11/11/2012; A Death Within A Community.

I’d like to begin this post with a reminder, a verse from the Quran:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

“O you who believe! fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam.” 3:102

I pray for Taqwa(Taqwa is a high state of heart, which keeps one conscious of Allah’s presence and His Knowledge, and it motivates him to perform righteous deeds and avoid those, which are forbidden all in fear of the wrath of Allah and simultaneously in hope of being rewarded.) I pray that I live in fear for any moment might be my last for only then will I be grateful, for only then will I be motivated to strive. Due to recent deaths in my life, I am obliged not to look the other way.

There was an Imam, a Sheikh who was a son. a brother, a husband and a father to his parents, to his sibling, to his wife and to his children. And now he is gone, back to his lord.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

“Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return.”

How often do we ask yourself:

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ?

“How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return.” 2:28

There is a hadith, “be to your imam like…” I don’t quite remember but I’m certain the concept was heavy.

So, this Sheikh died 4 days before the new Islamic year of 1434. Hence, four days before this year began; On the 26^th  of Dhul Hijjah, 1433 also known as November 11^th 2012; A Sunday. Two days before a Friday in which he delivered a sermon addressing preparations for the upcoming Islamic year and how death is near and how we should act now and change for the better before we return to our lord.

Subhanallah, i did not know this man but one thing is for sure, he was loved by the entire community.

The hadith reported by Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) goes, The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: `I love so-and-so; so love him’. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him”.

So the question remains? How do we obtain Allah’s love? ‘By performing the acts that Allah loves. We start with the obligatory and add on the recommended and the voluntary in that sequence. This love and affection is manifested by His placing acceptance for us with other people. And how could it be any other way? A believer is not only one that performs the acts of worship that are solely between him and God, such as prayer or fasting, but a true believer is one that is in the service of people. The crucial point though is that when the believer serves people, his intention is for the sake of Allah. At the end of it all, as long as we are doing what is deemed good by Allah, we are receiving love from Al-Wadud(the One that is loved). What could give us more tranquility than the knowledge of that?’ It is believed that this man was indeed in the service of the people, Inshallah his intention are just as reliable.

…

Upon studying Fiqh of JanazahIslamic Ruling on Funerals I look at death in a new light. Before it was such a light matter for I hadn’t embraced what I was missing. I was told the number of people who attended his funeral prayer was more than the average count of Jummah prayer(Friday prayer) which is a lot. In fact, the count was more inclined towards the Eid prayer. MashAllah people drove from all ends of the country to attend this very short prayer. May Allah accept their duaa. May Allah make his final destination a blissful eternity.

So this post is a form of me acknowledging our loss no matter how late it may be. I stood behind his son, his successor in prayer yesterday and immediately was I tackled by what I didn’t fell when the masses felt it. Such can never be easy on a family. So I pray Allah helps them overcome the planned. And I pray Allah, forgives and has mercy on him, excuses him and pardons him, and make honorable his reception. Expands his entry, and cleanses him with water, snow, and ice, and purifies him of sin as a white robe is purified of filth. Exchanges his home for a better home, and his family for a better family, and his spouse for a better spouse. Admits him into the Garden, protects him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire.

Allahuma Ameen.