OUR REAL HOME IS HEREAFTER NOT THIS WORLD

this question arises in the mind of every human being that why we are here in this world? what is the purpose of this life and what will happen after we will die? Allah SWT has given the answers of all these questions in Glorious Quran.

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. Verse (51:56) 

 So in light of this verse the basic purpose of our creation is to worship our creator Allah SWT. we are in this world to worship him and glorify him. secondly Allah SWT has not made this world our permanent home. He created death so we can go to the next world that is our permanent home where we will get Heaven or hell depending upon our deeds.

 Allah SWT says in Quran about present world

The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception. 3:185

In another verse it is said

Are you pleased with the life of this world rather than the hereafter. But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world as compared to the hereafter. 9:38

so in light of these two verses it becomes clear that this world is valueless as compared to hereafter. our real preparation should be for the day of Judgement. we try so much harder to get wealth, degrees and other things which will not go with us in the hereafter. but how much Importance we give to our deeds which got real Importance? how much we Remember Allah SWT? 

we should try to prepare ourselves for our final destination if we really want to be successful.

THE DEFEATED ME

The world appeared to have totally changed after the 9/11 attacks on the US. The muslims can easily be termed as prime victims of the entire episode. While the rest of the world community suddenly finds a tongue to express their anguish for the muslim world, few of us actually know how a muslim feels. Well, I managed to get hold of one, and following is the way the poor man explains himself.

"I, happen to be a muslim by birth. Should this be termed as the soul mistake which I was forced to commit by virtue of my fate ?, or should I be penalized for not converting from the religion of my forefathers ?, I have no comments to offer.  My nation has been kept suppressed by the so called generous powers of the world. My ill fated brothers and sisters belong to each and every corner of the world. May it be Bosnia, Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnia or the burning towns of Gujarat, a muslim appears to be the soul enemy of entire non muslim community. Is it really so? I recall the teachings of my religion which regards peace as its highest priority in a society. I recall the saying of my prophet which meant that the one who kills a human being, actually kills the whole mankind.

 I look at my people, striving to earn a livelihood. Trying hard, that their children do not die of hunger. My youth grows with no ambition, except to find ways and means to feed their families. Their thoughts and feelings are bounded by their compulsions. Their minds restricted to think in one direction only. Unable to improvise they are forced to follow the traditional paths of survival.

My past, was glorious. My religion, Islam, enlightened the world form the era darkness to the social divine that formed the very basis of today's civilized society. It converted the evil rituals of the most dejected culture of that time into the custodians of the unmatched social values.

 My ancestors, were the best known professionals of their times. They enlightened the dark world in every field one can imagine. They introduced the importance of education. They  established the value of research in science as well as arts. They excelled in sociology, they progressed in astrology, they discovered new horizons in every aspect related to human life. My forefathers were known to be the best military commanders this world has ever seen. May it be the battle of Yarmuk, the assault on Gibralter, or the invasion of the subcontinent, the muslim tactician stands out for his prowess in mastering the skills of sword and stallion. They ruled the largest part of the world for centuries. I belong to them, yet for me to be proud of, is only my past, regrettably I don't have any pride in my present. Similarly, I don't see anything in my future to be proud of, I am bound to cherish my past only.

While the evils of my society continue to prevail, I don't enjoy any freedom to raise my voice. All that I managed to yell was subdued in the hue and cry of the so called developed nations. The nations, whom my ancestors taught the A, B, C of  today's success. They being powerful economically, take it as their right to decide the fate of poor nations like me. If they don't allow, I cant fight my social evils, I cant practice my religion, I cant eat, I cant sleep, I cant even breath. And yet they dub me as a terrorist. Even then, they are surprised that why my people hate them, for they owe the right to be loved by all, despite whatever they might do to harm them, innocent aren't they?

