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Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنه used to say
إِذَا أَمْسَيْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ الصَّبَاحَ، وَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ الْمَسَاء
"If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening“
{Narrated by Mujaahid; Sahih al Bukhaari 6416}
What a statement.
I feel like if a person was to truly ponder over this saying and really try to live by it, many problems in their life would be solved; as you’re constantly in a state of remembering death and the remembrance of death only brings about khayr.
You wouldn’t be putting things off and procrastinating. With every action you do and every word you utter you’d be conscious of Allah because you know that this could be one of the last things you do or say on this earth.
If you’re constantly in the mindset that you may not make it even until the next few hours, you’d be a person who’s always striving and exerting their efforts. And your prayers would truly be prayed as if they were your last.
The Prophet ﷺ said
أَكْثِرُوا ذِكْرَ هَاذِمِ اللَّذَّاتِ
‘Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures,’
{Narrated by Abu Hurairah; Sunan Ibn Maajah 4258}
Remembrance of death only brings about khayr.
