottle in their hands. Water is a life liquid with many functions, such as, digesting the food we ate by hydrolysis, disposing of toxins from the body, providing blood fluidity, setting the temperature of the body, transporting vital chemicals. But as it is valid for everything, it is required not to drink excessively. This disrupts the whole electrolyte balance of body causing minerals in ion pool to be washed. The need to go to the toilet is additional…

In order to avoid from bowel gas, it is needed to eat rice and yogurt as often as possible; consume milk and pulses as little as the body can easily digest, and keep away from stale vegetables meal. The bacteria in the intestinal flora can not use the starch as a food component. If rice is eaten frequently, their population decreases. On the other hand, milk and pulses causes gas to be occurred due to elements inside them encourage these bacteria. Yoghurt and fermented milk products should always be preferred instead of milk. Small amount of meal should be eaten. When stomach is extreme filled, indigestible foods are fractionated by intestinal bacteria and their decayed products are always causes trouble. Provided that a few simple rules like these are followed, it will be possible to keep the ablution for a long time.

# Kalima-i tawhid must be brought up repeatedly

On the other hand, in order to die as a believer, kalima-i tawhid must be said very frequently believing its meaning. We must say it continuously. It is ordered in hadiths that:

"The spirit of one whose last word is Lailahe illallah, exits easily his body and that word becomes a heavenly light for him in doomsday." [Hakim]

"Refresh your faith by saying Lailahe illallah frequently!" [Taberani] . [The last one should be said by adding "Muhammedurrasullullah"]

Dear Readers,

There is no doubt that the universe, which is an unique layout and complete and perfect organization in respect of every aspect has a "constituent" by whom it was created, organized, arranged and managed. As every arrangement has… If we deny such a "Creator" and accept that everything was occurred spontaneously as materialist philosophy assumed, for the reason that material hasn’t any mind or ability to manage itself, we have to accept that everything in the world happened randomly. However, as even any ordinary people could realize, there's nothing in the universe occurred randomly. On the contrary, everything is in order and in a complete arrangement. I explained this issue in my article titled "Understanding the divine order-1-" and its continuation through examples.

Due to this perfect organization in the universe, which is a visible world, accepting that it has a creator is a logical requirement for every one. Allah (swt), who is creator of the universe, informed those not having the capability of perceiving this fact about his own presence, by messengers he chose. Allah informed human through these messengers about that He is the only creator, owner and sovereign of the universe and described them the ways of living compatible with these divine realities He created and stated that He was the greatest friend and protector of human.

# The words of The Creator must be listened

The Creator revealed with examples that in case of living in accordance with these rules that he informed about, people always will meet with kindness, otherwise, they will be punished:

"Allah is the Creator of all things." [Zumar, 62]

"To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth." [Rum, 26]

"Regulating and governing all things." [Yunus, 3]

"He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence" [Rad, 27]

"And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy." [Al-i imran, 132]

"So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you." [Hashr, 7]

"Allah is your Protector, and He is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom." [Tahrim, 2]

Dear readers, the base of Islam is to accept that visible and invisible worlds have unique creator, and subject to and give in to this divine will. The Creator is primordial and deathless. Everything created is temporal. They can continue their presence with will of Allah and with energy and power supplied by Him. Their survival depends on the provision of certain conditions. It is clearly understood that continuation of its presence of any object and occurrence of any formation is not possible without the creation of Allah. Everything depends on this infinite will of The Creator. Although some events is realized by small will power of intelligent creatures like human, whatever Allah wants comes true in the end. It's like that a simple officer’s works and applications can not be able to get over the will power of a minister. After all, what minister says always come true.

# Praise and patience are the most important indicators of faith

Dear readers, that’s why regardless of that it is good or bad, benefaction or wickedness, it is an important sign of faith to accept and approve that everything was created by Allah, who is the reason of reasons. It is ordered in a hadith that:

"Three things are signs of faith: To be patient against disaster, to thank God for benefaction, to consent to predestination." [Ihya]

And in the other hadiths:

"The half of faith is patience and the other half of faith is to thank God." [Bayhaqi]

"The place of patience in faith is like the place of head in body." [Daylami]

"Fast is half of patience and patience is half of faith." [Abu Nuaym]

"The one whose faith is superior is the one who is patient, generous, and indulgent" [Daylami]

Allah ordered that He would test His servants in terms of faith and loyalty, the ones being patient against misfortune would be rewarded countlessly.

"Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere." [Baqarah, 155]

"Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!" [Zumar, 10]

Dear readers, it was ordered in the hadith that each favor would be rewarded with sawab (the reward of Hereafter) from 10 times to 700 times depending on degree of it. But it has been understood from the above verse that those being patient would be rewarded infinitely.

The sign of patience is not to complain about them and accepting them sensitively perceiving that misfortunes, troubles and distresses occur due to that Allah ordered them. The sign of thankfulness is to live in accordance with divine purpose and perform practices of religion. The ones performing their salats and fasting will have fulfilled the gratitude of their lives; and the ones giving zakat and using their goods in accordance with the consent of the Almighty Allah will have fulfilled the gratitude of their goods and properties. May Rab grant us all to die like this…

Be entrusted to Allah.