Causes of Death and that Believing People May Die by any Manner of Dying

كَانَ النَّاسُ يَعْتَبِطُونَ اعْتِبَاطاً[1] فَلَمَّا كَانَ زَمَانُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع قَالَ يَا رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِلْمَوْتِ عِلَّةً يُؤْجَرُ بِهَا الْمَيِّتُ وَ يُسَلَّى بِهَا عَنِ الْمُصَابِ قَالَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْمُومَ وَ هُوَ الْبِرْسَامُ‌[2] ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ بَعْدَهُ الدَّاءَ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘People would just drop dead. Ibrahim (Abraham), ‘Alayhi al Salam, in his time pleaded before Allah to create a cause for death so the dying person receives rewards and the grieving people find solace. Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, then sent al-Mum, which is a kind of fever causing ha

كَانَ النَّاسُ يَعْتَبِطُونَ اعْتِبَاطاً فَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ع يَا رَبِّ لَوْ جَعَلْتَ لِلْمَوْتِ عِلَّةً يُعْرَفُ بِهَا وَ يُسَلَّى عَنِ الْمُصَابِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْمُومَ وَ هُوَ الْبِرْسَامُ ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ الدَّاءَ بَعْدَهُ.

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ibn Faddal from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from Sa‘d ibn Tarif who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘People would just drop dead. Ibrahim (Abraham), ‘Alayhi al Salam, pleaded before Allah, ‘Would that You had created a cause for death t

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ الْحُمَّى رَائِدُ الْمَوْتِ‌[3] وَ هُوَ سِجْنُ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ هُوَ حَظُّ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنَ النَّارِ.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say that fever is the harbinger of death; it is the prison of Allah on earth and the share of a believing person from the fire.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَاتَ‌ دَاوُدُ النَّبِيُّ ع يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ مَفْجُوءاً فَأَظَلَّتْهُ الطَّيْرُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا وَ مَاتَ مُوسَى كَلِيمُ اللَّهِ ع فِي التِّيهِ فَصَاحَ صَائِحٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاتَ مُوسَى ع وَ أَيُّ نَفْسٍ لَا تَمُوتُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Prophet David died suddenly on a Saturday and birds provided shadow over his body. Moses died in the wilderness where he had lost his way. A voice cried from the sky, “Moses has died! Who is he that does not die?””’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ مَوْتَ الْفَجْأَةِ تَخْفِيفٌ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَ أَخْذَةُ أَسَفٍ عَنِ الْكَافِرِ[1].

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘A sudden death compensates (for the short comings) of a believing person but it is a regrettable grip for an unbeliever.’”

أَكْثَرُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ مِنْ مَوَالِينَا بِالْبَطَنِ الذَّرِيعِ.

“Al-Rida (a.s.), has said that most of our followers die from widespread stomach (internal) illness.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْحُمَّى رَائِدُ الْمَوْتِ وَ سِجْنُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي أَرْضِهِ وَ فَوْرُهَا مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ وَ هِيَ حَظُّ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مِنَ النَّارِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Fever is a harbinger of death and a prison of Allah on earth. Its heat is from hell and that is the share of a believing person (instead) of hellfire.’”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يُبْتَلَى بِكُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ وَ يَمُوتُ بِكُلِّ مِيتَةٍ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يَقْتُلُ نَفْسَهُ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ’A believing person may die by any form of death and suffer from any form of suffering; however, he does not kill himself.”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ مِيتَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَقَالَ يَمُوتُ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِكُلِّ مِيتَةٍ يَمُوتُ غَرَقاً وَ يَمُوتُ بِالْهَدْمِ وَ يُبْتَلَى بِالسَّبُعِ وَ يَمُوتُ بِالصَّاعِقَةِ وَ لَا تُصِيبُ ذَاكِرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

The Imam said, ‘A believing person may die by any form of death, such as by drowning, or collapse of a house, by beasts or thunderous lightening but not when speaking of Allah.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَبْتَلِي الْمُؤْمِنَ بِكُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ وَ يُمِيتُهُ بِكُلِّ مِيتَةٍ وَ لَا يَبْتَلِيهِ بِذَهَابِ عَقْلِهِ أَ مَا تَرَى أَيُّوبَ ع كَيْفَ سَلَّطَ إِبْلِيسَ عَلَى مَالِهِ وَ وُلْدِهِ وَ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْهُ وَ لَمْ يُسَلِّطْهُ عَلَى عَقْلِهِ تَرَكَ لَهُ مَا يُوَحِّدُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, places a believing person under any kind of test and trial and causes him or her to die by any form of death but He does not cause him or her to suffer the loss of reason. Consider the case of prophet Ayyub, how Satan controlled his property, chil