An Incident in Relation to How People Fear Death
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) then mentioned an incident in relation to how people fear death:
“It is said that once, a lady’s daughter fell ill and she would pray, ‘O Allah, save my daughter and instead take my life.’ She was expressing great affection for her daughter.
“Incidentally, one night, it so happened that the rope of the lady’s cow loosened and it put its head in a utensil causing its head to get stuck inside it. The cow became distressed and started running uncontrollably with its head stuck in the utensil. Upon witnessing the cow in this state whereby it had something else in place of its face, the lady became frightened. She thought that perhaps her prayer was granted acceptance and the angel Azrael [angel of death] had come to take her soul and she immediately exclaimed, ‘O Azrael! I am not the one who is ill, she is ill and is lying over there.’”
In other words, she pointed towards her daughter. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further writes:
“One’s life is very precious and one would adopt all possible measures to save it.” On the one hand, the lady was praying [for her daughter] but the moment she felt there was a real sense of danger, she immediately indicated towards her daughter and asked for her life to be taken.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further states:
“A person employs all possible measures to safeguard their life and exhausts themselves in trying all kinds of cures. However, the example of the noble Companions (ra) was such that they greatly desired to sacrifice their very lives in the way of God Almighty. Hazrat Umar (ra) would pray that he attain the station of martyrdom in Medina.”