Is The Smile On The Face Of A Dead Person An Indication of a good ending and peaceful hereafter?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The realm of the hereafter is one that is hidden to us. What has been clearly mentioned to us by Rasulullāh Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam regarding death and the afterlife is certain and absolute. Other than that, dreams, visions experienced by certain ascetics and pious people, outward indications and signs, etc. can only be speculated and hoped upon.
It cannot be said with certainty that the smile on the face of a dead person is a sign of a good ending. However, based on a number of Ahādīth, one may take the smile of a dead person to be a good sign. Consider the following narration:
Yahya Ibn Talhah Radiyallahu ‘Anhumā Narrates: ‘Umar (Radiyallahu ‘Anhu) saw Talhah (Radiyallahu ‘Anhu) in a sad state. He asked, ‘What is the matter? Has the leadership of your cousin saddened you?’ He replied, ‘No. (The matter is) I had heard from Rasulullah Sallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam a Hadīth regarding which nothing prevented me from asking him except bringing myself to do so, until he passed away. I heard him saying: I know of such a statement which if a person recites at the time of his death, his complexion (of the face) will be radiated and Allāh shall remove all difficulties from him.’ Umar (Radiyallahu ‘Anhu) said, ‘I know what that is.’ He asked, ‘What is it?’ (Umar Radiyallahu ‘Anhu) replied, ‘Do you know of a statement greater than the statement regarding Nabi Sallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam instructed his uncle (to recite) at the time of his death? It is: Lā ilāha illallāh.’ Talhah Radiyallahu ‘Anhu said, ‘You have stated the truth. By Allah! It is that very statement.” [1]
It is evident from the abovementioned Hadīth that the radiation on the face of a believer is a sign of a good death. From this, we may take the smile on the face of a dead person to be an indication towards good.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Nabeel Valli
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net
[1] مسند أحمد ط الرسالة (3/ 8) [مؤسسة الرسالة]
1384 – حَدَّثَنَا أَسْبَاطٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُطَرِّفٌ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: رَأَى عُمَرُ طَلْحَةَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ ثَقِيلًا. فَقَالَ: مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا فُلانٍ؟ لَعَلَّكَ سَاءَتْكَ إِمْرَةُ ابْنِ عَمِّكَ يَا أَبَا فُلانٍ؟ قَالَ: لَا. إِلا أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثًا، مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهُ إِلا الْقُدْرَةُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ، سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: إِنِّي لَأعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَا يَقُولُهَا عَبْدٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ، إِلا أَشْرَقَ لَهَا لَوْنُهُ وَنَفَّسَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَتَهُ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: إِنِّي لأعْلَمُ مَا هِيَ قَالَ: وَمَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ: ” تَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً أَعْظَمَ مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ أَمَرَ بِهَا عَمَّهُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلا اللهُ ” قَالَ طَلْحَةُ: صَدَقْتَ هِيَ وَاللهِ هِيَ