Allah Almighty says: {Did We not give you long enough lives to take heed for anyone who wished to take heed? And the warner did come to you} [Surat Fātir: 37]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), as well as the expert scholars, maintained that the verse means: Did we not give you sixty years? This statement is supported by a Hadīth we will list later by the Will of Allah. It was also said it means eighteen years. Others such as Al-Hasan, Al-Kalbi, and Masrūq said it means forty years; and this opinion was also quoted from Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father). It is reported that when the residents of Madīnah reached forty years of age, they dedicated themselves to worship only. It was also said that 'long enough lives' [in the verse] refers to reaching puberty.
Regarding Allah’s saying: {And the warner did come to you}, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and the majority of scholars said that the warner refers to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Ikrimah, Ibn ‘Uyaynah, and others said that the warner refers to old age; and Allah knows best.
1) One should be admonished by old age because the deeds that count are the last. It was authentically narrated that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He whose last speech in this world is 'there is no god but Allah' will enter Paradise.” [Narrated by Ahmad]
2) One must increase his good deeds because he does not know when he is going to die.
3) Aging should inspire self-admonition because one becomes close to meeting Allah Almighty.
As for the relevant Hadīths,
112/1 - First: Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah excuses and grants forgiveness to a person until he reaches the age of sixty years.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
Scholars stated: it means that Allah left him no excuse by giving him this long life span.
1) Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has an irrefutable argument against His servants, as He granted them reason and understanding, sent messengers, revealed scriptures, and preserved legislations.
2) The believer must seize every opportunity to worship Allah, invest his time in what pleases Allah, refrain from sins, and prepare for a Day wherein he will have no excuse.
113/2- Second: Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to make me sit with the elderly men who had fought in the Battle of Badr. Some of them did not like that and said to ‘Umar: ‘Why do you bring in this boy to sit with us while we have sons his age?’ ‘Umar replied: ‘Because of his status, which you already know about.’ One day, ‘Umar called me and made me sit in the gathering of those people; and I thought that he must have called me to prove something to them. ‘Umar then asked them: ‘What do you say about the verse that says: {When there comes Allah’s help and the Conquest.} [Surat an-Nasr: 1]? Some of them said: ‘It is a command for us to praise Allah and ask for His forgiveness when He helps us and grants us victory.’ Some others kept quiet and said nothing. Thereupon, ‘Umar asked me: ‘Do you say the same, O Ibn ‘Abbās?’ I replied: ‘No.’ He said: ‘What do you say then?’ I replied: ‘That it is a sign of the Messenger’s death, of which Allah informed him. He says: {When there comes Allah’s help and the Conquest}, which is the sign of your imminent death, {then glorify the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance.} [Surat an-Nasr: 3] Upon that, ‘Umar said: ‘I do not know any interpretation for it other than what you have said.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
114/3 Third: ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not observe any prayer after the revelation of this verse: {When there comes Allah’s help and the Conquest} except that he said during it: Subhānaka Rabbana wa bihamdik, Allāhumm-aghfir li' (Glory and praise be to You, Our Lord. O Allah, forgive me).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
In another version also narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite frequently in Rukū‘ (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration): Subhānak Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdik, Allahumm-aghfir li (Glory and praise be to You O Allah, Our Lord. O Allah, forgive me), in compliance with the command in the Qur’an.”
“in compliance with the command in the Qur’an”: i.e. doing what he was commanded to do in the verse: {then glorify the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness}
In another version narrated by Muslim: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say more often before his death: “Subhānak Allahumma wa bihamdik, astaghfiruka wa atūbu Ilayk (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You).” ‘Ā’ishah said: “O Messenger of Allah, what are those words that you have accustomed yourself to say as of late?” He said: “There has been made a sign for me in my nation; when I saw that, I recited them (these words) {When there comes Allah’s help and the Conquest} to the end of the Sūrah.”
In another version narrated by Muslim: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say often: Subhān Allah wa bihamdih, astaghfirullah wa atūbu Ilayh (Glory and praise be to Allah; I ask for Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him). ‘Ā’ishah said: “O Messenger of Allah, I noticed that you recently say more often: Subhān Allah wa bihamdih, astaghfirullah wa atūbu Ilayh.”
So he said: “My Lord informed me that I would see a sign in my nation, and when I see it I should often recite (these) words: Subhān Allah wa bihamdih, astaghfirullah wa atūbu Ilayh (Glory and praise be to Allah; I ask for Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him), and I have seen it: {When there comes Allah’s help and the Conquest} This verse refers to the Conquest of Makkah. {and you see people entering Allah’s religion in multitudes, then glorify the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance.}”
--
1) It reflects the prestige that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) enjoyed among the children of the Companions.
2) It encourages pondering on the meanings of the Qur’an.
3) It instructs persistent repentance and asking for forgiveness, because they are keys to knowledge and all that is good.
4) It is recommended for the one who prays to recite often the following remembrance during bowing and prostration: “Subhānak Allāhumma Rabbana wa bihamdik, Allāhumm-aghfir li (Glory and praise be to You O Allah, Our Lord. O Allah, forgive me).”
115/4- Fourth: Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Allah, Glorified and Exalted, sent down the Divine Revelation to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) abundantly during the period preceding his death until he died at a time when the revelation had never been more abundant.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
--
1) The exponential increase in revelation near the end of the life of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was an indication of his imminent death.
2) Allah completed His favor upon this nation by keeping the recited revelation, which is the Qur’an and Sunnah, alive even though the revelation stopped following the death of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty kept His legislation preserved and alive among people. {It is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and it is We Who will preserve it.} [Surat al-Hijr: 9]
116/5- Fifth: Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every person will be resurrected in the same state he died in.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) What counts is the final deeds. Therefore, the person should constantly do good deeds in order to be resurrected in the good state he died upon.
2) It urges the individual to constantly do more acts of worship because death strikes suddenly.