Allah said:
{Kullu nafsin dhaa'iqatu al-mauti thumma ilainaa turja'oon.}
{Every single soul will taste death, then unto Us you will be returned} Al-'Ankaboot:57
The origin of the work maut is "stillness" or "lack of motion". Everything which has no motion is dead. Death is the end of the connection between the soul and the body at which time they are separated. Death is the transition from the temporary and transitory state to the permanent and eternal state of the hereafter. It is the mandatory final seal on the life of every living thing except Allah and and inevitable passage through which all must pass.
Death is a painful transition. Even the Prophet (sas) - who had been forgiven all of his sins - experienced the severe pain of this transition to the hereafter. That is why Allah said that every soul will "taste" death. Allah said:
{Wa laqad khalaqnaa al-insaana wa na'lamu maa tuwaswisu bihi nafsuhu wa nahnu aqrabu ilaihi min hablu al-wareed (16) Idh yatalaqqaa al-mutalaqqiyaani 'an al-yameeni wa 'an ash-shimaali qa'eed (17) Maa yalfidhu min qaulin illaa ladaihi raqeebun 'ateed. (18) Wa jaa'at sakratu al-mauti bi al-haqqi dhaalika maa kunta minhu taheed. (19) Wa nufikha fiy as-soori dhaalika yaumu al-wa'eed (20)}
{And we created man and we know the doubts within him and we are closer to him than his jugular vein. (16) When to the two receivers take from him sitting on the right and the left. (17) He utters no statement but that there with him is a fastidious recorder. (18) And the pains of death come with the truth - that is what your have been avoiding. (19) And the horn is blown - that is the day of [carrying out] threats. (20)} Qaaf:16-20
When the pains of death begin, all will realize the truth which awaits them and the truth of Allah's messages. Those who have prepared themselves will bear it and look forward to meeting their Lord. Those who have not will be filled with terror and trepidation - but too late. Allah precedes this by mentioning the recording of every deed and action which emanates from us. He also mentions His knowledge and awareness of every doubt and thought which passes our hearts. This, however, is a sign of His great mercy, for Allah does not hold us accountable for the wiswaas which passes through our hearts. We are only accountable if it is put into practice in statement or deed. That is why Allah mentions here the two angels assigned to each person. No single word can come from your mouth from the time you reach puberty until you die without it being fully recorded. These - actions and word - are the things for which we are held fully accountable.
Allah has placed many things in this live which may distract us from remembrance, devotion and obedience to Him. We must engage in this world in order to perform obligations of enjoining and foribdding, calling others to Islam and defending ourselves in jihad, but never allow it to distract us or cause us to forget our central purpose. (Wa maa khalaqtu al-jinna wa al-insa illaa li ya'budoon.) Allah said:
{Kullu nafsin dhaa'iqatu al-mauti wa innamaa tuwaffauna ujoorakum yauma al-qiyaamati fa man zuhziha 'an an-naari wa udkhila al-jannata faqad faaz wa maa al-hayaatu ad-dunyaa illaa mataa'u al-ghuroor.}
{Every soul shall taste death and you will only be fully paid what you deserve on Qiyama. So, whoever is taken away from the fire and placed in the garden has indeed succeeded. And this lower life is nothing but provisions of deception.} Aal-'Imraan:185
One of the things with which Allah blesses the believers, however, is the relative ease of their experience of death. Allah said:
{Wa an-naazi'aati gharqan (1) Wa an-naashitaati nashtan (2) Wa as-saabihaati sabhan (3) Fas-saabiqaati sabqan (4) Fal-mudabbiraati amran (5)}
{By those who tear out, digging deeply (1) And those who work quickly and actively (2) And those who move quickly, responding (3) Then those who rush and arrive first (4) Then those who prepare and fulfill orders} An-Naazi'aati:1-5
Those who "tear out, digging deeply" are the angels who remove the souls of the disbelievers and the sinners. They are in terror that day as all the veils are removed and they realize what they are headed for. They never believed it until this day and when Allah's verses were recited to them they said, "This is nothing but ancient stories!" Don't wait until you stare death in the face to realize the absolute reality of these issues. Those who "work quickly, actively" are the angels who take the souls of the believers, those destined for Paradise. In a hadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari, Allah said about His allies (friends):
Allah ta'ala says: I have declared war on anyone who is an enemy of any of my allies. There is nothing better with which my slave can come closer to me than fulfilling all that I have made obligatory upon him. Then, my slave will continue to come closer to me be making extra efforts until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. If he asks me, I will give him, if he seeks refuge with me, I will give him refuge. I have not hesitated in anything which I do as I hesitate in taking the soul of my believing slave. He dislikes death, and I dislike annoying him, but he must meet his death.
Those who "move quickly, responding" are the angels who rush to the earth to carry out Allah's orders without any hesitation or question. Those who "rush and arrive first" are the angels to rush up to Allah Most High with the souls of the righteous believers. Finally, those who "prepare and fulfill orders" are the angels who maintain all the affairs of this world. This includes Jibreel, who comes to Allah's messengers with the divine Communications and the knowledge of the halal and the haram. Jibreel also brings the forces of angels who come to the aid of those fighting in the path of Allah. It also includes Mikaa'eel who controls the winds and the rain, and others. In short, Allah has taken care of all of our physical, spiritual, military and all other needs if we will only turn to Him and to Him alone in seeking aid.
Dear brothers and sisters, prepare for death before its near approach. Preparation for death is by obedience to Allah and by pursuing all those things which bring you nearer to His obedience and farther from disobedience. Let Allah see you every moment of every day in a place in which He loves to see you and let Him never see you in a place which he hates to see you. The contemplation of death is one of the ways to acquire and maintain this consciousness. You can visit graveyards for this purpose - to contemplate the dead and your destination.
Abu Ad-Dardaa' said: "Idhaa dhakarta al-mautaa fa 'idd nafsaka ka ahadahum." "When you remember the dead, count yourself as one of them."
The people of this life flee from death (dhaalika maa kunta minhu taheed). They don't wish to think about it and, in this society, segregate those who are approaching it into homes to avoid thinking about it. A Muslim must think about death in the amount which will keep him on the right perspective on this life - that it is a transition, a testing ground and a means to the next, the real and the permenant existence. Either in eternal bliss or in eternal torment and pain. Once you gain this perspective, you will see that the stakes are so very high, but what is required of us to obtain the infinite mercy and reward of Allah is so very little.
Ka'b said: "Man 'arafa al-mauta haanat 'alaihi masaa'ib ad-dunyaa wa humoomuhaa." "Whoever knows death will have made easy for him the calamities of this life and its stresses."
Yahya ibn Mu'aadh said: "Laa yakrahu liqaa'a al-mauti illaa mureeb, fa huwa alladhiy yuqarribu al-habeeba min al-habeebi." "No one hates to meet death but on in whose heart there is doubt, for it (death) is that which brings the dear friend closer to the dear friend." (i.e., brings one who loves Allah back to Allah).
اللهم أصلح لنا ديننا الذي هو عصمة أمرنا، وأصلح لنا دنيانا التي فيها معاشنا، وأصلح لنا آخرتنا التي إليها معادنا، واجعل الحياة زيادة لنا من كل خير، والموت راحة لنا من كل شيء، ولا تجعل الدنيا أكبر همنا ولا مبلغ علمنا. وآمنا في أوطاننا ودورنا، واشف مرضانا وارحم موتانا، وبلغنا مما يرضيك آمالنا، واختم بالباقيات الصالحات أعمالنا. آمين. اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على نبينا وإمامنا وقدوتنا، وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم