ذِكرُ المَوتِ Remembrance of Death

21ـ رسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أكثِروا مِن ذِكرِ هادِمِ اللَّذّاتِ، فقيلَ: يا رسولَ اللّه‏ِ، فما هادِمُ اللَّذّاتِ ؟ قالَ: المَوتُ، فإنّ أكيَسَ المؤمنينَ أكثَرُهُم ذِكراً للمَوتِ، وأشَدُّهُم لَهُ استِعداداً.

21– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Increase the remembrance of the demolisher of desires.’ He was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the demolisher of desires?’ He said, ‘Death, for the most sagacious of believers are those who remember death the most and are the most prepared for it.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 82, p. 167, no. 3]
 

22ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أكثِروا ذِكرَ المَوتِ، فما مِن عَبدٍ أكثَرَ ذِكرَهُ إلّا أحيا اللّه‏ُ قلبَهُ وهَوَّنَ علَيهِ المَوتَ.

22– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Increase your remembrance of death, for any servant who increases its remembrance, Allah will revive his heart and ease death for him.’[Kanz al- 'Ummal, no. 42105]
 

23ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لابنهِ الحسنِ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ: يا بُنيَّ، أكثِرْ مِن ذِكرِ المَوتِ، وذِكرِ ما تَهجُمُ علَيهِ وتُفضي بعدَ المَوتِ إلَيهِ، حتّى يأتيَكَ وقد أخَذتَ مِنهُ حِذرَكَ وشَدَدتَ لَه أزرَكَ، ولا يَأتيَكَ بَغتَةً فيَبهَرَكَ.

23– Imam Ali (AS) said to his son al-Hasan (AS), ‘O son, increase your remembrance of death, of that which overcomes it, and of that which you will return to after death such that when it comes to you, you will have taken heed of it and strengthened yourself for it, and you will not let it overcome you by surprise so that it bewilders you.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31]
 

24ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ذِكرُ المَوتِ يُميتُ الشَّهَواتِ في النَّفسِ، ويَقلَعُ مَنابِتَ الغَفلَةِ، ويُقَوّي القلبَ بمَواعِدِ اللّه‏ِ، ويُرِقُّ الطَّبعَ، ويَكسِرُ أعلامَ الهَوى ويُطفِئُ نارَ الحِرصِ، ويُحَقِّرُ الدُّنيا.

24– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The remembrance of death kills the desires in the self and uproots the sources of inattentiveness. It strengthens the heart about Allah’s threats, softens one's attitude, breaks the pillars of inclinations, extinguishes the fire of greed, and it degrades the world.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 6, p. 133, no. 32]
 

25ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أكثِروا ذِكرَ المَوتِ ؛ فإنّهُ ما أكثَرَ ذِكرَ المَوتِ إنسانٌ إلّا زَهِدَ في الدُّنيا .

25– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Increase in the remembrance of death, for no sooner does a person increase his remembrance of death than he abstains from the world.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 82, p. 168, no. 3]
 

26ـ الإمامُ الهاديُّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اُذكُرْ مَصرَعَكَ بينَ يَدَي أهلِكَ؛ ولا طَبيبَ يَمنَعُكَ، ولا حَبيبَ يَنفَعُكَ .

26– Imam al-Hadi (AS) said, ‘Remember your death in front of your family; when there will be no doctor to prevent it from you and no beloved to help you.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 370, no. 4]