Imam Al Ghazali - The Last Moment
On Monday the 18th December IIII Abu Hamid Muhammad or known as Imam Al Ghazali awoke. At dawn he performed prayer and prepared himself for his death. He asked his younger brother, Ahmad Ghazali to bring his burial shroud, kissed it, stretched himself full length; breathed his last.
And underneath his head rest they found the following verses; composed by him, probably, during the night.
Say to my friends when they look upon me dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself.
In the name of God I tell you it is not I
I am a spirit and this is nothing but flesh
It was my abode and my garment for a time.
I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust which served me as a shrine.
I am a pearl which has left it’s shell deserted
It was my prison where I spent my time in grief.
I am a bird and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token,
Praise be to God Who has now set me free
And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heaven.
Until today I was dead though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth with the grave-clothes discarded.
Today I hold converse with the saints above.
Now with no veil between I see God face to face
I look upon the tablet (Lawh Al-Mahfuz) and therein I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.
Let my house fall in ruins. Lay my cage in the ground.
Cast away the talisman. It is a token, no more.
Lay aside my cloak. It was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave. Let them be forgotten.
I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling-place for me.
Think not that death is death. Nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here.
While in this world we are granted sleep.
Death is but sleep, a sleep that shall be prolonged.
Be not afraid when death draws near.
It is but the departure for this blessed home
Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.
What I am now even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am.
The souls of all people come forth from God.
The bodies of all are compounded alike.
Good and evil alike it was ours.
I give you now a message of good cheer.
May God’s peace and joy for evermore be yours.
-This is only a translation.
Wallahu a’lam - Allah Knows best - والله أعلم
And underneath his head rest they found the following verses; composed by him, probably, during the night.
Say to my friends when they look upon me dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself.
In the name of God I tell you it is not I
I am a spirit and this is nothing but flesh
It was my abode and my garment for a time.
I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust which served me as a shrine.
I am a pearl which has left it’s shell deserted
It was my prison where I spent my time in grief.
I am a bird and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token,
Praise be to God Who has now set me free
And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heaven.
Until today I was dead though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth with the grave-clothes discarded.
Today I hold converse with the saints above.
Now with no veil between I see God face to face
I look upon the tablet (Lawh Al-Mahfuz) and therein I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.
Let my house fall in ruins. Lay my cage in the ground.
Cast away the talisman. It is a token, no more.
Lay aside my cloak. It was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave. Let them be forgotten.
I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling-place for me.
Think not that death is death. Nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here.
While in this world we are granted sleep.
Death is but sleep, a sleep that shall be prolonged.
Be not afraid when death draws near.
It is but the departure for this blessed home
Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.
What I am now even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am.
The souls of all people come forth from God.
The bodies of all are compounded alike.
Good and evil alike it was ours.
I give you now a message of good cheer.
May God’s peace and joy for evermore be yours.
-This is only a translation.
Wallahu a’lam - Allah Knows best - والله أعلم
The Hereafter In Islam Serie(English)
The Hereafter in Islam [ENG] Intro (here)
The Hereafter in Islam [ENG] Ep.1 (here)
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