Reflections on Death - 'No Hope of Fulfilment Is In Sight'

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

20 May 2023

Koi Ummeed Bar Nahin Aati

Koi Soorat Nazar Nahin Aati

Maut Ka Ik Din Muayyan Hai

Neend Kyon Raat Bhar Nahin Aati

Mirza Asadullah Khan "Ghalib'

(None of the hopes is fulfilled/ No hope of fulfilment is in sight/ The day of death is predestined/ Why does sleep elude all night?)

Maine Poochha Jo Zindagi Kya Hai

Haath Se Gir Ke Jaam Too Gaya

Gopal Mittal

(When I asked, what was life/ The goblet fell from the hand and broke into pieces)

Har Maut Pe Sogvaar Hota Hoon

Insaan Hoon, Isliye Rota Hoon

Nashtar ' Nishapuri’

(I feel sad over every death/ I'm a human, therefore, I cry)

Har Lamha Ehsaas-E-Maut Hai Mujhe

Ye Hayaat Maut Ki Nigraani Mein Hai

(I'm aware of death every moment/ This life is under the surveillance of death)

 

 

Death is a sad and rude awakening. It's a constant reminder of our mortality.

Centuries ago, the great mystic Fariduddin Attar was going with his four disciples. Suddenly they heard plaintive cries come out of the house. “Someone is dead,” said one of the disciples. “Yes, very sad,” replied the mystic. “Sad??”  “A mystic is never sad. Death mustn’t unnerve an enlightened person like you.” “Does enlightenment mean no feelings or sense of absence? A normal human being always feels sad when someone close departs and he must feel sorry at the thought that the departed person will never come back. The so-called enlightenment has nothing to do with it, because death can’t be philosophized or intellectualized.” said the great mystic and the putative master of Jalaluddin Rumi.

Indeed, death cannot be philosophized. All the useless talks of glorifying death and attempts of romanticizing it are vain and futile. Death is frightening and in the words of French existentialist Albert Camus, “We glamorize death with a view to taking away its sting. Who has seen what is going to happen once you die.” Eulogizing death is a failed endeavour to perpetuate life in absentia. John Donne may have written, “Death, be not proud,” but how many of us know that the great metaphysical poet also wrote, “I don’t want to die”?

And our sad reactions to death of someone are absolutely normal. Because, any man’s death must diminish us. Otherwise, why are we human beings? It's because of the fear of death, ancient Egyptians used to mummify the dead body. Because a relatively intact human body was deemed to be an act of defiance to death. We can only feel at peace with death when we realize that we have lost someone.

 When a person shuffles off the mortal coil, he shuffles it off forever. English essayist Charles Lamb wrote in a letter to his sister," Her death makes me realize that we're all so helpless. When death strikes, it doesn't think or differentiate, who's its prey. It just takes the person away so imperceptibly. Ruthlessness, thy name's death! Now, we'll never be able to see our mother. But our tears will not let her memories dry up." That's the reason, one must weep, when someone near and dear is no more. Because, weeping doesn't let the memories get arid. And memories of the deceased must remain with us because we're not wooden creatures as to be unaffected by the eternal departure. Weeping over death has a sobering effect on the individuals. It's nature's catharsis. The 'rudalis' (hired mourners) of western Rajasthan make people cry, so that their pain and pathos may find an outlet.

Akbar cried when he heard that Maharana Pratap was no more. He felt as well as realized that his redoubtable opponent would never return to fight because to quote Sahir Ludhianvi from his immortal song, ' Jo Vaada Kiya Woh Nibhana Padega,' in the movie Taj Mahal (1963): Sabhi Ahle-Duniya Ye Kahte Hain Hum Se/ Aata Nahin Koi Mulke-Adam Se (The people tell me, no one comes from the land of death). Indeed none come from there.    

And why should we feel embarrassed to shed tears when death strikes? Should we rejoice? Should we laugh? And should we call it just another journey? The problem with all of us is that we try to act against our nature and end up cutting a sorry figure. Reason often leaves us disillusioned.

The great Adi Shankaracharya didn’t perform the last rites of his mother, nor did he weep when she died. But, he confessed in the end, why he was required to show his foolish stoicism when his mother died.

We must be true to ourselves and evince our sentiments as is expected of us. We must feel sorry where it’s required and happy when the occasion demands. We are all mortals and it doesn’t behove us to act like otherwise. In a nutshell, fear of death is inherent in all thinking creatures. No embellishment can rationalise it. Accept death to be the final blow, of which you can never recover.

To quote Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, 'Whenever I hear that someone is no more, I start reflecting on my own end.' Though it sounds too sombre, the fact is that every sensitive person looks at death with respect to his own departure from this world. Death is a greater teacher than life.

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.

 

URL:   https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/reflections-death-fulfilment-sight/d/129812

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