Islam encourages believers to reflect upon death and to prepare for it through righteous deeds and sincere repentance.
It is reported that ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (may Allah be pleased with him) would not weep when Paradise or Hell was mentioned, but when the grave was mentioned, he would cry until his beard became soaked with tears. When he was asked, “Paradise and Hell do not make you cry, yet the mention of the grave brings you to tears – why?” he replied: “The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. If a person is saved from it, what follows will be easier. But if they are not saved from it, what follows will be far more severe.”
The Prophet ﷺ also said: “Were it not that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to allow you to hear the punishment of the grave.”
This reminder teaches us that the grave is a crucial turning point in our journey to the Hereafter. Preparing for it requires sincere faith, good character, repentance, and consistent good deeds. True success begins with how we meet Allah after this life.
