Ibn Daud - A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine

CHAPTER 2
ANTIPATHY
TOWARDS DEATH
Antipathy Towards
Death
كَرَاهِيَةُ‏ املَوْت al-Mawt] [Karāhiyat
Antipathy towards death is when one flees from the ending that
befalls every creature, and becomes annoyed when it is even
mentioned. It is as if one chooses to remain completely ignorant of
Allāh’s abundant statements describing the temporary nature of
this life. This may be due to an excessive love for dunyā (the world)
and chasing after the temporary things of this world.
Allāh states:
o “Every soul will taste death” [Āli ‘Imrān 3:185]
o “Say, ‘The death you are running away from will inevitably
come to you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the
seen and unseen, and He will inform you of what you used to
do’” [Al-Jumu’ah 62:8]
Fear of death is natural, so one naturally protects oneself from it.
When the angels, in the form of human beings, visited the Prophet
Ibrāhīm , he offered them food. When he saw that they did not
reach for the food, he grew fearful. Scholars say that Ibrāhīm
thought they had come to take his life.
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