Chapter 12: Doing Good Deeds Increasingly in Old Age
Chapter Introduction
۱۲ ـ باب الحث على الَازدياد من الخير في أواخر العمر
Translation: Doing Good Deeds Increasingly in Old Age [ As previously stated man's span of life is too short. He passes through childhood, youth, manhood, old age, and senility. Days, months, and years slip away like a lavish wealthy man who spends his fortune gradually and then, awakes too late to find that his wealth came to an end.
Translation: " It is He, Who has created you (Adam) from dust, then from a notfa (mixed semen drops of male and female sexual discharge) then from a clot (a piece of coagulated blood), then brings you forth as an infant, then (makes you grow) to reach the age of full strength, and afterwards to be old (men and women) though some among you die before and you reach an appointed term in order that you may understand. * ” (40 ": 67)
Translation: It is well known that the extravagant wealthy man spends lavishly as long as he possesses much money, but when he runs short of money, he starts counting it and keeping what remains with him. Similarly does man as regards his appointed term of life. He should use this valuable resource economically and according to strict rules. Every new day must be considered as a prize given from Allah thus, one should benefit from it to the maximum degree.
Translation: As regards the rules of Islam the final deeds of man decide his destination whether it be to Paradise or Hellfire, May Allah forbid. The Messenger of Allah clarified this by his Hadith that says:
Translation: Narrated Abdullah (ibn Mas'oud): ' Allah's Messenger, the true and truly inspired said: " (The matter of the creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good) deeds until there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing the (evil) deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire *. And
Translation: Some scholars explain this as referring to those who do good deeds to show off, and not for the sake of Allah, thinking that they beguile Allah and the believers, but Allah causes them to go astray and mocks them. Allah says: " And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: " We believe in Allah and the Last Day, " while in fact they believe not.. They (think to) deceive Allah and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and they perceive (it) not. * In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allah has increased their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies. * " (2: 8-10) And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds until there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise. " (Bukhari)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah urges us to invest every moment in doing good deeds. He says:
Translation: Narrated Abu-Huraira: ' A man came to the Prophet and asked: " O Allah's Messenger which charity is the most superior in reward? " He replied: " The charity that you give while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wishing to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say: ' Give so much to so and so, and so much to so and so. ' (And it already belongs to such and such (his heirs). " (Bukhari)
Translation: Imam Al-Nawawi sheds more light on this subject by compiling the following verses and Hadiths, so let us go through them, and may Allah benefit us from them.]
Translation: " Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for the prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. * " (4: 142)
Translation: " Therein they will cry: " Our Lord! Bring us out. We shall do righteous good deeds, not (the evil deeds) that we used to do. " (Allah will reply): " Have not We not given you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition, could receive it? And the warner came to you. So taste you (the evil of your deeds). And for the oppressors (polytheists and wrongdoers... etc.) there is no helper * 335 (35: 37) Commenting on this verse, Ibn Abbas said: ' Allah rebukes the oppressors on the Day of Judgment saying: " Have not We given you life (60 years old, 18 years old, 40 years old according to the different opinions of the scholars)? " Ibn Abbas said that whenever one of the people of Madina reached forty years he used to dedicate his time to acts of worship. As to interpreting ' the warner ', the scholars say that it is the advent of the last Messenger of Allah and some other say that it refers to ' the white hair ' one has in the old age.