with the righteous.’ (Qur’an 12:101) He was not asking Allah to end his life in and of itself; rather, he was asking that, whenever Allah does take him, he be taken in a state of Islam. There is no harm in this. A person may say, for instance, “O Allah, cause me to die upon Islam, upon faith, upon tawḥīd (monotheism) and sincerity,” or, “Cause me to die while You are pleased with me,” and similar formulations.

One must therefore differentiate between someone who wishes for death because hardship has befallen him, and someone who wishes to die in a condition that Allah approves.

The first is what the Messenger ﷺ forbade, whereas the second is permissible.

The Prophet ﷺ prohibited yearning for death on account of affliction because the one who does so lacks patience. What is required is that a person endure the trial and expect his reward from Allah, for every worry, grief, illness, or any other hardship that reaches you wipes away sins; and if you seek the reward, it elevates your rank. Furthermore, the pain, sickness, and the like that touch a person do not last forever—they must come to an end. When they do, you will have earned good deeds by seeking reward from Allah, and your sins will have been expiated through that hardship, turning it into a blessing for you.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer! All of his affairs are good, and that is for no one but the believer: if hardship strikes him, he is patient and it is good for him; and if ease comes to him, he is grateful and it is good for him.” Thus, the believer, in every circumstance