Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (p), 1448 A.H.

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2025 is the 7th of Safar 1448 A.H which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (p)

What Makes Death So Difficult?

Death is one of life’s greatest certainties, yet it is also one of its greatest fears. Most people do not fear death simply because life will end. They fear leaving behind what they know and stepping into what they have not prepared for. This reality invites each of us to ask an important question: What am I truly investing in?

Imam al-Hasan (p) offers a profound answer that encourages us to reflect on the way we live today. He (p) is reported to have said in response to someone who asked, “Why do we hate death?” “Because you have demolished your hereafter and constructed your world [at the expense of demolishing your hereafter], and you hate to move from construction to destruction“(Al-Sadouq, Maani al-Akhbar, p. 390).

With remarkable clarity, Imam al-Hasan (p) shifts the conversation away from death itself, and toward the life we are living now. The problem is not that death exists. Rather, it is that we often spend our energy building a comfortable worldly life while neglecting the eternal life that awaits us.

Our homes, careers, wealth, and accomplishments all have value, but they are temporary. If they become our only focus, the thought of leaving them behind naturally fills us with fear. Death feels like losing everything because we have invested everything here.

The Imam (p) reminds us that every prayer, every act of kindness, every moment of sincerity, and every good deed is a brick laid in our true home, the Hereafter. The more we build that eternal abode, the less frightening the journey toward it becomes.

This powerful saying is not meant to make us fear death, but to encourage us to live with purpose. We are called to build both this world and the next, without allowing worldly pursuits to come at the expense of our relationship with God.

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For more information about Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (p), click here.

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