Question Summary:
I would like to ask a question. if someone is in sakraat (last few moments of death) are u allowed to make dua for the person to die

Question Detail:

I would like to ask a question. if someone is in sakraat (last few moments of death) are u allowed to make dua for the person to die

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
 
حدثنا محمد بن رافع حدثنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن همام بن منبه قال هذا ما حدثنا أبو هريرة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكر أحاديث منها وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يتمنى أحدكم الموت ولا يدع به من قبل أن يأتيه إنه إذا مات أحدكم انقطع عمله وإنه لا يزيد المؤمن عمره إلا خيرا ( رواه مسلم: باب كراهة تمني الموت لضر نزل به ، الرقم: 4843 )
Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, ‘None of you should wish for death and neither should one make dua for it before its time. Verily when one of you dies, (the ability to add to) his deeds is finished. The life of a believer only increases him in good.’ (Muslim)
حدثنا آدم حدثنا شعبة حدثنا ثابت البناني عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "لا يتمنين أحدكم الموت من ضر أصابه فإن كان لا بد فاعلا فليقل اللهم أحيني ما كانت الحياة خيرا لي وتوفني إذا كانت الوفاة خيرا لي" ( رواه البخاري: باب تمني المريض الموت ، الرقم: 5239 )
Anas bin Malik (Radiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, ‘None of you should ever wish for death due to any hardship he may face. If he has to do it, he may say, “Oh Allah keep me alive as long as life is good for me and take me up in death when death is better for me.”’ (Bukhari)
From the above it is understood that one must place his trust on Allah alone and that one must not wish for death even if he may be facing severe hardship[i]. If one cannot make dua for his own death, how can he make dua for someone else’s death?
He should make the same dua but in words of the third person. Better yest, if death is certain, the onlooker should make dua that the person passes away with Imaan.
The ahaadith above also make it clear that for a believer life is a bounty. The reason for it being a bounty is that it offers the opportunity for a Muslim to increase his good deeds, to elevate his status in the life hereafter and to repent for his bad deeds. Agony of death is also a means of wiping out sins and elevating the rank in the hereafter. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has said:
ما يصيب المسلم من نصب ولا وصب ولا هم ولا حزن ولا أذى ولا غم حتى الشوكة يشاكها إلا كفر الله بها من خطاياه ( رواه البخاري: باب ما جاء في كفارة المرض ، الرقم: 5210 )
‘A believer is not afflicted with tiredness, pain, grief, anxiety, worry or any harm, even being pricked by a thorn, except that Allah removes his sins because of it’ (Bukhari)
 ما يصيب المؤمن من شوكة فما فوقها إلا رفعه الله بها درجة أو حط عنه بها خطيئة ( رواه مسلم: باب ثواب المؤمن فيما يصيبه من مرض أو حزن أو نحو ذلك حتى الشوكة يشاكها ، الرقم: 4665 )
‘Whatever harm afflicts a believer such as being pricked with a thorn or anything more, is a means of Allah elevating his rank and wiping out his sin.’  (Muslim)
 
Wassalam


Mufti Ebrahim Desai (M2)
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah