So, where are you going?

Most scientists concur that the universe is expanding and destined for cessation, thereby culminating everything within it. The Creator, Allah, lives forever — never born or given birth to, unique, and unparalleled in comparison to His creation. Have you gazed into the mirror and pondered, “What’s the purpose of this life?” Are we obedient or not to Allah? Answer, we were made to heed His Call and follow all His messengers. Every other living thing or His other Creations, like the Sun, moon, stars, trees, or animals, submit to Allah. The Sun never says, “Today I don’t feel like rising.” So obedient. “So, where are you going?” (Surah Takwir V 26).

We all have to die one day. Maybe we will live 20, 30, 40, 80, or perhaps 100 years, but still, the return is imminent. Death is uncertain, and not always is it a sick person dying. Its arrival is sudden, not solely reserved for the old or sick; the sick may endure, while the young may perish prematurely, who knows. Wherever we may be, in any corner, whichever part of the world, death is an inevitability - the only truth we don’t think about much. Should our end come today, what have we prepared to present before Allah? Are we ready?

We are here in this world for one thing: To give our eligibility test to enter heaven. On the Day of Judgment, all our affairs, big or small, will be exposed, akin to a courtroom scene with a Judge, audience, and criminal in one place. And we will know where is our final destination there. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised us to keep death in frequent remembrance. Abu Huraira (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Remember often the destroyer of pleasures: Death.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi 2307).

Maybe I’m walking to the mosque, but tomorrow I will be carried. Maybe today I’m showering, but I will be given my final bath. I’m dressing up today, but one day I will be worn a kafan (burial shroud). Which society are we trying to impress? For what or whom is all this struggle?

We may hear that so-and-so person, friend, or relative passed away, but we don’t always get to see them at their graves in person.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Visit the graves, for they remind you of the Hereafter.” (Narrated by Muslim, 976). The Prophet (PBUH) used to visit graves, as did his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. The more we visit graveyards, the more we will be inclined towards good deeds that please our Creator. Now, the question from Allah to every man, woman, living person: “So where are you going?” (Surah Takwir, V 26).

Look at yourself in front of the mirror and ask, so, where am I going? Where did you want to go originally? For whom did you have to live actually? Whose purpose do we fulfill? Whose command do our bodies, organs, and heartbeats heed? Who holds dominion over them? The cosmos, in its entirety, belongs to Allah. Despite the passage of time, have we amassed anything for the hereafter? To the mothers among us, paradise lies under the mother’s feet; yet, have we readied them to become Muslim leaders and make us proud in front of Allah? “So where are you going?”

So much of life is already gone, but did we accumulate anything for the hereafter? Ask yourself, how did your day go? How did your evening go? How did your night go? What did we do for Allah in these fleeting 24 hours? Let us declare an end to our defiance of Allah and resolve to earnestly strive for His pleasure. Thus, where do we intend to go? “So where are you going?”