Should I Ignore What I Think Are Signs That I Will Die Soon?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I found Islam a year ago. I always prayed to get signs before I die so I could prepare myself, like cancer or something like that. I stopped praying in the middle of the year but started again two weeks ago.

Now I am getting so much death-related content on my social media from Islamic accounts that I started to think they are signs of my death and I am terrified. Am I overthinking?

Answer

Thank you for your question. Yes, you are overthinking it and you don’t need to fear that your death is imminent. Rather, prepare for it and be present with Allah in every moment.

Signs of Death

Getting death-related content on your social media is not something that you should take as a sign of your imminent death, but rather as an excellent reminder to hasten in learning about your religion and acting on it. I congratulate you on starting your prayers again, and I encourage you to defeat the Devil, and repent for the ones that you have missed. Focus right now on coupling your knowledge with good deeds, as that makes faith grow.

Please see all of these excellent reminders of death, its nature, and what to do about it:
What Is Some Prophetic Guidance on Remembering Death?
Signs of a Diseased Heart by Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi
What is Death? – By Shaykh Hamza Karamali

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.