From time to time Almighty Allah puts His servant to trial to test the strength of his/her faith. Unfortunately, many people fail the test and fall prey to Satan’s whisperings and schemes.
The death of our beloved ones is indeed a hard test. Only a Muslim who has firm belief and whose heart is wholly dedicated to his/her Lord will think differently and pass the difficult trial. This Muslim believes that all things and beings belong to Allah and all will return to Him. Besides, he/she knows that Muslims are promised to be rewarded for being patient with the tests of their Lord. Almighty Allah said: (And We will most certainly test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to those who are patient. Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return. Upon such as these are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and those are the rightly guided) (al Baqarah 2:155-157).
Satan readily takes the advantage of such moments of weakness to insinuate doubt, impatience, discontent, and even disbelief into the bereaved person’s heart. Therefore, a Muslim during such calamities should take refuge in his Lord and draw himself/herself closer to Him seeking His help to overcome the calamity and turn it into a blessing.
Therefore, a Muslim whose faith was affected as a result of death of parent or a close relative should try to enhance his belief and regain his resolve to stop succumbing to the whisperings of Satan. He should resist the doubts and evil thoughts it might want to cast on his mind. He should read the Qur’an and contemplate it. He should return with his heart to his Lord so as to forgive his negligence of His obligations. He should recharge his faith by constant remembrance of Allah, observing obligatory prayers, reading Qur’an attentively and thinking of the Hereafter and the day when he will be held accountable for all he has done and all he has missed.
Moreover, he should seek Allah’s forgiveness and mercy for his father or relative and work righteously to let his prayers be answered.