Ya'qub wrote:

My dad was told he had a month to live. This was (IMO) perfect, because A) it wasn't (such) a long and drawn out, painful death and It was long enough to get all his 'affairs' in order and for all his friends to come and visit him to say goodbye, and no1 had any regrets of 'not having the chance to tell him everything' etc.

I'm pleased you said that, it's very true. And I wish you a long life, Ya'qub.

Joie de Vivre wrote:

ftr not only did Yaq'ub put all the blue headlines, capital letters, paragraph breaks, punctuation and spaces into Muslim Sister's previously unreadable article, he has probably more than anyone on the site gone off and done half the things on the list.

LOL! Thanks

Joie de Vivre wrote:

Ya'qub wrote:

My dad was told he had a month to live. This was (IMO) perfect, because A) it wasn't (such) a long and drawn out, painful death and It was long enough to get all his 'affairs' in order and for all his friends to come and visit him to say goodbye, and no1 had any regrets of 'not having the chance to tell him everything' etc.

I'm pleased you said that, it's very true. And I wish you a long life, Ya'qub.

Amen! And the same to you!

OK, gonna answer this properly (ish)

You wrote:

... For definite in one minute - no longer no shorter. what would you do?

Say the shahadah (WITH feeling!) and ask for forgiveness for all my sins (wouldn't have time for all of them), if anyone was with me I'd ask them to ask my forgiveness from everyone I'd ever met too. Then say the Shahadah one more time to make sure

You wrote:

1 hour?

Same. But I'd probably try to phone family and a few close friends too (even if I left a voicemail).

You wrote:

1 Day?

Same again, but if I had time I'd VISIT my immediate family instead.

You wrote:

1 week?

Try to sort out my financial affairs so no1 had to worry about them after I'd gone. And maybe try to go through my sins (as many as I could remember), asking forgiveness from Allah (swt).

You wrote:

1 month?

I'd update my Facebook, telling people to visit! I'd also try to bring forward my wedding and get my wife pregnant! (gotta keep the DNA going...). Is that selfish of me? I'd only do it if she agreed.
Then add on everything from above too.

You wrote:

1 year?

Everything above, I'd also try to do something that would leave a lasting impression on the world, perhaps that could still reward me after I'd died (write a book? Teach 'beneficial knowledge'? Built a mosque (however small)?

You wrote:

2 years?

Same as for one year, but perhaps the book would be a bit better, and I'd actually get to see my kid (insha'Allah). Maybe even try for a second kid! I'd entrust my wife to tell them to make du'aa for me when they grow up!

You wrote:

10 years?

Nothing much different to how I'm living life now. I don't think I'd enroll in uni though, I might try to keep teaching English in Syria for a few years (cos the money is good) and I could perhaps leave my family with a little next-egg of savings.

You wrote:

20 years?

Probably WOULD go to uni, and try to be a primary teacher. I don't think I'd live my life much different to how I want to live it now (although after about 19 years I might start asking for forgiveness a LOT (from God, and the people I've wronged)

You wrote:

50 years?

I HOPE I can live for another 50 years, at least, insha'Allah. I guess if I KNEW I wouldn't live for any SHORTER than 50 years, I'd probably become a really bad Muslim for the time being - planning to make up for it when I'm old. I guess this is why we shouldn't ASSUME we'll live for many years, cos we'd become lazy in terms of our eeman.

You wrote:

In real life we do not know how long we have. So from the above, which do you use as a guide?

I guess about 20... Not sure. I haven't really thought about it. I think ideally we should live each day as if it is our last... in terms of ibadah (e.g. praying each prayer as if it is our last will mean we CONCENTRATE), but live in the DUNYA as if we will live for 50 years or even longer (i.e. so we plan for our and our family's future, take dunya seriously, etc)

This is a very good topic.

If I was for definite going to die in...

one minute
I'd read the kalimah, over and over.

1 hour?
Read the kalimah as well as do istaghfar as many times as I could.

1 Day?
Do the above throughout and also try to make sure that people I really loved knew how much they meant to me.

I wouldn't sleep or relax, I'd be rushed off my feet I think. I would spend enough time with friends and family to ensure they knew how much they maent to me, the rest of the time I'd pray for them.

1 week?
I would do all the above plus try to let anyone who had in any way made me feel happy, been a good friend, given good advice etc know that I was very grateful. I would sort anything out that I felt was important, like what I would like to happen to my stuff. I'd also let everyone know I'd want to be buried here in the UK.

1 month?
All the above plus sort out a will... erm I know nothing about this... Also I would read the Quran and try to make up as many missed prayers as poss.

I wouldn't go to work but instead try to spend more time with family and friends. I wouldn't be angry but I would be very scared. And I think I could go a month without getting annoyed at anybody.

1 year?
I would do hajj. I think I would continue to go to work, for 2 days, but I wouldn't buy anything new for myself, instead try to wear out and use everything I had already spent on. My wages I would use to buy meaningful stuff for loved ones and give to charity.

2 years?
I would do the same as above. And go to umrah.

I wouldn't go on a holiday unless it was to visit someone who I felt my visit would mean a lot to. I wouldn't save up money as such, but I would be very careful on what I spent it on. I doubt I would treat myself to much.

10 years?
Erm... I would try to be a better sister/daughter/friend. Learn more about Islam and try to live according to it. I would enjoy my life a bit more, or actually try to appreciate my life or this time in this world more. So I would travel.

20 years?
The above plus get married and have kids. Do my utmost to use the years I had with them to give them a solid secure foundation and future.

50 years?
The above but with (possibly/honestly) not as much vigour I think.

I would try my best not to wait for the end, instead try to be erm natural. In this scenario in none of the above situations would I disclose how long I had to live to those around me because I wouldn't want them to worry.

Hhmmm... I think I use 20 years as a guide... wow I'm very generous to myself. (:shock:)

This is a very good topic.

impossible to say what i would do.

so what is the point?

You wrote:

Noor wrote:

so what is the point?

It tells of your current state of mind.

It also sumthing to think about - i mean i wudnt have thought about it if i didnt read this thread 2dai.. ponderr

10 Things We Waste - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

">http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z2QtguusOI]

You wrote:

Can I disagree with number 6?

Is it bcoz we should love others?

If yes, then I agree. But I think it's talking about money, celebrity's, people and things which will not benefit us in the Hereafter.