Learning to Die Khusnul Khatimah with Breath Dzikir

It is almost certain that all of us desire to die tranquilly. One of the ways to have it is through dawam the breath dzikir.

Death is closely associated with breath. When a person is exhaling and then no longer inhaling, he/she is said to be dead. Thus breath dzikir is very important, in that the last breath that we exhale is one which is while practicing dzikir to God. One of the important parts of human life is its ending. Thus, one of the targets that we strive in life is its beautiful ending.

The end point of this life is sakaratul maut, death's door. If at this point in time we can still practice dzikir, then certainly in the life after death we will find serenity and happiness. But if when the sakaratul maut, death's door, comes, we are not in a state of dzikir, then we will meet an unpleasant death.

The most instrumental in the atmosphere of sakaratul maut is our consciousness. Maybe we are not so attentive to or conscious of our body at that moment. At the moment facing sakaratul maut, the only thing remains is our consciousness and it will be mostly preoccupied with our habits in the discourse of life. If in life we are used to practice dzikir, then in the moment of death only dzikir do we practice.

If in this life one only loves his/her family, then when death comes only the images of family what comes into the consciousness. In that moment, too, the images of the dead family members –as if- come to life, and they persuade us to deny God.

Breath dzikir that we do will direct our soul to surrender to God. No science can be used to conquer death when we die, except to surrender to God. Death does not require science, whether the sciences of fiqh, tasawuf, tauhiq, etc. Science is no longer useful to deal with death. We no longer rely on science, nor do the good deeds that we have done. Only surrender, indeed, self-surrender that counts in moment of death. Self-surrender does not need science.

The practice of Breath Dzikir can train us to get ready to welcome death. Try to feel when we inhale and then exhale, followed by the attitude of surrender to God. When exhaling, do accompany it with a relaxed attitude to to free the muscles from tension. Then, slowly, close the eyes. This sensation is the same with the sensation when the spirit, ruh, leave the body.