Pious people’s conditions and state of passing away
by Hadhrat Shaykh Maulana Yusuf Motala Saheb
A saint says that ‘if Shahadat (bearing witness) is on the door of the house and Islam on the door to the room and I was to die then I would prefer the death upon Shahadat. He was asked: why? He replied ‘because I do not know what would happen in the time it takes to reach the door to the room from the front door and then the Tawheed may be affected.’
Zohair bin Naeem Albaani is the narrator. He states my biggest worry is not my sins. Greater than the worry of my sins is another grief, and that grief is that Tawheed may be taken from me, and the fear of dying in a state other than Tawheed.
Ibne Mubarak narrates from Abu Luhaiya who narrates from Abubakr bin Sawaada he says that ‘A person used to live separately from the people, wherever he went he lived alone. Hazrat Abu Darda went to him and said ‘I give you Allah ’s oath. Tell me why you have chosen to live separately from the people.’ He said ‘I am fearful that my Deen (religion) is taken away from me and I do not even realise.’ Hazrat Abu Darda stated that ‘Do you see even one hundred people amongst the tribe who have this fear you have?’ and he continued to ask until he reached ten. The narrator states that I mentioned this to a Syrian and he replied: ‘this is the story of Sharahbeel bin Simat who is the companion of the Prophet may Allah send peace and blessing upon him. Hazrat Abu Darda used to say on oath: ‘the person who is not afraid of losing his faith at the time of death has lost his faith (Iman).’
One of our scholars has said ‘whoever has been given Tawheed he has been given everything. And whoever is deprived from Tawheed, is deprived from everything (blessing).