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Fatwa CenterRuling on imagining death
Question
Is it permissible for me to imagine that I am dead? I mean when I am alone, sleep on my back, trying to think about the moment when I will die and my family cry over me while I cannot move. Then I will think of the moment when they will begin washing me while I cannot speak. During washing me, I will hear my friends who knew me only for their interests and the like. Then I will imagine the moment when they will put me in the grave and my family put dust over me. Will this imagining be considered telling lies? Is there any sound evidence that allows imagining death and proves that this imagination is not telling lies? What is the meaning of prohibited lying? May Allaah Reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Telling lies is to intentionally say or write something which is not true. It is one of the grave major sins. It will inevitably doom the liar to Hell. May Allaah The Almighty Save us from Hell. It was narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to Hell, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is counted in the Sight of Allaah as a liar.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Imagining death in the way that you have mentioned is not from telling lies at all for you do not tell something that can be true or not. Rather, this way of imagination can be good if the individual wants to get a reminder and admonishment from it, or increase his fear of Allaah The Almighty, or encourage himself to practice more righteous deeds and keep away from doing evil deeds. However, if you did such imagination aimlessly, then this would not be good for you for you will be spending your time to no avail.
A wise person should make the best use of his lifetime and spend it in what can be beneficial for him in this world and the Hereafter for he will be held accountable for whatever he does in his lifetime.
Allaah Knows best.
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