The rules are not the same for all. They shoot my people in the head if the poor chaps throw stones at them. If my people ask for freedom, what they get in reply is massacre, bloodshed, scorched houses and raped women. If they ask for justice, the reply is again a barbaric act of state sponsored terrorism and extremism. Yet the world regards these nations as democratic,  secular, and even victims of terrorism, how can they be wrong? they are always right, they cant be wrong, because they themselves judge who is right and who is wrong. And if one of my helpless youth picks up arms as a last resort to stop his wife, mother, sisters or daughters being raped in front of his eyes, he becomes a terrorist for the civilized world.  

Today, my brothers and sisters in every corner of the world are forced to blow up their bodies just to make the world realize that they prefer death over the miserable life which they are forced to lead by the so called masters of the world, and yet they are termed as terrorists. I can feel the pain they suffer. I can realize their emotions when they decide to sacrifice their lives for their just cause. I can feel the misery from which one of my sisters must have suffered at the hands of hindu extremists at Godhra Railway Station before some of her loyal brothers set the train ablaze, yes, I can feel  the heat that burnt her to death. I can sense the terror which thousands of my sisters in Kashmir would have suffered from while they were being maltreated, brutalize, abused, raped and finally killed. Their pain, when portions of their bodies are shredded away. The distress of their real brothers and fathers, in front of whom their beloved sisters and daughters were being slaughtered. I can sense it all. I can see it all. I can hear it all. I can feel it all. Yet I am unable to do anything.  

I feel sorry Fida, (synonymous to her name, my Palestinian sister who blew herself up a couple of months ago in Israel dictating the the norms of bravery to cowards of modern world), I am sorry. For I feel the sting of death you suffered when you accomplished your task. I feel the impact of the shockwaves that ripped your body apart. I feel your emotions when you pressed the button which dispatched a number of Israelis to hell. What I cant experience is the joy and ecstasy which you are in now. While you enjoy the propinquity of the Prophet in the heavens above, please pray for me. Pray, that the dormant and inert period through which I am now is over before long. Pray, that I get the muscle to thwart those because of whom you were forced to leave the world this way.Pray, that I get the wisdom that allows me to keep only the will of the Almighty as my prime mover. Pray, that I enjoy the might of a united muslim world where each brother shares the sorrows and grieves of the other.Pray, that I don't turn my eyes away from a diabolic act committed against any of my sisters on this planet. Pray,that I become able to dictate my terms to the tyrants of so called civilized world. Pray for my success, as you are at a place from where, requests are not turned down.

But I still feel ashamed, as after going through all this debate I would still turn on my television and tune into an Indian channel to get my nerves relaxed. I feel ashamed, but there is nothing I can do. This, is not a bad thing in my society. My people are so accustomed to this practice that they don't realize it to be something bad. My youth continues to be spoiled by this social menace to an extent that now they don't even feel like taking revenge of the savagery their fellow muslims have suffered at the hands of their enemy. They don't know what is wrong and what is right. The very sense of discrimination has been stolen from them. And they fall asleep. My muscles, are lulled asleep. My arms remain dormant. My mind is latent. When shall I see it awake? When will my arms be able to break the shackles of mental slavery? When shall I be able to think? My questions remain unanswered….."

I listened to the man spellbound, I never thought him to be so sensitive. Now that I was able to convey the real curse of muslims living all over the world, might you suggest some way to get them out of the darned whirlpool of miseries. As I find myself completely helpless in a situation like this. When one feels bad about something, and he wanting to fight it out, but  constrained by the unknown factors, what will he do? Whom will he turn to ask for the solution? But we don't realize, the solution is there. The solution was given to us fourteen hundred years ago but we failed to understand that. The solution is, a total adherence to the teachings of Islam, the prophet and the Quran. But we forgot that. Would a reality such as one quoted above can open our eyes or do we need some more humiliation to wake up from the horrible dormancy.

To tell you the truth, the muslim, presented above, I found him, in myself. Till the time I relearn to practice the teachings of Allah, I will continue to face the brunt. Till the time I don't learn to trust in Allah only, I will continue to be maltreated. I will continue to face defeat. Till such time its not me, it's, The Defeated Me….

