on This Earth

In this series of posts, we focus on our connection with different places and time. Time is an integral aspect of nature because it shapes the natural rhythm of life. From the seasonal cycle to the daily cycle that governs the ecosystem.

In this final post of this series, we tackle the issue of death. One of the most natural time in life is death. Death is the one constant none can escape from. I am reminded of it again a few months ago when I got news of the death of a friend. She was about a decade younger than me. I lost my mother at age 20, a very close cousin at 28, and more since then. I learned at a young age that death can visit anyone and anything without notice. My first memorable encounter with death was the death of my beloved rabbit at age 5. One morning, I found her/him dead. No known cause of death.

Yet today, death is a topic rarely discussed. We are so uncomfortable with the concept of death even though we are faced with the reality daily. Especially with the daily horrors of the genocide in Gaza. So in this post, I want to explore nature’s perspective on death. This post will focus on two of the four key principles – observation and reflection.

Observing Death

Death is an integral part of nature. Everything on this Earth faces death. As autumn sets and the leaves fall, the reminder of death is all around us. My eyes often track a falling leaf as it drifts to the ground. And when it is dried up, stepping on it makes one of the most satisfying crunching sounds I enjoy. But the journey of death for the leaf goes further than my naked eye can see. It slowly decays, broken up into nutrients that goes back to the soil. It is transformed. Similarly for annual plants who die in the autumn and winter.

A few days ago, on a walk, I came across a skeleton of some type of fairly large bird. It had obviously been dead for quite some time. I took a few moments to wonder if scavengers had eaten most of it. Even roadkill, as much as I get upset at seeing them, would hopefully feed scavengers and other animals. I make it a point to bury the dead mice my cats bring home as they contribute to the soil. Death is part of the ecosystem; predators feed on their prey. But even predators can become prey in the wild as part of the food chain or web.

In today’s world where we can find almost anything in the supermarket, we have lost sight of this food web. For example, the consumption (death) of vegetation on land fuel the herbivores. In turn, they are consumed by the carnivores and omnivores going further up the chain. At the end of life, even for the top predators, their decomposition nourishes the soil necessary for vegetation growth. Everything is interconnected and therefore each death serves at least one purpose if not more.

Every living thing has a consciousness whether we call it soul or spirit or something else. In death, that consciousness is no longer there. I have not only observed it with human and animals but plants too. The vibrancy and the ability to communicate that is inherent just goes away, leaving a shell behind. It is quite a stark difference once the consciousness is gone.

I have observed that loss of consciousness many a time but one particular event stays with me. This can be triggering so be warned to skip this paragraph if it is going to upset. I was cooking that fateful morning and the cats were just doing their own usual activities, or so I thought. I heard Chewie calling me but ignored it. He called me again and I turned around to see him shuddering and collapsing. I tried to revive him but he, Chewie, was gone. The bright spark of life dulled, no longer moving. I couldn’t see his beautiful soul in his eyes any longer. The spirit has been severed from the material. What made Chewie Chewie was no longer there. That was why Anakin ignored the body even though he moped for a long time afterwards.

Reflection

That consciousness is the essence of life but a mystery to everyone of us as to what it is. It reminds me of a verse in the Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra’ (17:85) where God answered the question about the soul.

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا

They ask you about the Rūḥ. Say: The Rūḥ is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given but little knowledge.

Truly how little is our knowledge about the consciousness that resides in each living being. Yet, that consciousness is what makes each being who they are. Death is a reminder of how beautiful and precious that consciousness is. In fact, it is the interactions of the various consciousness that create the beauty that we observe around it. Our own knowledge of the soul expand through these interactions, giving us glimmers of understanding of the Lord of Souls. It is also a reminder of how little a time we’ve been given to interact with the various beautiful souls. We need to cherish every moment that we have with loved ones.

I have been contemplating about death for as long as I can remember. My favourite poem on death is one I learned in secondary school: “Death The Leveller” by James Shirley

The glories of our blood and state
 Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against Fate;
 Death lays his icy hand on kings:
       Sceptre and Crown
       Must tumble down,
 And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crookèd scythe and spade.

Some men with swords may reap the field,
 And plant fresh laurels where they kill:
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
 They tame but one another still:
       Early or late
       They stoop to fate,
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.

The garlands wither on your brow,
 Then boast no more your mighty deeds!
Upon Death’s purple altar now
 See where the victor-victim bleeds.
       Your heads must come
       To the cold tomb:
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in their dust.

The message is clear; in death, only our good deeds will be remembered. In Islam, there is a concept that only three things will remain with us after death as reported in the following saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him:

“When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end, except three: Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who will pray for him.”

All these three stems from the good deeds of the person. The ongoing charity stems from charity he has given earlier that continue to benefit others long after his death. Similarly beneficial knowledge is his knowledge that continue to be used and passed on to future generations. And the third, if he has children, he must have passed down good moral values for them to be of good character.

It is therefore important for us to look at our own deeds before our death. Sharing something I wrote on this topic back on 2006:

Death approaches

Sometimes we are so caught up with our daily activities, our work, our family, etc. that we forget that we’re mortal.  That sooner or later, death approaches and we will have to answer its call.

A close cousin of mine, who should be the same age as I am, died when he was 28.  My mom passed away when she was 44.  And last night, I visited another cousin who is dying of cancer.  In his mid-forties, he has two small children who are not even in school yet.  And I remember a friend who was barely 20 when he was struck by lightning.   And yet, my grandmother who is 93 and suffering from alzheimers is still strong, healthwise. 

So, youth is not a deterrent for death and we must be prepared for its approach. For all of us will have to face death sooner or later.  A saying in Islam goes something like this:

Embrace life/Work/Strive as if you’re going to live forever but prepare for death as if you’re going to die tomorrow.

I was reflecting on my preparation for death.  As a Muslim, am I prepared to meet my Maker?  Will He be pleased or angry or disappointed with me?  What have I done to please Him?  What have I done to incur His displeasure?  Have I achieved the purpose with which He had sent me to this Earth? Do I even know what that purpose is?  Have I been to preoccupied with this world? Have I forgotten that my visit here is brief when compared to the Hereafter?

Death approaches and do I cower from it or do I embrace it?  I saw how gracious my mom was when she embraced death.  She was prepared to return to her Creator and she prepared us all for the separation.  I hope when my time comes, I can be as gracious and as assured.  She left me with this:

Be humble! 

Humility and the acceptance of our destination – “to Him do all return”

Peace.

As I finish this series, I am taking my own advice to cherish the time I have with loved ones. There will be a last post for the parallel series next week. Then I will be taking a break from posting this month and enjoy the winter break with family. God willing, see you in the new year.