One day, a person asked Imam al-Jawad (a), “why do most people fear death?”
Imam al-Jawad (a) answered, “Since people are ignorant about death and do not have knowledge about it, fear it; and if they knew death and considered themselves servants of Allah(God) the Almighty and became the friends and followers of the pure and infallible Ahl al-Bayt (a), they would become happy and optimistic about death and realized that the abode of the hereafter is absolutely better for them than this finite world; (meaning that believing in One God and the honorable Prophet (s) of Islam and the Twelve Imams (a) leads to salvation).
Do you know why children and insane ones are pessimistic about some medicines and cures and do not like them, while they are beneficial for their health and removes their pains and problems?
They fear medicines because they are ignorant and do not know that medicine saves them.
For a person who makes himself always ready for death and is not indifferent about his actions and manners, death will be best of cures and salvation.
Thus, after believing in God and the honorable Prophet (s) of Islam and Twelve Imams (a), we should observe our actions, avoid sins and do righteous deeds and then, there would be no fear of death.
Source:
Ikhtisas, Shaykh Mufid, p. 55.
