Does the death of an elderly person cause calamity or a decrease in barakah (blessing) for his surviving family members?
Question

                We have a saying in our culture when elderly people die; they say that calamity will befall the surviving family members. They also say that their death will cause a decrease in Allah’s blessing (barakah) for the surviving relatives.

How can we understand these words in accordance with Islam? Is what they say correct?
Praise be to Allah.
    Death is a great calamity and trial, with 
    which a person’s good deeds and lifespan come to an end, and the individual 
    goes to meet his Lord. If he did good then the outcome will be good, and if 
    he did evil than the outcome will be bad. Death causes tears to flow, 
    saddens the heart and provokes grief. 

    Allah, may He be exalted, says 
    (interpretation of the meaning): “And certainly, We shall test you with 
    something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad 
    tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)” [al-Baqarah 2:155]. Loss 
    of lives is included among the calamities that may befall people. 

    And Allah knows best. 

    All of this has to do with general 
    guidelines. With regard to what is mentioned in the question, about the 
    death of elderly people being a cause for calamity to befall the family, or 
    a cause of a decrease in barakah, this is something for which there is no 
    evidence whatsoever. People older and younger are constantly dying; if the 
    death of an elderly person was a cause for a decrease in barakah or of 
    calamity occurring, barakah would have been erased in this world and one 
    calamity after another would have befallen the members of every household. 
    But this is contrary to what is seen and known, and it is different from the 
    way in which Allah has ordained things should occur in this world. How many 
    elderly people have died, yet their families enjoyed blessing after they 
    were gone, either because of wealth that was left to them or because of a 
    blessing that was bestowed upon them, or because of a woman getting married 
    and other things that are seen and well-known. 

    Moreover, what connection do the living 
    have with the death of the elderly person, such that calamity as mentioned 
    by this questioner would befall them, regardless of whether the deceased was 
    righteous or otherwise? Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of 
    the meaning):

    “Whoever goes right, then he goes right 
    only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray, then he goes 
    astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden”

    [al-Isra’ 17:15]. 

    Rather real calamity befalls people with 
    the death of a scholar of whose knowledge the people are now deprived, or 
    one who was devoted to worship and obedience, or one who did things that 
    bring benefit to people, such as striving in jihad for the sake of Allah, 
    enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, giving charity and zakaah, 
    and so on. All of that has nothing to do with whether a person is young or 
    old; rather it has to do with how he is, the benefits he brings to people, 
    and the blessings he brings to his surroundings. Undoubtedly the death of 
    such people is a loss of goodness and barakah, and detracts from people’s 
    religious and worldly interests. Those who are most sorely affected by their 
    loss are those who are close to them, but this does not mean that another 
    calamity will befall them after that, unless they do after that an action 
    that deserves that. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas 
    said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
    him) say: “Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it away from the 
    people, rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars 
    until, when there is no scholar left, people will turn to ignorant leaders 
    who will be asked questions and will issue fatwas without knowledge. They 
    will go astray and lead others astray.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (100) and 
    Muslim (2673) 

    And Allah knows best.