In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and upon all his family and companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! It is with a deeply heavy heart that we received the sad news of the passing away of the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammad Buhari.
Muhammadu Buhari has died in a clinic in London, United Kingdom, at the age of 82.
Garba Shehu, the former spokesperson, announced his demise today Sunday in a post on X.
Buhari, who had been battling an undisclosed ailment, was recently discharged from an intensive care unit in London, according to family sources.
A retired major general and one of Nigeria’s most recognisable political figures, Buhari served first as military head of state from 1983 to 1985, before returning as an elected president in 2015.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming hours in his hometown of Daura, Katsina state, as tributes begin to pour in from across Nigeria.
No doubt, President Muhammadu Buhari was an enigma, love him or hate him, he was not someone to be ignored. He contributed immensely his quota in service to Allah Almighty, our dear country and humanity.
Respected brothers and sisters! Allah the Most High says:
“Every soul is certain to taste death.” [Qur’an, 21:35]
And also He the Almighty says:
“Death will overtake you no matter where you may be.” [Qur’an, 4:78]
As human beings death is something we do not enjoy thinking about. It creates the realisation within us that all of the attachments we have built in this world are no longer going to be. Significantly, it awakens us to the brutal fact that we will no longer exist on this planet. There have been many philosophies on death, for example thinkers discussed that death is an interruption to life, like sleep or a disease, only permanent. Others explained that death is to be considered as part of life, something which every person has to come to terms with in order to live well; part of what is involved in accepting our finitude. Some thinkers claimed death is to be considered as a transition from this life to an afterlife, which includes the eternal life of bliss, via Divine mercy, or pain, via our insistence to reject the mercy of Allah.
Whatever our views on death are, one thing we can all agree on is that it is something that we do not think about enough. This may sound morbid but there is a profound value of reflecting on death, it brings about the actualisation that we are all human beings with a short life. Pondering on our finite nature helps diminish our egos, and our selfish desires will no longer seem that important. Our ephemeral attachments to the material world are put into perspective, and our lives are questioned; all of which is a source of great benefit, as Al-Ghazali, the eleventh century theologian, said:
“…in the recollection of death there is reward and merit.”
Contemplating about death provokes thought and give us that window of opportunity to really reflect on the nature of our existence.
In light of death, how should we view life? What does it tell us about the importance we attach to things, and how does it give meaning to our existence? If we view life through the lenses of death we seem to be in an emotional and intellectual space where we can really assess our situation on this planet. How did I come to be? What should I be doing here? Where am I going? Death can be the driving force behind these critical questions, because the moment we recognise that this life is short, and that one day we will breathe our last, puts everything into perspective.
So let us reflect on death; imagine you are here one minute and the next you are no more. You have probably experienced loved ones that have passed away; how did you feel? Was there not a sense of loneliness, emptiness and lack of attachment to the things you used to take so seriously? Now if you were to taste death right now, as every human being will, what would that mean to you? What would you want to have done differently if you were given the chance to go back? What thoughts and ideas would you take more seriously? And what would your outlook be if you could re-live your life once experiencing the tragic reality of death?
The sad thing about death is that we can’t go back to change our perspectives, or to think about life, or to challenge our outlook and detach ourselves from the empty nature of worldly life. However, the good news is that there’s something that we can do now. We can take the brave step to deeply reflect on death, which can facilitate all of these changes and self-transformations now; right this minute.
Dear brothers and sisters! Let’s all think about death. Let’s all repent to Allah. Tomorrow is too late, yesterday is all gone and now is the right time to repent and change your life and the hereafter before the opportunity is gone.
It is no wonder that we all commit sins, but it is necessary for us to return to Allah apologetically after any committed sin. It is said; ‘he who does good deeds is close to Allah and he who does always sinful deeds is close to the devil and he who does good deeds after committing of a sin is a successful person.’