THE INEVITABLE JOURNEY OF THE AKHIRAH

Unless we wake up to the fact that we are all Musaffirs on this Dunya with an inescapable journey lying ahead and a destination towards which we must move, we will not muster the resolution necessary to reach our goal. It is enough to say that our biggest obstacle in the way of awakening from our slumber leads us to forget our ultimate destination and we neglect to prepare for that ultimate journey. We deaden our will and resolution with our egos and with the attitude that we are going to live forever.

We have the tendency of assuring ourselves that there is still plenty of time for preparing for the trip, that if we do not prepare for it today we may do so tomorrow, if not this month then the next and so on. To adopt such an attitude means that we would be building castles in the air and living in a fool's paradise. Such a state of extended and outstretched hope, together with a false assurance of unlimited life and unbounded availability of time, makes us oblivious of our ultimate goal, the Akhirah.

May Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala save us from such thinking. We have such a long and perilous journey awaiting us and we have been given a limited time in which to procure and prepare the provisions and dire necessities for the trip, but do not possess anything because we do not pay heed to the inevitable journey. It is obvious that if such a state of neglect befalls us, we will fail to procure the necessary provisions for the long trip, being totally helpless and at a loss at the time of our departure. Such a person will perish on the journey and will not reach the desired destination. We must not loose sight of the fact that our journey is a perilous one, for which the provisions of sound knowledge and fruitful action are needed.

The time of our departure from this Dunya is known only to Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. None of us know for certain whether we will be here next week. In short, we have no guarantee whatsoever that we will be alive tomorrow. The dawning of each new day draws us another day closer to our Qabir. If what I say makes any sense than may I humbly suggest that we should all declare very sincerely that today is the first day of the beginning of the rest of our lives.

This prolonging of hope by you and me arises from our inflated egos and self-love and is the most masterly of the vile and filthy tricks of Shaythaan Lanatullahi Alay. Through it he distracts our attention from the Akhirah and diverts us from attending to its affairs. With the perils of the long journey and the obstacles in the way of preparing for it, if we fail to repent or to return to Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. The appointed call shall come unexpectedly and send us totally unprepared on our way without any provisions for the very long journey lying in wait.

Even if we have performed good deeds, what guarantees do we have that those deeds are pure and untainted? If we acquired any knowledge, we should ask ourselves whether such knowledge was futile and fruitless or whether our learning was nonsensical and absurd or whether it was an impediment on the long and perilous journey to our meeting with our Glorious Creator and Sustainer. Had the deeds that we have done and the knowledge that we have learnt been beneficial, they should have left some mark on us who have been in their pursuit for years and should have transformed our habits and morals. What went wrong that our past few years' labour has produced an opposite result and has hardened our hearts?

What have we achieved from performing regular Salaat, which is the Me'raj of a Mu'min? Where is the fear of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala which is the outcome of true knowledge? Allah forbid, if we are called to depart from this Dunya right now in our present state, are we sufficiently secured by assuming that we will not encounter any lasting disappointments and that there will be no remorse in store for us? If obliviousness of the Akhirah caused by endless hope is something on account of which the greatest man who ever walked on the face of this earth was concerned about, he was justified; for he knew about the perilous journey awaiting all of us. He taught us not to be complacent and to remember that:

"The Qabar is the first stage of the many stages of the Akhirah."

At all times, we should be busy in gathering all our provisions for that ultimate trip because this is the only chance we have. As Muslims, we must never ever separate our lives from AlmightyAllah's Deen nor from our beliefs, our social, our political and our commercial activities because they all form an integral part of the Muslim way of life. A wonderful example of what this means is given to us in verse 201 of Surah Al-Baqara which we recite every day after every prayer:

"O Allah! Give us good in this world and good in the Aghirah, and save us from the torments of Jahannum."

