In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Birthday, Death Day & Resurrection
Our ignorance and arrogance have lead to our birth on earth. Every minute, thousands of humans are born by the will of God to decide whether God or Satan is the absolute and supreme god worthy of worship. The Most Gracious granted us this final chance because we once failed to be certain about Him alone being the Only Lord and Master. We wanted to explore on our own and to freely choose our god..and here we are on earth just for that:
[90:4] We created the human being to work hard (to redeem himself).
[21:16] We did not create the heavens and the earth, and everything between them just for amusement.
[21:17] If we needed amusement, we could have initiated it without any of this, if that is what we wanted to do.
[21:18] Instead, it is our plan to support the truth against falsehood, in order to defeat it. Woe to you for the utterances you utter.
Humans Fail to Make a Firm Stand [20:115] We tested Adam in the past, but he forgot, and we found him indecisive.
Freedom of Choice [33:72] We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.*
Because of God's divine qualities, He knows our choices from the beginning until the very end. It is out of His absolute and supreme justice and His infinite grace that He has implemented an efficient plan to declare and execute His ruling of who is destined to Hell or Heaven (2:30, 7:172-174, 33:72-73). Our entire journey is already and perfectly documented- He knows it all. We will all get summoned and each one will have a fully detailed and accurate record (23:62, 17:13). There will be no legitimacy in questioning our fate. His plan started by creating death (67:2). He put us all to death after placing the instinct of knowing Him in our hearts, to be born again on earth for a last and equal chance. Adam and his wife along with Satan were sent down here to instigate the dilemma of testing the humans and jinns. The second life of each one of us starts by placing a soul (our real entity) in its designated body, in its designated womb to be born on its designated birthday on earth. Each and every one of us is granted a birthday to go through the deciding process all over again; to choose God and worship Him alone or fall into the same disastrous sin of questioning His absolute authority.
[3:154]..." God thus puts you to the test to bring out your true convictions, and to test what is in your hearts. God is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.
Monotheism: Natural Instinct [30:30] Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by GOD. Such creation of GOD will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know.
We Are Born With Instinctive Knowledge About God
[7:172] Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They all said, "Yes. We bear witness." Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were not aware of this."
[7:173] Nor can you say, "It was our parents who practiced idolatry, and we simply followed in their footsteps. Will You punish us because of what others have innovated?"
Each human starts on earth from scratch, with a clean record, and equally gets exposed to God's guidance. After a predetermined life span, each human dies in a specified death day & second and in the land God chooses (6:2, 31:34).
The lifespan from our birthday to our death day is a constant struggle. It has been God's perfect and just system that we receive His guidance and witness His proofs through different avenues along with all the negative views presented by Satan (76:3, 90:10). The battle goes on and there is always decisions to be made every day to either follow God, or to worship the fake idols introduced by Satan. We freely choose (2:148) and strive to please the god we choose.. It is tragic that most humans arrogantly and consistently insist on hurting their souls. Very few are able to ideally use this final chance.
At the end of the journey when our glorious moment of departure comes, our time allowance to redeem our souls is up; our Death Day marks the irrevocable end of our predetermined life span. On that day, we are either guided souls or lost ones (91:7-9). On that day, we get to recognize and sense our eternal destiny (16:30-32, 8:50).
We learn from 16:32 that the very first manifestation of the eternal reunion with God is a peaceful and joyful death. The peace and dignity continue with the believers until the Day of Resurrection. Moreover, believers will be saved any stress or fear on the Day of Resurrection as they are certain of their destiny, while a disbeliever will continue to feel the pain of shame and remorse (39:68, 17:71-72, 3:30, 18:47, 16:111).
The sense of peace and dignity all believers get to keep from their death day until their resurrection is beautifully expressed through the examples of both Jesus and John when they were informed about their happy death day and resurrection. Their examples are a mercy from God to clarify the matter and reassure our hearts:
[19:33] And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I get resurrected." ( Prophet Jesus)
[19:15] Peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he is resurrected back to life. ( Prophet John)
We also read prophet Joseph's imploring and learn how he very much understood the blessing of dying as a believer; a manifestation for the abode of peace:
[12:101] "My Lord, You have given me kingship and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Initiator of the heavens and the earth; You are my Lord and Master in this life and in the Hereafter. Let me die as a submitter, and count me with the righteous."
In addition to the above examples, Abraham and Jacob implored God for the same exact blessing - a peaceful exit to begin an eternal bliss.
[2:132] Moreover, Abraham exhorted his children to do the same, and so did Jacob: "O my children, GOD has pointed out the religion for you; do not die except as submitters."
And this is a general invitation for all of us to work hard for the abode of peace:
[3:102] O you who believe, you shall observe GOD as He should be observed, and do not die except as Submitters.
In conclusion, if there is any meaning in celebrating the anniversary of our day of birth, as submitters, we should be celebrating it out of deep sense of appreciation of such gift of mercy that God has granted each one of us to be redeemed. We should use the celebration as a reminder or a wake up call to continue fulfilling the purpose of our existence; our redemption. If we remember the death day of a beloved one, we should take the chance to reflect on how time and the chance for our redemption is so limited and crucial. Our eternal destiny is determined by either using or wasting the life span we are given. The beginning of real life and the blissful eternity starts by a happy moment of death on an assigned death day. This eternal contentment is an irrevocable divine promise for those who choose God alone.
[46:15] .. "My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter."
[3:193] "Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to faith and proclaiming: `You shall believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our transgressions, remit our sins, and let us die as righteous believers.
[7:126] ..."Our Lord, grant us steadfastness, and let us die as submitters."
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.