Michael Jackson’s $25,000 gold-plated bronze coffin (hand-polished).
This post is a brief and timely diversion from our tafseer series.
Michael Jackson was one of the most popular and well-known celebrities and icons of the western world; and now, he’s dead. As Muslims, what lessons can we learn from this event? I’ve listed below some of the lessons that came to my mind:
- Your Life is a Box. The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) once drew a dot in the sand, and lines radiating out from it; he said (paraphrased), “this is the human, and their plans/desires.” To live forever, to amass huge wealth, to do this or that thing in their life … he (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) then drew a box that cut through those lines, and he said (paraphrased): “This is a human’s life.” No matter what you intend, your goals, your dreams, your hopes, when Allah pulls the plug, He pulls the plug.
- Your Appointment is Already Scheduled. If anyone would’ve escaped death by virtue of wealth, or status, or love of the people, it would’ve been Jackson–but he didn’t. He was a celebrity, and perhaps one of the top celebrities; and yet, all that did nothing for him–because the appointment with Malik-al-Mawt, the angel of death, cannot be delayed even one second.
- You Die Doing What You Love. There was a statement (can’t remember the source) that malik al-mawt comes to a person when they’re doing the thing that they love most. If you look historically, you’ll see the validity; and here, too, it happened while Michael Jackson was planning the ultimate comeback. This is a wake-up call to everyone who thinks they’ll repent “later.” Later never comes; and by then, maybe your heart is already sealed from all the sins you accumulated on it. Turn back to Allah NOW. Don’t set yourself up to die in the midst of sins upon sins.
- One Man Can Make a Difference. Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) changed the world utterly and completely. Michael Jackson touched the lives of millions of people across the globe. Take heart from it: you, too, can make a difference in the world. So dream big, and have big goals. As Muhammad Alshareef reminded us, the reward is based on the intention–so if you intend huge, massive, amazing good deeds (with a sincere intention to do them–and the proof is in the action you take towards them), then you’ll get the reward insha’Allah, whether you make it or not! How awesome is that?
- Start Early. One of the things about Michael Jackson is that he started practicing his trade at a very young age; while most people spend their time here and there, very few have the focus and willpower to remain upon one thing for hours upon hours. If you focus, and start early, you can achieve an extremely high degree of proficiency. As one rule of thumb says, it takes 10,000 hours (3.5 years if you work at it 8 hours a day) to become a world-class master. So choose what to work on, and start working on it!
- Knowledge that Benefits. Rumours spread upon Michael Jackson’s death about whether he’s a Muslim or not; Muslim Matters has several posts on this topic. In the end, this is a lesson that we should learn what benefits us, and leave what doesn’t. Are you going to witness his janaazah personally? Then what difference does it make? The fact that there are still rumours about it, only guarantees that people will spend hours and hours and hours reading about it. (And then we complain that we “don’t have time to read Qur’an,” hmm …)
- People Forget. At time of writing, it’s been about two and a half weeks since he died. Already, the media coverage is decreasing; within a month, a year, two, ten, hardly anybody will remember him or care anymore. This already happened to so many people before us–scholars, celebrities, scientists, charitable people, even prophets, who had their teachings left behind. So then why are we trying to earn the love of the people? We spend so much time and money and energy on it now, and if we disappear for even a year, we’re forgotten. So strive for the love of Allah instead, because the reward of that has no ending.
Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam. I want to reiterate that these are my personal reflections on this event; regardless, we should take benefit from those things around us, and leave what doesn’t benefit us.
Action Item:
- Share your own lessons and reflections from the death of Michael Jackson in the comments. The more benefit, the better, insha’Allah.
It’s amazing how human beings always think they can do anything. Subhanallah, he had such a huge 50-year-anniversary set of concerts planned, and from some reports, he was so sure he could do it, even arrogant that nothing could stop him–and Allah pulled the plug. Subhanallah.
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it is a real eye opener for all ,i have received so many mails with videos in which there were so many Muslims tried to prove that he was a Muslim,most of them were fake.this post is the first real thing which we all Muslim need right now.death is the biggest truth, we all have to face it .it is a true teacher which can open our eyes and mind .o’Allah show us the thing as they are and increase our knowledge amin.
wassalam
Asaslam alaikum.
This is a beautiful and timely post and I hope everyone benefits from it.
Regarding your comment, I dont think its fair to say that he was arrogant and thought he could do it. Despite the fact that we can learn from his mistakes, we should be careful not to say anything bad about people that passed away, Muslim or not.
Infact he had big financial debt problems and one of the ways he managed to pay it off is that his creditors convinced him to go on another concert tour, despite the fact that he was “retired” already.
I think we can look at it in two ways, and we don’t really know what was in his heart. Maybe he was confident, and had trust in God (whoever he believed in) that he could do it, or maybe he depended on himself and was arrogant… who knows
Abdullah
@Abdullah, wa’alikum as-salaam. Those people who spoke to him, testified that he was VERY CONFIDENT that he could pull it off, and that he was certain that nothing and nobody could stop him. I asked my sources specifically about arrogance, and the portrayal of his confidence.
So Allahu ‘alam.
asalamualaikum,
this is a very nice post, mashaallah.
One’s place is not always there waiting for him. When we live, it is a matter of lunacy to think that we won’t die since we were nothing before.
Every humanbeing is a mortal, but the temporary richness of the life of this world has washed away the rememberance of the concept of this mortality, so arogance towards law of nature becomes prevalent.
I have no so much to say about Michael’s death. My feelings about him is mild-not sorrow nor joy. Whenever I hear about death, what comes to my mind is the day of my death. I do not fear death; what I fear is Judgment-an undeniable fact.
Also, what I only want to say is that people must be very careful of how they live. Corruption has spread over the earth, and mischief is the centre of affairs in every sphear of life.
Whenever I am preaching to my students, most of them show the face of denial about the day of recompense, but I say: “Death is a door to heaven as birth is a door to this world. And remember, if you send your child to perform a task, you definitely will ask him/her to give accout of how the task was performed.” The judgment of Michael is what should be in the minds of mankind.
The problem I have is that, I want your organization to answer me this very controversial question: ” What is the difference among Heaven, Hell, and Paradice?” and “What is Predestination, and The pay of Human mistakes?
@Wahhab in Hassan, I’m not sure what exactly it is you want me to answer. I will attempt to answer the questions you’ve presented, from what I think you’re asking.
1) The difference between “paradise” and “heaven” is nothing. They are the same; however, linguistically, in English, “heaven” is a term loaded with Christian connotations; not so much so for paradise.
Heaven and Hell are, of course, polar opposites; one is the eternal abode of the successful, and one of the losers; this is detailed very frequently in the Qur’an, and also in the sunnah.
As for “the pay of human mistakes,” I think you mean “what will happen to sinners and wrong-doing people?” This is also detailed in the Qur’an. For the one who has a balance of sins, more than good deeds, they will end in Hellfire. For those who are non-Muslims, as the Prophet told us, the reward of their deeds is in this life; they go to the hereafter without any good deeds.
As for predestination, this is a complex and deep subject; you can sum it up as: Human beings have free will. Allah knows what they will do, even before they do it. And some things are already “written” for you, that they will happen irrespective of what you do–such as the date and time of your death; calamities that will befall you; and other things. At the end of the day, you don’t know your Qadar, so it doesn’t affect you–just be thankful and patient with whatever Allah throws your way.
Wallahu ‘alam.
ZOHAIB
THESE R VERY NICE POSTS.