The earthly life of a true Muhmin is built on the premise that we were created and then brought into this Doonya for the Pleasure (Radha) of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. This means that we live and we die for the Pleasure of our Glorious Creator and we yearn for our "Liqa Allah" - meeting with Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. Out of His Great Muhabbat for humanity, Almighty Allah tells us in verse 208 of Surah Al-Baqara:

"O you who believe! Enter whole-heartedly into Islam, and follow not the footsteps of Shaythaan for he is to you and avowed enemy."

It is only through Imaan and Taqwa that will enable us to abide by the principles and codes of the Holy Sharia'h and the Sunnah of Almighty Allah's Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. Only then will we be able to retain our purity of mind and body in order to keep ourselves free of Shathaan's contamination in preparing for our journey to the Akhirah. This has been made crystal clear to us in verse 6 of Surah Al-Inshiqaq:

"O man! Thou must strive a hard striving (to attain) to Thy Lord, until thou meet Him."

The fact that we may think that we keep ourselves pure in mind and body in our preparations for the Akhirah does not mean that we have attained Jannah or that we have a path leading directly to Almighty Allah. To assume such a thing would be like building sand castles in the air and following a pipe dream. We will all have to make the journey to our meeting with Almighty Allah 'stage by stage'just as did all the Ambiya Alayhim Salatu Wasallam as confirmed to us in verse 19 of Surah Al-Inshiqaq:

"That you shall certainly ascend to one stage after another."

To fully understand what is meant by the verse "that you shall certainly ascend to one stage after another", we must refer to the Meraj of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and his experiences on that most holy and auspicious journey. On his return from the Meraj our Nabee Sallaqllahoo Alayhi Wasallam relates that he met our father - Nabee Adam Alayhis Salaam on third heaven, Nabee Esa Alayhis Salaam on the fourth heaven, Nabee Moosa Alayhis Salaam on the fifth heaven and Nabee Ebrahim Alayhis Salaam on the 6th heaven.

The 'stage by stage' progress referred to by our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam also shows us that Nabee Adam Alayhis Salaam who had passed away many thousands of years before the Meraj had reached only the third stage. Nabee Esa Alayhis Salaam who had ascended without any physical death some six hundred years before the birth of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam had reached only the fourth stage. Nabee Moosa Alayhis Salaam who had died one thousand five hundred years before the birth of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam had reached the fifth stage. Nabee Ebrahim Alayhis Salaam - the Patriarch had passed away some two thousand five hundred years before the birth of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and had reached the sixth stage. We should ponder upon this fact and remember that if it took this long for these great Prophets Alayhim Salaam to reach their various stages, then how much longer will our journey take?

Alhumdoelillah! The most auspicious Meraj of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam however took him through all these stages to his direct meeting with Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. One may ask why our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam should have had this wonderful experience while still alive and living on the Doonya. The answer is simple. Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal had decreed that Nabee Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam was His Beloved Ghataman Nabee'een - the last, the final and the seal of the Ambiya Alayhim Salatu Wasallam. Rahmathul Liel Ala'meen had chosen him and gave him the task of setting an example and to preach the Final Divine Message. His duty was to lead humanity out of darkness and onto the Path of Seerathal Mustaqeem. We must awaken our hearts and inform it of the truth as narrated by our Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam who said:

"This Dunya is the farmland of the Akhirah."

That is, if we do not sow the seeds of righteous deeds in the few days of our life here on this Dunya, the opportunity will be lost forever. When we reach the threshold of the other world and death seizes us, deeds come to an end and all hopes are extinguished. If, Allah forbid, we continue to remain in the slavery of lusts and the captivity of various carnal desires until the Angel of Death arrives, it is possible that Shaythaan may achieve his ultimate objective of wresting away our faith. Let us clear our hearts and turn our attention to the focal point of absolute perfection and try to ponder on verse 17 of Surah Sajda where Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala's promise has been made very clear:

"I have prepared a reward for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what the mind of man has not conceived."

