Thekabarnews.com – Ibn Shudhab (may Allah have mercy on him) told a narrative from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that was very important. People saw Abu Hurairah crying as death drew near. “Why are you crying, Abu Hurairah?” someone inquired.

He said, “I am crying because the voyage to the hereafter is lengthy, there are not enough supplies, and the hills are incredibly steep. In the end, there are only two places: Paradise or Hell.” (Al-Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, Az-Zuhd, p. 998)

What Abu Hurairah’s Words Mean This saying shows how scared and alert a friend of the Prophet ﷺ was as he got closer to death. Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu ‘anhu, although being a companion of great virtue and making important contributions to the narration of the Prophet’s ﷺ hadiths, felt this way.

But such benefits did not make him feel safe. He actually learned three important things:

1. The trip to the afterlife takes a lengthy time.

2. The good actions he did seemed small.

3. It is quite challenging to figure out what happens in the hereafter, yet there is a clear answer: either Paradise or Hell.

This attitude shows that Abu Hurairah is humble and very afraid of Allah ta’ala.

Lessons that are worth learning There are many crucial benefits for every Muslim in this story:

1. Even good people are afraid of the hereafter, so you can imagine how scared we are.

2. The only thing that can help you in the afterlife is doing good deeds, not having a lot of money, a high position, social prestige, or a good name in the eyes of others.

3. Death does not end everything; it is just the start of a long road toward judgment in the afterlife.

4. A Muslim must find a balance between hope and dread. They should hope for Allah’s kindness and be afraid of not doing good things.

5. This narrative encourages us to do more good things and think about ourselves more before we die.

If even a friend of the Prophet ﷺ like Abu Hurairah wailed out of concern of lacking resources for the Hereafter—even though his qualities are much above ours—then clearly we are more qualified to prepare ourselves and develop.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلۡتَنظُرۡ نَفۡسٞ مَّا قَدَّمَتۡ لِغَدٖۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ

“O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow—and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do.” (Al-Hasyr: 18).

Al-Imam Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that “tomorrow” in this passage means the Day of Judgment, which is coming soon. (Tafsir Ath-Thabari, 14/65)

Al-Imam Ibnu Jarir Ath-Thabari rahimahullah said, “Think about what people will have to deal with on the Day of Judgment because of what they did. Will they be adorned by good deeds or will they suffer in the Hereafter due to evil deeds? (Tafsir Ath-Thabari, 14/65)