Title of Sermon: The Last Moment… The Good and Bad Ending
Elements of Sermon
Why do the hearts of the righteous tremble at the thought of their final moments?
The meaning of a good ending and a bad ending.
The path to achieving a good ending.
Endings as the inheritance of one's prior deeds.
All praise be to Allah, the Almighty, the Merciful, who guides whomever He wills by His mercy and leaves astray whomever He wills by His justice. May Allah exalt and send peace to our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions in abundance.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, as He should truly be feared, and be mindful of Him in private and in public, as Allah commands:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims” [Aal-Imran: 102].
O servants of Allah:
Here we find two contrasting images: one radiant and illuminated, and the other dark as a shadowed night.
The Radiant Image: The Prophet ﷺ once passed by a Jewish man who was reading the Torah to his dying son, who was one of the most handsome young men. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “I adjure you by the One who revealed the Torah, do you find in your book my description and the account of my mission?” The man shook his head, indicating no, but his son said, “By the One who revealed the Torah, we indeed find in our scripture your description and mission. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah.” Then the Prophet ﷺ said, “Remove your brother’s body from the Jews,” and he personally attended to his shrouding and prayed over him. [Ahmad]
The Dark Image: Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “We witnessed a battle with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he pointed to a man claiming to be a Muslim, saying, ‘He is from the people of the Fire.’ When battle commenced, the man fought fiercely and was injured. It was said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the man you said was from the Fire fought bravely today and has died.’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘To the Fire.’ Doubts arose among some people, until it was revealed that he had not actually died but had endured severe wounds. During the night, unable to bear the pain, he took his own life. When the Prophet ﷺ was informed, he said, ‘Allah is the Greatest! I bear witness that I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’ Then he commanded Bilal to announce to the people: ‘None shall enter Paradise except a true believer, and Allah may support this religion even with a wicked person.’” [Bukhari and Muslim]
These are examples of a blessed end and an ill-fated end. Indeed, they are not alike, as the Lord of the heavens and the earth says:
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ نَجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
“Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds—equal in their life and death? Evil is that which they judge.” [Al-Jathiyah: 21].
Allah has commanded His servants to worship Him alone without partner. Some have believed, remained steadfast, and were upright, while others disbelieved and faltered after faith and good deeds.
Allah is Just, Benevolent, and Merciful. He does not assign the righteous to the ranks of the wicked, nor does He treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like the corrupters on earth—not in this world, nor at the moment of death, nor in the Hereafter.
The hearts of the righteous remain fixated on their final outcomes. Do you know why the hearts of the righteous fear the last moments? Because the Prophet ﷺ said, “Indeed, actions are determined by their final outcomes.” [Bukhari]
This means that the value and acceptance of deeds are determined by one’s final state. Thus, how could a believer not fear a bad end?
Did the Prophet ﷺ not say, “Whoever dies upon something will be resurrected upon it?” [Ahmad]
On the Day of Resurrection, when the dead are resurrected, you will see one whose wounds bleed fragrant musk because he died a martyr; another will be answering the call “Here I am, O Allah, here I am,” because he died in a state of Ihram. Others will appear in unpleasant states, for they died upon such and will be resurrected in the same manner. Your Lord does not wrong anyone.
The Master of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, used to seek refuge in Allah from an ill end in every prayer, saying, “I seek refuge in Allah from the trials of life and death.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Do you know why the Prophet ﷺ would seek refuge from the trial at the moment of death? Because the accursed Shaytan does not leave a person even in their final moments. He approaches them, striving to make them forget “There is no deity but Allah,” instilling fear of meeting Allah, whispering to misguide them in those last moments, hoping to seal their fate with misguidance.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ would pray, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from Shaytan causing me confusion at death.” [Abu Dawud]
O servants of Allah:
The essence of a good end is for a person to die as a believer, with a heart secure in faith, free of doubt and confusion.
Our Lord commands us to remain steadfast in Islam until we meet Him, saying,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims” [Aal-Imran: 102].
This was also the advice Jacob gave to his sons:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“Indeed, Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except as Muslims” [Al-Baqarah: 132].
It was the supplication of Yusuf, peace be upon him:
تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ
“Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous” [Yusuf: 101].
And the prayer of Pharaoh’s magicians after they believed:
رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
“Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims” [Al-A’raf: 126].
It is also the supplication of the people of understanding:
رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ
“Our Lord, forgive our sins and expiate our misdeeds, and cause us to die with the righteous” [Aal-Imran: 193].
A good end is when Allah grants His servant the blessing of performing a righteous deed shortly before their death and then takes them while engaged in it. Allah may guide them to acts of worship—prayer, fasting, charity, Hajj or Umrah, striving for the sake of Allah, speaking the truth, forbidding evil, maintaining family ties, reciting the Quran, or helping those in need—and seals their life with such actions.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever says ‘There is no deity but Allah’ seeking Allah’s pleasure, and that is their last deed, will enter Paradise. Whoever fasts a day seeking Allah’s pleasure, and that is their last deed, will enter Paradise. And whoever gives charity seeking Allah’s pleasure, and that is their last deed, will enter Paradise” [Ahmad]. He also said, “If Allah intends good for a servant, He sweetens him.” They asked, “What is meant by sweetens him?” He said, “He grants him to do a righteous deed before his death, then takes his soul while engaged in it” [Ahmad]. The Prophet ﷺ compared a good end to the sweetness of honey—a sweetness like no other.
O servants of Allah:
What is the path to attaining a good end and being saved from a bad end? One of the greatest ways to a good end is to live with the belief in the Oneness of Allah and follow the Sunnah, living by Islam and its guidance. Conversely, one of the gravest causes of a bad end is the corruption of belief, or living on misguided innovations, or turning away from the guidance of Islam to follow the ways of misguidance and destruction, such as idol worship, atheistic beliefs, or the secular ideologies like materialism, liberalism, and feminism.
Remaining steadfast in obedience to Allah is also a profound reason for a good end. Allah says,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ
“Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remained steadfast—the angels will descend upon them, [saying], ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised’” [Fussilat: 30].
Conversely, a grave cause of a bad end is persistence in major sins and openly defying prohibitions, which can overpower a person to the extent that they may die in a state of disobedience, possibly without the opportunity to repent. How could one who has indulged in the filth of fornication, usury, oppression of others, consuming people’s wealth unlawfully, violating their rights, or taking lives, and has persisted in such ways, expect a good end?
Another profound cause for a good end is sincerity with Allah, while a grave cause of a bad end is false faith, as was the case with the hypocrites who pretended to be believers. Allah says,
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ * فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُ بِمَا أَخْلَفُوا اللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ
“And of them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], ‘If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity and we will surely be among the righteous.’ But when He gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they were averse. So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they used to lie” [At-Tawbah: 75-77].
They harbored deception and were insincere, so hypocrisy clung to them until they died upon it. Here, there is an important clarification:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not be impressed by anyone until you see how they end. A person may act righteously for a time, such that if they died upon it, they would enter Paradise. But then they turn to wicked deeds. Similarly, a person may do evil for a time, such that if they died upon it, they would enter Hell. But then they turn to righteous deeds” [Ahmad].
Does this mean a servant may be a sincere believer and still have an ill end? Far be it! Allah is the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Appreciative, the Forbearing. He does not plot against anyone except the wrongdoers, nor does He misguide anyone except the corrupt. As for the truthful, He seals their lives with happiness and success.
The Prophet ﷺ clarified this by saying, “A person may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise in what appears to people, but they are one of the people of Hell. And a person may perform the deeds of the people of Hell in what appears to people, but they are one of the people of Paradise” [Bukhari and Muslim].
Scholars have explained that one’s end reflects their prior condition, and a bad end may occur due to a hidden flaw in a person known only to the Lord of the worlds. So, we ask Allah for pardon and protection.
May Allah bless us with the Quran and benefit us with its verses and wise reminders. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you. Seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and may Allah exalt and send peace to the Messenger of Allah, his family, and companions.
O servants of Allah:
Is it not possible for a servant to rectify what has passed?
How great is Allah, the Ever-Accepting of repentance! He has opened the door of return for His servants. Whoever turns back to his Lord, Allah will turn to him with acceptance, rejoice over him, and bestow upon him His mercy and love.
O you who are distant from your Lord and immersed in the seas of heedlessness! Return to your senses, repent to the Lord of all creation! He will mend for you all that has passed.
Have you not heard of the one who killed a hundred souls? Yet, when he was sincere in his repentance to Allah, Allah accepted his repentance, enveloped him with the angels of mercy, caused the earth itself to move for him, and forgave him his transgressions.
O Allah, make our best deeds our final deeds, and make the best of our days the day we meet You. Grant us a sincere repentance that erases our sins and guides us on the right path.
O Allah, relieve Your weak servants in Gaza and every place, bring ease to the troubled believers, and grant victory to Your monotheistic servants over the oppressive Zionists.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, and guide our leaders and those in authority over us, making our leadership among those who fear You, uphold Your commands, and seek Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