Could we really ask for and achieve any greater reward than to enjoy the Pleasure and the Company of our Glorious Creator and Sustainer Who created us - to be enveloped in the Light of His Majestic Glory, and dwelling in the warmth and security of His Muhabbat, His Rahma'h and His Eternal Abode? Can we deny ourselves what Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal offers us? Our eyes for the brilliance of His Glory, our ears for the words of His Welcome, and our hearts for the contentment of His Divine Company?

If Almighty Allah gave us free and easy access to Janna'h we would not appreciate it as we had not fully earned it or done very little to deserve it. But if through all our trials and tribulations we can Insha'Allah earn the Pleasure and the Company of Rahmathul Liel Ala'meen and become worthy and fit for our final and ultimate journey for our reunion with Him, then Alhumdoelillah, our lives have not been in vain because Almighty Allah reminds us in verse 156 of Surah Al-Baqara:

"......Surely we are Allah's, and to Him shall we return."

"O Allah! condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; pardon us and do not require us to suffer the consequences of our wrongdoings, as those before us had to do. O Ya Rabbal Ala'meen! Creator of the heavens and the earth - lay not on us a greater burden than we have strength to bear. Expiate our sins, grant us Thy forgiveness, and have mercy upon the Ummah of Your Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam. Thou art surely our Protector. O Rahmathul Liel Ala'meen! grant us victory over the infidels and unbelievers."    Ameen!

REMEMBERING DEATH

To take out the love of the world from our hearts and prepare for the aakhirah, we should take the advice of Nabi-e-Karim (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) seriously.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Remember very often the cutter-off of all pleasures, that is death."

There is no escape from death and it is certain to come, so, by us constantly thinking of death, it will easily enable us to prepare for death and the life of the hereafter and refrain from all worldly pleasures and luxuries.

Foolishly, we take so much of pain in getting the best things of this world, without even thinking that all these things, for which we are under going so much difficulty in acquiring, will have to be left behind by us one day. We try so much to make our earthly life as comfortable as possible, forgetting that tomorrow we will have to sleep on a bed of sand. From dawn to dusk, we are hankering after this world so blindly that we are completely unmindful of the fact that all this will definitely come to an end. Nabi t has said: "An intelligent person is he who holds back his desires and does actions (prepares) for what is after death, and a helpless person is he who follows his desires and hopes from Allah safety (in the aakhirah). "

A few ahaadith are mentioned, so that we can always remember death and prepare ourselves for the hereafter.

Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates that someone asked Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam): "Who is the wisest and most prudent of men, O Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)?" He replied: "He who keeps death frequently in his remembrance and remains ever engaged in preparations for meeting his death, it is such people indeed who are granted honour in this life and who will be honoured in Aakhirah. " (Targheeb)

Abu Zar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says that once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said to him, "Visit the graves from time to time, for it serves as a reminder of the aakhirah, wash the dead for it is a cure for a person who is devoid and helps him to take heed; attend funeral prayers for it might make you feel concerned for the aakhirah and those who have this concern remain in the shade of Allah's mercy and seek a virtuous life."

Shaddad Ibn Aus (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says, "The agony of death is more severe than all the agonies of the world and the hereafter. It is more painful than being sawed in two, being cut into pieces with shears or being boiled in a cauldron. If the dead were to rise from the graves and tell people about the pangs of death, no man would take pleasure in this life, nor would anyone enjoy sound sleep."

Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) asked Ka'ab (Radhiallaahu Anhu), about the agony of death and he replied: "O Amir-ul-Mo'mineen! It is as though a branch of a tree, that is all overgrown with thorns, were thrust into a mans body, so that it should entangle with every part and then the branch should be pulled out violently. Such is the anguish experienced by a dying man, in the throes of death."

It has been reported about Uthman (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that, when he would stand over a grave, he would cry so bitterly that his beard would get wet with tears. Someone asked him, "You do not weep so sorely when you remember Jannah and Jahannam as you do when you are reminded of the grave" He replied, "I have heard Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying, "The grave is the initial stage of the aakhirah, if one escapes punishment in the grave all the next stages are much easier but if he does not escape punishment in the grave all the next stages are severer than it, " and I have also heard him saying, "I have never seen a sight more horrifying than the grave."

