# What can the death of a parent teach us?

*Reflections on death and grief at his mother's khatm*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/awxumqnpbw0/s/1/
- Date: 2023-06-02 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Brief Foreword @ My Mum's Khatm - Lessons from Life & Death - Ghamkol Mosque (0:01–4:29)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwxuMQnPbw0&t=1s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/awxumqnpbw0/

**Topics:** Grief and loss; Facing death; Gratitude, giving and contentment

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says death is the greatest admonition and grief brings families together; one lesson may be to serve those who have no one around them.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that maybe one of the great lessons of death is to try to give forward, helping and serving other people.

**Evidence, his words at 3:48:** “people who don't have that gift and maybe this one of the great lessons is to try to give forward to people maybe to ponder and help and serve other people” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwxuMQnPbw0&t=228s)

## Longer summary

Speaking before the dua at a gathering for his late mother, Mufti Abu Layth cites the hadith that of everyone alive on earth that day, none would remain after a hundred years, and says death itself is enough as an admonition. He describes how hard it was to witness his mother's last nine months of illness, and says he came to see lessons that only death can deliver, and gratitude for what Allah has given. Mufti cites the verse that whoever is granted long life is reversed in creation, and says tragedy and grief bring people together in a way happiness cannot, since the whole family was around his mother to the end. He asks what of people who do not have that gift, says one of the great lessons may be to give forward by helping and serving others, and prays for his mother and for everyone present.

## Sources and names cited

- report: no one alive on earth tonight will be alive a hundred years from now
- Quran 36:68 (whoever We grant long life, We reverse in creation): https://quran.com/36/68

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:01–4:29)

[0:01] but and your teeth from cycling which is that the messenger of Allah we came out one day and his companions were there and he said he said you know from anybody who is alive today on this Earth a hundred years won't go by except they would have passed

[0:37] White the death is enough to really serve as a an admonition in all these last nine months that my mom was going through a fun state of cancer it was such a for her to be going through it and to witness it silver close so intimately it was so difficult

[1:14] and I remember thinking that nobody should have to experience something like that and even just even the witnessing you know Allah Allah says in the Quran sways by for sure he didn't want to show it up that the witness and the witness are a phenomenon unto themselves I was thinking nobody should have to endure that kind of but then I realized that I'm lessened

[1:53] they can only be delivered by the phenomenon of death itself like something greatest lesson can be important and you just from there is one is sugar of what Allah has given us you know I was thinking of this is a verse have it played every day that um

[2:29] is that whoever we give this old age to reverse that new creation do they not ponder over the business not think about that and in a kind of poetic irony the last nine months mom's statement in Reverse in reverse and to this but I thought in a way that tragedy and grief it brings people together that in a way which unfortunately happiness simply can't

[3:08] that's sad but it's true and I thought that you know my mom she was so blessed that everybody I mean my my sisters my brothers Clockwork with them I mean there was so much movement in the home in the last nine months that probably in 15 years it you know there wasn't that much like how often do we everybody here is probably off how often do people visit the appearance maybe once a week maybe on YouTube occasions maybe on every day like so much life how blessed she wants to spend right till the end have her whole family around it made me think that what about

[3:48] people who don't have that gift and maybe this one of the great lessons is to try to give forward to people maybe to ponder and help and serve other people you may Allah bless my mothers after life may he bless us all and everybody here has got the experience what we're experiencing or will at some point in ourselves too it is may Allah make it easy for everyone I mean unless everyone is moments to share this with all of you

[4:25] coming along

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment AwxuMQnPbw0/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/awxumqnpbw0/s/1/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.