Why do the pious people of Allah Ta’alacry their entire lives for a good death and seek refuge from a bad death? Why did Hazrat Yûsuf (Alaihis salaam) make this supplication:

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(???? ????? ???: 101)

“[O Allâh]! Make me die on Islam and join me with the righteous.” (Sûrah Yûsuf, 12: 101)

Is it possible for a Prophet to pass away in a state of unbelief? It is not possible, it is impossible. This is because Allah Ta’ala  only appoints such a person to prophet-hood who remains loyal throughout his life and whose soul is taken away on that loyalty. If not, one could raise an objection against the knowledge and selection of Allah Ta’ala. A person could say that He selected such a person as a Prophet whose end was evil. Allah Ta’alaforbid.

Hazrat Thânwî rahimahullâh asks: Why did Hazrat Yûsuf (Alaihis salaam) make this supplication:

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“[O Allâh]! Make me die on Islam and join me with the righteous.” (Sûrah Yûsuf, 12: 101)

Hakeem-ul-Ummah rahimahullâh explains in the marginal notes of Bayân al-Qur’ân under Masâ’il as-Sulûk that Allah Ta’alais demonstrating the fear of the Prophets (Alaihimus salaam):

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(???? ??????? ?: 1)

We learn the fear of the Prophets (Alaihimus salaam) from this verse despite the fact that they are ma‘sûm (divinely protected against sinning), and despite the fact that unbelief (kufr) with respect to them is impossible. No Prophet can be an unbeliever. They cannot express unbelief for a single moment. Yet he is asking Allah Ta’alato enable him to die on îmân – despite the fact that unbelief with respect to him is impossible. We learn from this that this is the grand status of the accepted servants of Allah Ta’ala. They have no conceitedness in them. Rather, they constantly fear Allah Ta’ala.

It shows that a person who is fearless is a dangerous person. He is not accepted by Allah Ta’ala. He has deviated from the super highway and main road. If the Prophets are making this supplication:

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(???? ????? ???: 101)

“[O Allâh]! Make me die on Islam and join me with the righteous.” (Sûrah Yûsuf, 12: 101)

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