Visit from Death: Are we prepared? One evening I was teaching Quran to my daughter when there was an unexpected bell at the door. It was close to Maghrib time (evening) and I wondered who could come at that hour. It turned out that my Uncle and Aunty were passing by so they had thought of giving me a surprise visit. As we were happily greeting them and bringing them into the lounge, I looked at my room and was grateful that we had tidied it up just an hour ago. So luckily there was place to sit, otherwise the chairs are forever filled with newspapers and other stuff! A moment later I had another relief when I realized that I had just had a bath and was wearing clean, fresh clothes. Thanks to Allah for that, otherwise the weather is so humid and hot that most of the time it is impossible to keep myself fresh. My daughter is fond of baking and so we had a nice big chocolate cake waiting to be cut. I brought it out and they were all so happy to enjoy its taste and texture. So amid the food and conversation we had a good time. The Azan for Maghrib prayer was loud and clear because Alhamdulillah the mosque is right next to our apartments. They went back home and I came in my room to pray…..and as I stood on the Prayer rug, I realized that the satisfaction which I was feeling at the moment was because of being in a good state to receive the guests. Everything was good…..the environment, my own self, the food, the good feelings that I have for them which led to a good cheerful conversation… But what if just when they had entered I had been in a temper, yelling at my kids, hot and untidy, no food in the fridge, having bad feelings about my relatives…..what kind of meeting would that have been? How painful and embarrassing it could have been…In a moment I thanked Allah from the depths of my heart and then focused my thoughts on the prayer After that when the prayer was over and I put my hands up for dua, I had another vision of another visitor who is going to come any moment and I asked myself: am I prepared for it? That visitor is going to come any day anytime…without caring whether I am ready or not…..And its name is Death….we all know it’s coming but we act like we don’t know and we don’t care. But its arrival is not even dependent on my realization for it. It will still come and right on its appointed time…Not a moment later…nor a second earlier. So what is my preparation for it? In what condition would I like to be when it comes? Have I ever thought before thinking a bad thought about someone that this might be the last thought that will cross my mind? Have I stopped myself before saying anything bad about someone, that this might be the last words my tongue will utter? Have I refrained from a wrong act just because it might be my last action in this world? How precious every moment is….and we need to be constantly preparing for that unexpected visitor because once that comes, all our chances of doing good deeds will be over….So treasure every moment and make it a source of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness on the day of recompense…we never know it might be the last moment we have.