What are the means of making death, the grave and the Day of Resurrection stations of joy and happiness?
Question

                What are the means and factors that will make death, the grave and the Day of Resurrection stations of joy and happiness for the Muslim?
Praise be to Allah.
	Firstly:

	Death, the grave 
	and the Day of Resurrection are three difficult, frightening and terrifying 
	stations. Death is the point at which one’s deeds come to an end, the grave 
	is the first stage of the hereafter, and the Day of Resurrection is a day of 
	horror and reckoning, after which there is nothing but Paradise with its 
	eternal bliss or Hell with its intense heat.

	Whoever prepares 
	well for that, by believing and doing righteous deeds, and taking all 
	measures to equip himself for that, is smart and wise.

	At the first 
	stage, which is death, he will be given the glad tidings that he will soon 
	meet Allah, so he will love to meet Allah and Allah will love to meet him, 
	as al-Bukhaari (6507) and Muslim (2683) narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, 
	from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said: 
	“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to 
	meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” ‘Aa’ishah said: But we hate death. He 
	said: “That is not what I mean. But when death comes to the believer, he is 
	given glad tidings of the good pleasure of Allah and honour from Him, so 
	nothing is dearer to himj than what lies ahead of him, and he loves to meet 
	Allah and Allah loves to meet him. But when death comes to the disbeliever, 
	he is given the tidings of the wrath and punishment of Allah, so nothing is 
	more hateful to him than what lies ahead of him, and he hates to meet Allah 
	and Allah hates to meet him.”

	It was said that 
	when the righteous person is carried to his grave, he asks the people 
	carrying his bier to speed up and hasten to take him to his grave, as was 
	narrated by Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: 
	The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: 
	“When the body is placed on the bier, and the men carry it on their 
	shoulders, if (the deceased) was righteous, he says, ‘Take me forward, take 
	me forward.’ But if he was not righteous, he says: ‘Woe is me! Where are 
	they taking me?’ Everything hears his voice except humans; if a human heard 
	it, he would fall unconscious.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1314).

	When he reaches 
	the second stage, which is the grave, his righteous deeds come to him and 
	console him, and his grave is made wide and expanded for him; a door is 
	opened to Paradise for him, and some of its breezes and fragrance come to 
	him, as is mentioned in the lengthy hadith of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib, in which 
	it says, after the believer answers the three questions: “Then a voice calls 
	out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed 
	from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to 
	Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is 
	made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a 
	handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive 
	the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you? 
	Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your 
	righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to 
	my family and my wealth.’…”

	Narrated by 
	Ahmad (17803) and Abu Dawood (4753); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in 
	Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz (p. 156).

	Then when he 
	reaches the third stage, the Trumpet will be blown and the people will 
	depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds 
	there (cf al-Zalzalah 99:6), and they will be in a state of panic. The sun 
	will be brought near to them, and there will befall them such extreme 
	distress that they will not be able to bear it, but the believer who did 
	righteous deeds will be resurrected safe and sound; the angels will meet him 
	with glad tidings, he will be in the shade of the Throne of the Most 
	Gracious, and he will be given a delightful drink from the cistern of 
	al-Kawthar, after which he will never thirst again. He will be given an easy 
	reckoning, then he will proceed to Paradise as vast as the heavens and the 
	earth, in confirmation of the words of Allah, may He be exalted, 
	(interpretation of the meaning):

	“They 
	will not be grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them, 
	[saying], "This is your Day which you have been promised”

	[al-Anbiya’ 
	21:103].

	Secondly:

	The best means 
	that will make death, the grave and the Day of Resurrection stations of joy 
	and happiness for the believer are belief in Allah and righteous deeds, as 
	Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“The ones whom 
	the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, 
	‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do’”

	[an-Nahl 16:32]

	“Indeed, those 
	who have believed [in Prophet Muhammad] and those [before Him] who were Jews 
	or Sabeans or Christians - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the 
	Last Day and did righteousness - no fear will there be concerning them, nor 
	will they grieve”

	[al-Maa’idah 
	5:69]

	“Indeed, those 
	for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us - they are from it far 
	removed.

	They will not 
	hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding 
	eternally.

	They will not be 
	grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them, [saying], 
	‘This is your Day which you have been promised’”

	[al-Anbiya’ 
	21:101-103].

	To the extent 
	that the Muslim’s heart believed in Allah and his physical faculties did 
	righteous deeds, he will attain safety, happiness and joy in the hereafter.

	Such factors 
	cannot be limited; rather everything that is mentioned in the Qur’an and 
	Sunnah of hastening to do good deeds, persisting in righteous deeds, helping 
	others, and competing with others in doing good and righteous deeds, is 
	included in that which will bring one closer to Allah and will bring greater 
	joy in this world and the hereafter.

	And Allah knows 
	best.