We have forgotten our graves while it has not forgotten us. As Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Not a single day passes when the grave does not call out: "I am a place of wilderness, I am a place of dust, I am a place of worms." When a mo'min is laid in the grave it says: "Welcome to you, it is good of you to have come into me. Of all the people walking on the earth, I liked you best. Now that you have come to me, you will see how I entertain you." It then expands as far as the occupant can see. A door from paradise is opened for him in the grave and through this door, he gets the fresh and fragrant air of paradise, But when an evil man is laid in the grave it says, "No word of welcome for you. Your coming into me is very bad for you, of all the persons walking on this earth I disliked you most. Now that you have been made over to me you will see how I treat you!" It then closes upon him so much so that his ribs of one side penetrate into the ribs of the other. As many as seventy serpents are then set upon him, to keep biting him till the Day of Resurrection. These serpents are so venomous that if one of them happened to spurt its venom upon the earth, not a single blade of grass would ever grow."

After this, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "The grave is either a garden of Jannat or a pit of Jahannam."

Bara bin ?Aazib (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports from Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) (regarding the believer): "Two angels will come to him (in his grave), make him sit and ask him: "Who is your Rabb?" He will say: "My Rabb is Allah" They then ask him: "What is your religion?" He will say: "My religion is Islaam. "They then ask him: "Who is this (man) who was sent to you?" He will say: "This is the Rasul of Allah." Thereafter they ask: "What is your action?" He replies "I recited the book of Allah, believed therein and I acknowledged." At this a proclaimer (of Allah) proclaims from the heaven: "My servant has spoken the truth, thus spread the heavenly bed for him, make him wear heavenly garments and fling open the doors of Jannah to him. "Thus the door to Jannah is thrown open which brings fragrance of Jannah to him. And his grave is widened so much that he sees as far as his sight goes."

Thereafter, mentioning the unbeliever he said: "His soul is returned to his body, two angels come to him, seat him up and ask hint, "Who is your Rabb?" He replies: "Alas, I do not know." He is again asked: "What is your religion?" He again replies: "Alas, I do not know." He is further asked: "Who is this (man) who was sent amongst you?" He replies once again: "Alas! I do not know." After this question - answer session is over, a proclaimer from the sky proclaims: "He has spoken a lie, spread fire under him and make him wear a garment of fire, and open the door of Jahannam." His grave is narrowed so that his ribs are squeezed. Thereafter a blind and deaf tormenter is appointed with an iron mace. It is so heavy that if a mountain is struck with it, it will turn into dust. The person becomes dust at one stroke and is again restored to his original state." (Ahmad, Abu Dawood)

Hazrath Abu Huraira (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "When the dead is placed in the grave, two angels, dark complexioned and blue eyed come to him. One of them is called Munkir and the other Nakeer. Both of them will ask him: "What do you say about him (Who was sent to you)?" If he is a believer, he will say: "He is the servant and Rasul of Allah; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah." Having heard this, they say: "We were sure you will reply like this." Thereafter his grave is widened seventy cubits and there will be light for him therein. He will then want to go and narrate his condition to his family members. The angels then tell him (he cannot go from there) but to sleep like a bride whom nobody can wake except her husband."

When the dead person is a hypocrite (or an infidel), he will reply to Munkir and Nakeer, "I said what I have heard others say, I know nothing more than that." The angels will then say, "We were sure that you will reply such." Thereafter the earth is ordered to punish him by squeezing him. The earth carries out the command and he suffers punishment inside the grave till he is raised from the grave on the day of Resurrection. (Tirmizi)

Let us again and again read the above mentioned ahaadith and also narrate it to others so that it is such that never a moment passes by while we are neglectful of aakhirah and death. Also, let us make the most preparations for death, thereby not having to regret over less provisions.