The news of the death of an extremely popular celebrity, Michael Jackson, has shocked the world and millions of people are sad to hear of his death. Last year, there were reports in the media that Michael, whose brother is a Muslim, had accepted Islam as his religion. Whether or not this is true, is of little importance to you and me and Allah knows best the intentions and actions of each and every one of His creation. I don't know too much about Michael and how he spent his life but I get the impression that he was in search of happiness which he didn't fully achieve despite all the fame, money and the change in physical appearance!
We must remember that no amount of fame or wealth (or other type of success) can protect anybody from the certainty of death. In fact many of us will have ambitions that we plan to achieve and these are close to our hearts, yet achieving them is not a certainty. In fact, there is no certainty that a new born baby will speak when he grows up, there is no certainty that he will go to school, there is no certainty that he will get married and have kids. However, death is something which is guaranteed. Allah tells us in the Q'uran that "Every soul shall taste death; In the end to us shall ye be brought back" (Surah 29 Verse 57).
Yet we avoid thinking about the reality of death, and to avoid something is rarely a solution. Think about it, even the most popular man in the world has died in a state of stress. In that case, what can the life of this world offer to us? Allah has told us time and time again that the life of this world is limited and temporary so we must not be attached to what it offers. Instead we must remember the Guidance of Allah and strive to prepare ourselves for life after death. Our life on this earth must be spent with understanding of the life that follows, otherwise our lives will be empty and pointless. If you were living in a temporary house and you knew you wouldn't be there for long, would you not prepare yourself for leaving? Our condition is like the person who spends all his time decorating the temporary house, forgetting that he is there only for a short while.
