Allah has informed us in the Qur’an, “O you who have believed, when you are told, “space yourselves” in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you.” (58:11)
Making space for people is a way of acknowledging and respecting their presence. If guests visit us at home, it is from the hospitality of a believer that we seat them first. This automatically makes them feel welcome. Especially for new guests, a new space can be daunting. This is even more so when the house is full of other guests and relatives. When such a person enters our homes, even if all the seats are taken, to give your seat up for him is welcoming. It will immediately comfort him. But to ignore him, and to leave him standing whilst the rest are seated and talking, will make him want to leave your home rather than stay.
There is no space more daunting than the grave. There is no space more lonelier than the grave either. Our stay there will far outdo our stay on this earth. Thus, to welcome and comfort the righteous, Allah will widen the grave. Open spaces are calming. For those who live in towns and cities, notice how relaxing a trip to the countryside feels, or a park or any open space. This is why Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم taught us to make dua:
اللهم اغفر لي ذنبي ، ووسع لي في داري ، وبارك لي في رزقي
“O Allah! Forgive me for my sins, make spacious my home and bless me in my sustenance.” (Tirmidhi)
This dua can be interpreted as asking Allah for a big house to accommodate for a large family. But not everyone can have a spacious home. Therefore, we are asking Allah to help us find spaciousness in the home we have, even if it is small. Thus, when Allah widens the grave, it will be as far as our eyes can see. It will be far more bigger than we need, simply to calm our hearts. Such a restful stay in the grave will be rewarded only to those who believed, followed by the ultimate reward in the hereafter. May Allah make us from amongst them, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 26/12/18 in Masjid-ut-Taqwa, Pietermaritzburg. To listen to the full talk, please click here.