We should not be afraid of death.

 

42. Death to the spiritually alive believer is nothing more than a pathway leading to the next spiritual life. The writings of God tell us that we should not be afraid of death: Death to the spiritually enlightened soul is nothing but a doorway into the next life, there is nothing to be afraid of, the cage is broken open the soul is set free. The Bahá’í Faith, the Bábí religion, and stories in Christianity and Islam are filled with such wonderful recounts of such individuals who heroically stepped forward and took their place at the table of glorious martyrdom and winged their flight into the spiritual kingdom of God. This book is not big enough to tell the story of such individuals. In the Bábí religion and The Bahá’í Faith over twenty thousand individuals winged their flight into the next world, through martyrdom, within the first six years alone  Babi Religion: “O THOU Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love. Sufficient witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the Protector, the Ancient of Days.” (The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 59); and that’s not touching on the stories found in Christianity and Islam and the other religions. (See God’s messengers and chosen ones are persecuted for more information) The bottom line is: that, not only should we not be afraid of death, but we should prepare ourselves for the eventual event, because death is unquestioningly on the horizon in our lives and we should prepare ourselves for the unavoidable occurrence in advance. (See we are born here in this world to prepare for the next life for more information) So, the way I see it, from what I’ve read of the religious writings of God, we have no choice in the matter, so God wants us to make the best of it, and face this spiritual rebirth into our next stage of existence with bravery and anticipation.  Judaism: Ecclesiastes 7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.” Death is not something we should be afraid of in this world. For those individuals who are right with God death is, in fact, a messenger of joy to those people longing for the next life: Psalms 116:15 “Precious in the sight of The LORD is the death of his saints.” Ecclesiastics 7:8 “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.” 2 Maccabees “But when he was ready to die with stripes, he groaned, and said, It is manifest unto The Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear Him.” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha)  Christianity: 1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1:4 “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice,” 2 Corinthians 1:6 “And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 1 Peter 2:19 “For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.” 1 Peter 2:20 “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” 1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:22 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” 1 Peter 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously:” 1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 5:9 “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 5:10 “But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 5:11 “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 1:13 “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;” 1:14 “Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath.” Matthew 24:9 “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

 ISLAM: 94. “If the last Home, with Allah (God), be for you specially, and not for anyone else, then seek ye for death, if ye are sincere.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: “The Prophet said, ‘Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah’s Cause).”’

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 4)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 2. “I come into this world, I accept evil, I resign myself to death; With the mind in joy and the soul in bliss.” 7. “And we worship the glorious works of Righteousness in which the souls of the dead find satisfaction and delight [(Pazand) which are the Fravashis of the saints], and we worship (Heaven) the best world of the saints shining, all glorious.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Yasna 16, and Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: “The bliss that You give to the heroes (martyrs) O Mazda (God), through Your bright light, even to them pierced with iron, furnishes testimony of the existence of two selves.” (mind and soul) “Consciousness falls into two parts: the witnessing consciousness (the soul) and the witnessed consciousness. The soul is ever delightful. It is only the mind which is affected by outward circumstances. One who has learned to identify himself with the soul can be delightful in every situation. Do not identify yourself with the mind; identify yourself with the soul (witness- self) and all agonies instantly vanish. When one knows the true self, he is not afraid of anything, not even death.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 743 and 745)

 HINDUISM: “This is all we have, or need;’ being weak at heart With wants, seekers of Heaven: which comes- they say- As ‘fruit of good deeds done;”’ 9. “For that man who obeys the law prescribed in the revealed texts and in the sacred tradition, gains fame in this (world) and after death unsurpassable bliss.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 and Laws of Manu chapter 2)

 BUDDHISM: 10. “Whoever seeking one’s own happiness inflicts pain on others who also want happiness will not find happiness after death.” “Whoever seeking one’s own happiness does not inflict pain on others who also want happiness will find happiness after death.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 18. “You are now like a withered leaf; the messengers of death have come near you. You stand at the threshold of your departure. Have you made provision for your journey? Make yourself an island; work hard; be wise. When your impurities are purged and you are free from guilt, you will enter into the heavenly world of the noble ones.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “Enlightened and enlightening are words of light to the souls of this masiqta. Sure, assured, armed and prepared, resplendent and beauteous (are they) these souls of this ascent.” (the raising) (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 47)

Sabeanism: “Raising my eyes and lifting up my countenance toward the Place which is all portals of radiance, light, glory, beauty, repute and honour and to the Abode which is all beams of light; I adore, laud and praise the Mighty, Strange (other-worldly) life.” “The assembly of souls which proceeded from Him, on the Last Day, when they leave their bodies, will rejoice in Him, will embrace Him and will rise up and behold the outer Ether and the everlasting Abode. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 9)

Sabeanism: “Took me and cast me into a physical body That is all sour and bitter fluids and decaying substances. (There) the soul remaineth and waiteth in the hostel of the body Which He had bequeathed her: sitteth and watcheth over it Till its measure and count were accomplished. When its measure and count were accomplished The Deliverer came to her; To her came the Deliverer Who loosed her and bore her away: To it, and to that place, those souls That are called upon And signed by this sign, are summoned and invited. They shall behold the great Place of Light And the abiding Abode. And Life be praised.” “Bliss and peace there will be On the road which Adam attained: Bliss and peace there shall be On the road which the soul traverseth. The soul hath loosed her chain and broken her bonds; She hath shed her earthly garment.” “I shall depart and come towards You after a (ritually) perfect departure (death), with pure oil, and with the proven Sign;” “How much I look forward to the day when my struggle is over, to the day when my struggle is over and my course is set towards the Place of Life, I hasten and proceed thither.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- 68, 69 and 410 and The Song of Ascent, Adam)

 BABI RELIGION: “It is scarcely likely, according to the opinion of those who have close knowledge of this sect, that these persecutions can halt the propagation of the reformist doctrine of the Báb. The view of its adherents is not to fear death; they consider it similar to a Divine bounty to which they aspire.”

(Moojan Momen, The Babi  and Baha’i Religions, p. 390)

 Babi Religion: “Great as have been until now my sorrows, they can never compare with the agonies that I would willingly suffer in Thy name. How can this miserable life of mine, the loss of my wife and of my child, and the sacrifice of the band of my kindred and companions, compare with the blessings which the recognition of Thy Manifestation has bestowed on me! Would that a myriad lives were mine, would that I possessed the riches of the whole earth and its glory, that I might resign them all freely and joyously in Thy path.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 571)

 Babi Religion: “When they were preparing to saw that brave man asunder, he stretched out his feet without fear or hesitation, while he recited these verses: ‘I hold this body as of little worth; A brave man’s spirit scorns its house of earth. Dagger and sword like fragrant basil seem, Or flowers to deck death’s banquet with their gleam.’” (The “Tarikh-i-Jadid,” pp. 228-30.)]

(Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 619)

BAHA’I FAITH: “O SON OF THE SUPREME! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

Baha’i Faith: “O SON OF MAN! Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet of thy spirit. Should this not be in thy power, then make thine ink of the essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do, then write with that crimson ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all else, that its light may endure for ever.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

Baha’i Faith: “Were ye but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth, prefer a myriad grief’s unto this joy, and would count death itself better than this life.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Persian Hidden Words)