There Is No Escape from Death
God says in Verse 78 of Surah An-Nisa: “Wherever you are, death will overtake you, even if you shall be in the fortified, high towers. If bounty reaches them, they say: ‘This is from Allah,’ but when evil hits them, they say: ‘This is from you.’ Say to them: ‘All is from Allah!’ What is the matter with this people that they scarcely understand any statement.”
Death, from the Quran’s perspective is an experience that everyone will go through. It happens with the collapse of the system of body in one’s self-awareness or soul, and there is no escape from it even if one locks himself away in castles with strong walls and fortifications.
There is a story that goes like this: A king had had a big and magnificent palace built, with all principles of beauty and security having been observed. On the day of inauguration, he threw a big party and invited people from all walks of life. The king asked a dervish who was among the people attending the party what he thought about the palace. The dervish said it had been built very well but there was a gap that should be filled. The king got angry and said the dervish was speaking nonsense as he saw no gap. The dervish said yes, there was a gap because even if all of the doors and windows were closed, death could still enter the palace and catch its owner.
The second part of the verse is about the thoughts and remarks of the hypocrites. Whenever something good happens to them, they say it is from God (they boast about being God’s favorite) and whenever a hardship and adversity occurs, they blame it on the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his mission.
God in this verse openly responds to these hypocrites and any other such person, stressing that all is from God.
At the end of the verse, God says what is wrong with these people that they do not even try to understand.
The reason why they don’t try to understand is their selfishness. A selfish person pretends to be unaware of the facts so that he will not have to accept the realities that get in the way of his benefits and interests.
Selfishness is the peak of getting away from the truth and God. It is the pinnacle of loneliness and nearness to Satan.
