Are You Prepared?
﷽
It’s been a month since I was admitted to the hospital. Yesterday, one of the nurses who first admitted me that day was assigned to me again. She said, “Oh, it’s so good to see you looking much better! Your cheeks are rosy now. When I admitted you, you were as white as this sheet.” I glanced at the crisp white sheet on my bed, remembering how fragile I felt when I first arrived.
This week, I learned more details about my emergency surgery. For the first time, I truly understood how close I came to death. It’s a humbling reflection. As Muslims, we know we are supposed to prepare for death—it’s inevitable, the ultimate meeting with Allah. Yet, the Prophet ﷺ warned us of a reality: “The nations will soon summon one another against you… because of your love for the world and your hatred for death.”
So I ask you, as I’ve been asking myself: How prepared are you to die today? What deeds have you sent forward to meet your Creator? If the answer feels unsettling, what needs to change?
I remember that day of my surgery vividly. I sat down with my morning coffee and bagel, coming off a serene night of tahajjud and fajr full of khushu. My adhkar left my heart at peace. But soon after, the most excruciating pain of my life began. I never imagined that surgery would lead to facing a health crisis that brought me to the brink. After my surgery the doctors kept telling me I was fine, although I did communicate I wasn’t fine, so I assumed it was a matter of simple recovery. Instead it turned into a prolonged complication Alhamdu’lillah
It’s moments like these that force us to confront our mortality. None of us knows when our time will come, yet we often live as if we have endless days ahead. I wasn’t thinking about death on the day I almost died. How prepared was I meet my Lord in that moment?And yet, the pain and the nearness of death have become a stark reminder that life is fragile and temporary.
So I leave you with two questions:
If you were to return to Allah today, would you be content with the deeds you’ve sent forward?
And if not, what changes will you commit to, starting now?
These aren’t questions to fear, but rather opportunities to realign and refocus. Allah, in His mercy, gives us moments like this to wake us up, to remind us to prepare—not out of dread, but out of hope for the eternal joy that lies with Him.
As for me, I’m using this time to reflect deeply and ask Allah for guidance, forgiveness and mercy.
Every moment in this hospital bed has been a lesson in gratitude, humility, struggle, change, and the urgency of preparing for what truly matters. I pray we can all make the most of the time we’ve been given.
With love and reflection,
Nour Cauveren