Hawzah News Agency - Imam Ali, peace be upon him, says:

«أَلَا فَاذْكُرُوا هَاذِمَ اللَّذَّاتِ وَ مُنَغِّصَ الشَّهَوَاتِ وَ قَاطِعَ الْأُمْنِيَاتِ.»

"Remember the destroyer of joys, the spoiler of pleasures, and the killer of desires (namely death)." 1

Explanation:

The existence of a human throughout their life is filled with desires and pleasures. Humans are not prohibited from having desires and enjoying the world's pleasures, but they are warned against allowing these desires and pleasures to separate them from the divine path. For this purpose, a person needs something that creates balance within them during the joys and pleasures of life and even during difficulties and sorrows, so that these pleasures and desires do not create a divide between them and God.

One of the best tools mentioned for this purpose is remembering death.

If you are wealthy, remembering death directs your wealth towards divine purposes.

If you are poor, remembering death prevents you from longing for the possessions of the wealthy, and so on.

If a person believes that one day death will separate them from their loved ones, in the dilemmas of life, they prefer God's satisfaction over the satisfaction of their loved ones.

If a person understands that one day death will act as a barrier between them and worldly pleasures and desires, they will manage all those pleasures within the framework of God's will. If a person realizes that one day death will cut off their desires, they will make divine satisfaction the measure and standard for all their wishes.

It is worth noting that this remembrance of death is what frees us from the prison of the world, as the holy Prophet (s.a.w.w) said:

«اَلدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ.»

"The world is the prison of the believer." 2

Therefore, why should we not remember death?

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1. Nahj al-Balaqah, Sermon no. 99.

2. Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74, p. 46.

The International Service of "Hawzah News Agency"