Death is an undeniable reality and an inevitable end for every living being,[1] from which there is no escape.[2] Yet what has always occupied the human mind is not the end itself, but rather the process of transition from this world to the next, a process that, in religious and authentic traditions, is known as the agonies of death.
The stage of dying is the point where worldly life meets one’s fate in the Hereafter, and understanding it has always been accompanied by ambiguity and curiosity. In Sermon 109 of Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (AS) presents a remarkably delicate and vivid depiction of the agonies of death.
In this article, we draw upon the precious words of Imam Ali (AS) to examine the concept of the agonies of death and the factors that make this stage easier.
What Are the Agonies of Death?
The term agonies refers to a state experienced at the threshold of death, resembling intoxication. As the preliminaries of death arrive, an extraordinary agitation and upheaval overtake a person, sometimes overpowering the intellect and plunging the individual into intense anxiety and restlessness. This condition is known as the agonies of death.
At the moment of the agonies of death, a person gains a new form of perception and insight. They witness the instability of this world with their own eyes and, to some extent, observe the events that follow death. It is at this point that a tremendous fear engulfs their entire being, and a state resembling intoxication overcomes them, yet it is not actual drunkenness.
Imam Ali (AS), describing this human condition, states: “The agonies of death attack a person along with regret, regret for what they are leaving behind. The limbs of the body grow weak, the color fades from the face, and death gradually penetrates them.
A separation occurs between the person and their tongue, while they are still among their family; they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and their intellect and awareness remain intact, yet they are unable to speak”.[3]
Elsewhere, Imam Ali (AS) says: “If you were to see what your dead have seen, you would be filled with terror and fear”.[4]
He then continues, addressing the one in the agonies of death: “It is said to them: This is the very thing you disliked and from which you used to flee”.
وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ذلِکَ ما کُنْتَ مِنْهُ تَحِیدُ
“And the agony of death comes in truth; that is what you were trying to avoid”.[5]
Even the prophets and the close friends of God, who possess complete serenity at the moment of death, are not spared from the difficulties and hardships of this transitional moment.
It is reported in the accounts of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that during the final moments of his blessed life, he would place his hand in a bowl of water, wipe his face with it, and recite: “La Ilah Illa Allah”; “There is no god but Allah”. Saying: “Indeed, death has agonies”.[6]
Factors That Make the Agonies of Death Easier
It is well known that in order to ease the process of dying and to relieve a person from the fear and anxiety of the agonies of death, practices such as prompting them with words of faith (talqin) and reciting certain chapters of the Quran, such as Surah as-Saffat, Ya-Sin, al-Waqiah, Qaf, an-Naziat, and supplications of relief, are beneficial.
However, the essential point is that a person must prepare their provision in this world. As indicated by the traditions, the difficulty of dying is related to the degree of one’s attachment to this world, their worldly ties, and their deeds. At the moment of death, a person must separate from everything to which they were attached in this world and receive the outcome of their actions.
Therefore, the better one’s deeds in this life and the less attachment one has to worldly and material matters, the easier the agonies of death will be.
Of course, many people, both believers and unbelievers, experience the agonies of death, and this itself carries certain wisdoms. As Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) points out in a narration, death is easy for a believer, unless it is accompanied by hardship as a means of purifying their sins.
Likewise, death is hard and painful for disbelievers, except when, at times, it is made easier as recompense for their good deeds in this world.
In the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), various factors are mentioned that lead to the easing of the agonies of death, a gentle departure from this world, and freedom from suffering, as well as factors that enable a person to leave this world in a state of spiritual well-being. Some of these are briefly mentioned below.
1. True Faith and Sound Belief
Correct belief and strong faith play a crucial role in easing the agonies of death. Such belief acts as an inner force, helping a person face the agonies of death with greater calm and composure.
A person who possesses firm faith in God and the Hereafter, relying on this belief, is better able to endure the hardships of the final moments of life. Faith and righteous deeds preserve and stabilize belief, and at the same time elevate it.
In this regard, God says:
یُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِی الْحَیَاة الدُّنْیَا وَفِی الْآخِرَة
“Allah keeps firm those who believe with the firm word in the life of this world and in the Hereafter”. “Allah strengthens those who believe with the firm word in the worldly life and in the Hereafter”.[7]
Therefore, the first and foremost factor in experiencing an easier death at the time of the agonies of death is faith in the Origin and the Hereafter.
2. Love and Devotion (Wilayah) to the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)
Human beings are usually drawn to and become devoted to those people or places that are capable of solving their problems or providing them with benefit. This reality is clearly observable in social relationships. In the continuous and ongoing life that extends into the Hereafter, the same question arises: at which stages do we become helpless, and whose help do we truly need?
During the agonies of death, in the intermediate world (Barzakh), on the Day of Resurrection, while crossing the Sirat, and in other such moments, when a person is in extreme need and distress, the effectiveness of love for the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) becomes evident. Numerous narrations have been reported in this regard.
Among them is the well-known saying of the Messenger of God (PBUH): the most important and effective means for an easy death and relief from the agonies of death is love for the Amir al-Muminin, Ali (AS).
The Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: “Be aware that whoever loves Ali (AS), God will lighten the agonies of death for them and will make their grave a garden from among the gardens of Paradise”.[8]
In another luminous narration, the Prophet (PBUH) states: “Love for me and love for my family will be of benefit in seven extremely terrifying places: at the time of death, especially the moment of departing the soul and the agonies of death, in the grave, at the Resurrection, when the record of deeds is presented, at the reckoning of deeds, near the scale of deeds, and at the Sirat”.[9]
One of the fruits of loving the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) is that the process of dying becomes easier at the time of the agonies of death.
3. Worldly Attachments
For a person who, throughout their life, has been attached to material possessions and worldly comforts, it is natural that at the time of the agonies of death, these worldly attachments will seize them and make the process of dying difficult.
Imam Ali (AS), speaking about the agonies of death for the people of this world, says: “The agonies of death attack them together with regret for what they are losing”.[10]
At that moment, the person reflects on how they spent their lifetime and on what paths their days were consumed. They recall the wealth they accumulated, often closing their eyes to how it was obtained, whether lawful, unlawful, or doubtful, and they now bear the consequences and responsibilities of having gathered it.
Some individuals may be believers, possess love for the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), show respect to their parents, and uphold family ties, yet still harbor strong inclinations toward worldly matters, making separation from this world difficult for them.
God assists such individuals at the moment of death and during the agonies of death by sending two fragrant flowers from Paradise, which make them indifferent to worldly wealth and other worldly concerns.
Other narrations indicate that if a believer experiences a difficult death, it may be due to their sins, and God makes the hardship of dying an expiation for those sins, so that they may enter the next world purified and free of sin.
4. Maintaining Family Ties, Especially with Parents
Whoever maintains family ties (Silat al-rahim) is enveloped in God’s mercy. Therefore, since one has recognized the value of divine mercy, especially in relation to parents, this becomes a cause for an easier death.
The late Shaykh al-Mufid narrates from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) that one day the Messenger of God (PBUH) was informed about a young Muslim man who had been in the agonies of death for some time and was unable to pass away.
When the Prophet came to his bedside, he said to him: Say: “La Ilah Illa Allah”; “There is no god but Allah”. However, it was as if the young man’s tongue were locked; he was unable to move it. The Prophet repeated this several times, yet the young man could not utter the words.
A woman was present at the bedside, nursing him. The Prophet asked her: “Does this young man have a mother?” She replied: “Yes, I am his mother”. The Prophet asked: “Are you displeased and angry with your son?”. She answered: “Yes. For five years I have not spoken to him”. The Prophet advised her: “Be pleased with your son”. She said: “Out of respect for you, I am pleased with him, and may God also be pleased with him”. Then the Prophet said to the young man: “Say: “La Ilah Illa Allah”; “There is no god but Allah”. At that moment, the young man swiftly uttered the blessed phrase.[11]
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “Whoever wishes that God, the Mighty and Exalted, would lighten the agonies of death for them should maintain ties with their relatives and be kind to their parents. If they do so, God, the Mighty and Exalted, will make the agonies of death easy for them, and moreover, in their worldly life they will never be afflicted with poverty and hardship. Thus, the fourth factor in easing the agonies of death is maintaining family ties and showing kindness to parents”.[12]
Maintaining family ties and being good to one’s parents also have worldly effects. A person who consistently upholds family relationships and treats their parents with kindness will never face poverty in their lifetime. Among the valuable outcomes of a good relationship with parents and relatives are an easier worldly life and an easier experience of the agonies of death.
5. Charity and Giving to the Needy
Charity, generosity, and fulfilling the needs of the poor are among the deeds that make the agonies of death easier. Imam Sadiq (AS) says in this regard: “Whoever clothes their brother with a winter or summer garment, God will clothe them with the garments of Paradise, will ease the agonies of death for them, and will expand their grave”.[13]
Conclusion
At the threshold of death, a person faces the most difficult moments, moments that, in the words of Imam Ali (AS), are beyond description. One is the agonies of death, and the other is the regret of separation from wealth and children, for whom a person has spent their entire life.
According to narrations, during the agonies of death, the tongue is the first organ to cease functioning and lose the ability to speak. Then the ears, and finally the eyes, stop functioning, and the person becomes unable to speak, hear, or see. These stages occur gradually, accompanied by signs of general weakness and frailty spreading throughout the body.
Notes
[1] . Al-Ankabut:57.
[2] . Al-Nisa:78.
[3] . Sharif al-Radhi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 109.
[4] . Sharif al-Radhi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 20.
[5] . Al-Qaf:19.
[6] . Haqqi, Ruh al-Bayan, vol.9, p.118.
[7] . Al-Ibrahim:27.
[8] . Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.7, p.222.
[9] . Saduq, Al-Khisal, p.360.
[10] . Sharif al-Radhi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 109.
[11] . Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.92, p.342.
[12] . Tusi, Al-Amali, p.432.
[13] . Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.74, p.379, Hadith 83.
References
- The Holy Quran.
- Haqqi, Ismail ibn Mustafa, Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan, Dar al-Fikr Publications, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, Bihar al-Anwar, Beirut, Al-Wafa Institute, 1404 AH.
- Saduq (Ibn Babawayh), Muhammad ibn Ali, Al-Khisal, edited by Ali Akbar Ghafari.
- Sharif al-Radhi, Muhammad ibn Hussain, Nahj al-Balagha, translated by Muhammad Dashti, Qom, Luqman, 1379 SH, 3rd edition.
- Tusi, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Al-Amali, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya Publications.