Allah the Almighty says:
“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Qur’an, 2:222]
Abdullah Bin Busr said that: The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“Glad tidings to those who find a lot of seeking forgiveness in the record of their deeds.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
Taubah means repenting for a sin, promising Allah to not repeat the same evil again and returning to Him alone. Repentance is the beginning in the life of a person who intends to walk in the path of religion. It is the first step of discipline, the key to guidance to the straight path, the weapon of purification of those who wish to come close to Allah and is a dear thing to all Prophets.
If we only know our actual worth, we would never humiliate ourselves by doing sins. While we know our actual purpose in this life is to worship Allah and not to please ourselves.
Allah the Most High says:
“And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.” [Qur’an, 21:25]
Even Allah’s Messenger Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who was the pious, sinless human being the earth has ever witnessed used to seek Allah’s forgiveness over 70 times a day.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) saying:
“I swear by Allah that I seek Allah’s Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” [Bukhari]
What is sin?
Doing an act which has been prohibited by Allah and to the doer of any such action is held accountable and is liable to some sort of punishments by Allah, sometimes the punishment will have to be borne only in this world and sometimes in both worlds.
Sins are like flat tyres, people with them go nowhere if not changed at the right time. The worst scenario is when sins turns into habit so much so that sometimes any sin performed regularly become culture which we can’t drop. No wonder sins may sound or look tempting and irresistible but there’s a line above and below everything we do. Sometimes we know that we are addicted to a certain type of sin but waiting for them to be told or just finds it hard to drop as we are used to it so much that it has become an integrated part of life.
So, what’s the solution to this condition?
We must every now keep checking our situation, our actions, our state of Iman (faith), closeness to our religion and our indulgence in good work and good deeds. Never pause in your sins so much that you put our hereafter on risk, just drop the sin and move away from it.
Easier said than done but please try, just take one step then see how Allah makes it easy for you to turn away from bad, even He can turn your bad deeds to good deeds, In Shaa Allah.
Talk about it to the upcoming taker of such sin or bad habit. Warn them of the dangers in such sin. Sins do not fall from heavens, they grow with us, they grow because we find joy in living with them, maybe we are proud of it in secret or in the open or may be because we do it as everyone around is doing too. But my dear brothers and sisters any sin is contagious, you don’t need to be physically strong to beat it, but you first need to prepare your mind with the wisdom of staying far from it or having and replacing it with a better habit you enjoy and proud of, In Shaa Allah.
Remember, with strong determination no sin is too hard to replace with a better good action or habit, just make up your mind.
Also remember, the accepted and beloved deeds are those done only for the sake of Allah and when one abstains from sins or bad deeds only for the sake of Allah nothing like that. Is there any good that sins give you? No, only it takes you away from your creator (Allah) and worsens your hereafter. No attainment of heart and soul at all. Remember, we belong to Allah and the peace of heart and mine can only be found.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Allah, the Exalted, has said: ‘I have prepared for my righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the mind of no man has conceived.’ If you wish, recite: ‘No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do. (Qur’an, 32:17).” [Bukhari and Muslim]
May Allah help us to repent and seek His forgiveness in the way accepted, Ameen Ya Rabb!
O Allah, forgive our former President Muhammadu Buhari his sins, shortcomings and failings, raise his rank among those who are guided, and take care of those he leaves behind him. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds; expand his grave for him and illuminate it for him.
Indeed to Allah Alone belongs what He took, and to Him Alone belongs what He gave, and everything with Him has an appointed time; thus, be patient and hope for Allah’s reward.
O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him. Protect him and pardon him. Grant him an honourable reception and widen his entrance. Wash him with water, snow and ice, and purify him from sin as a white garment is purified of dirt. Exchange his home for a better home, his family for a better family, and his spouse for a better spouse. Admit him into Jannah (Paradise), and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Hell-Fire. Ameen.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Prayers, peace and mercy are upon our beloved master, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah (Peace be upon him), his family and Companions.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.
