Remembering death and curtailing hope

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked: "What do you love most for someone you love?" He said: "Death." Then he was asked: "If he does not die (that is, he is granted a long life), then what would you wish for him?" He said: "That his wealth and his children become few."
All the narrators of this athar are thiqat (trustworthy), and this narration encourages reducing worldly attachments and seeking safety from trials, so that a person can focus on preparing for the Hereafter.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jibril (peace be upon him) said to me: 'O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), live as long as you wish, for in the end you must taste death; love whomever you wish, for surely one day you must part from him; and do whatever deeds you wish, for surely you must face its outcome.'"
Imam Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi narrated it in his Musnad, and other hadith scholars have graded it sahih or hasan.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tuhfat al-mu'min al-mawt" (Death is a precious gift for the believer, in view of deliverance from the hardships of the world and the meeting with Allah).
Imam Abd bin Humayd narrated this hadith through the route of Yahya bin Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani, Ibn al-Mubarak, Yahya bin Ayyub, Bakr bin Amr, Abd al-Rahman bin Ziyad and Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, while Imam Abu Ya'la reported it through Abu Hammam and Mu'awiyah bin Amr by the same chain of Ibn al-Mubarak mentioned above.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How astonishing is the heedless person who is not being overlooked (in being seized and taken to account)! How astonishing is the seeker of this world while death is itself seeking him! And how astonishing is the one who laughs with a mouthful of laughter while he does not even know whether he has pleased Allah Almighty or angered Him!"
Takhrij and grading: Imam Abu Ya'la narrated this in his Musnad and Imam al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman; however, the hadith scholars have graded it da'if (weak) because of the presence of Yahya bin Ya'la al-Aslami in its chain.

It is narrated from Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) that a woman passed away, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were laughing (about something concerning her). Then a man said: "Pity her! She has surely found rest (through death from the hardships of the world)." At this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "True rest and peace is granted only to the one who has been forgiven."
Its chain is mursal, and all of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Which of the believers is the most astute and intelligent?" The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most intelligent of the believers are those who remember death the most and who prepare for it the best."
[Takhrij: This hadith is narrated in Ibn Majah (4259) and al-Bayhaqi (Shu'ab al-Iman: 10107); its chain contains al-Khalil bin Zakariyya, a da'if (weak) narrator, but on the basis of other supporting reports this narration is sound in meaning and hasan li-ghayrihi.]

Zayd bin Ali narrates through his forefathers (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who is the shrewdest and most astute of people?" I said: Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) know best. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the most intelligent of people is the one who remembers death the most and who prepares the best for presenting himself before Allah Almighty."
In the chain of this hadith is a narrator named Yahya bin Hashim al-Ghassani, who is matruk (abandoned) and a liar, on account of which this narration is at the level of mawdu' (fabricated); however, the command to remember death often and to prepare for the Hereafter is explicitly found in other authentic and sahih hadith.