Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,
﴿اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ﴾
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due,)
"That He is obeyed and not defied, remembered and not forgotten and appreciated
and not unappreciated.'' This has an authentic chain of narration to `Abdullah bin
Mas`ud. Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, from Ibn Mas`ud, who related
it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is authentic according to the criteria of
the Two Shaykhs ﴿Al-Bukhari and Muslim﴾, and they did not record it.'' This is what
he said, but it appears that it is only a statement of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, and
Allah knows best. It was also reported that Anas said, "The servant will not have
Taqwa of Allah as is His due until he keeps his tongue idle.'' Allah's statement,
﴿وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم
مُّسْلِمُونَ﴾
(and die not except as (true) Muslims) ﴿3:102﴾, means, preserve your Islam while
you are well and safe, so that you die as a Muslim. The Most Generous Allah has
made it His decision that whatever state one lives in, that is what he dies upon
and is resurrected upon. We seek refuge from dying on other than Islam.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said, "The people were circling around the Sacred
House when Ibn `Abbas was sitting, holding a bent-handled walking stick. Ibn `Abbas
said, The Messenger of Allah ﴿recited﴾,
﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ
اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴾
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims.) ﴿3:102﴾,
﴿then he said;﴾
«وَلَوْ أَنَّ قَطْرَةً مِنَ الزَّقُّومِ
قُطِرَتْ لَأَمَرَّتْ عَلى أَهْلِ الْأرْضِ عِيشَتَهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ
طَعَامٌ إِلَّا الزَّقُّومُ؟»
(Verily, if a drop of Zaqqum (a tree in Hell) falls, it will spoil life for the
people of earth. What about those whose food is only from Zaqqum)''
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih
and Al-Hakim his Mustadrak. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih''' while Al-Hakim said;
"It meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs and they did not record it."
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said that three nights before the Messenger of Allah
died he heard him saying;
«لَا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَّا
وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»
(None of you should die except while having sincere trust in Allah, the Exalted
and Most Honorable.) Muslim also recorded it. The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah
said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«يَقُولُ اللهُ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ
عَبْدِي بِي»
(Allah said, "I am as My servant thinks of Me.'')
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