al-Anfas al-Akhira
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- Editions
- Dār al-Qāsim
al-Anfas al-Akhira (The Final Breaths) is an Islamic spiritual and admonitory treatise by Abd al-Malik bin Qasim (Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Qasim) focusing on the agony of dying and the deathbed accounts of the righteous predecessors.
Background and Composition
The book constitutes the twelfth installment in the author's devotional series Ayna Nahnu min Ha'ula'? (Where Are We Compared to These?). Al-Qasim stated in the introduction that he extracted and adapted its core material from his earlier work Lahazat Sakina (Still Moments) at the request of some peers.
Content and Themes
The work revolves around the reality of death, the severity of the death throes (sakarat al-mawt), and the moment of the soul's departure (al-ihtidar). Al-Qasim emphasizes that this worldly life is merely a transitional abode, underscoring the inevitability of death for all creations—including prophets, righteous believers, and sinners alike.
To illustrate the physical and spiritual hardships of dying, the author cites key Quranic passages describing the soul reaching the collarbones and the throat, such as وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ("And the agony of death comes in truth") [Qaf: 19], as well as verses from Surah al-An'am, Surah al-Waqi'ah, and Surah al-Qiyamah.
The central body of the text presents selected historical accounts depicting how the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions (Sahaba), and early ascetic scholars—such as Malik ibn Dinar—faced their final hours. The primary objective of compiling these narratives is to serve as a cautionary reminder ('ibrah) and a spiritual awakening for readers, urging them to abandon neglectfulness and prepare for the afterlife through righteous deeds and sincere repentance before their own death arrives.
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