Rest in Jannah Adel AlMasri

Yesterday was a heartbreaking day for me. Yet, I can’t begin to imagine what his family might be feeling on their third day without their beloved husband/father?

A recap of how I meet these lovely individuals is as follows:

3 months ago. on Eid day, I was able to attend the earliest Eid prayer, hence arrive home early. Soon shortly, his lovely wife knocks on our door and I happen to answer and she asks me, “Do you speak Arabic?” As always, I replied “a little”. She then handed me her phone to translate. Alhamdulillah ever since, I left Egypt my Arabic has deteriorated to the point that I use the little I know, so I don’t lose all of it. Anyways, I spoke to a health care professional in which I verified his wife and him and their address and his condition and later booked a home visit. This was our first exchange. Mashallah, my take-away points is that she was incredibly strong. And she didn’t strike me as the type of person who finds it easy to ask anyone for anything.

Regardless, I came across a Facebook post that a Syrian refugee in the northside was hospitalized. And my world was shaken. We live in a time, where you will discover what’s happening in your own backyard on the internet. Shortly, it was brought to our attention that as a newcomer, his wife would get lost several times going to the hospital every day via public transit. My heart shattered for this beautiful strong women. Moreover, their four children hadn’t seen their father since his admission at the time. So, my mom and I took the initiative of killing two birds with one stone. We reunited his lovely children with him and we fulfilled a Sunnah by visiting the sick. The car ride there was slightly awkward but the bubbly 7-year-old was able to break the ice. Every time we passed a building, she would say “that is a….”. And I would say, “no that is a…”. or sometimes her older brother would correct her before me. I think, she just wanted everything to be what she wanted it to be. Anyways, we arrived at the hospital and we got on the elevator and the mother took a picture from her husband’s room window of her children coming towards their floor while in the glass elevator. It was so sweet. They were trying to capture every moment. So, we arrived at his room and to which we had to put on gowns and gloves because he was in a very sensitive state. Their eldest son of 13/14 years was that last to enter before me. He was in a state of shock. He froze because he understood. Alhamdulillah, a few seconds later, he and I walked in. It was such a joy reuniting a family, by the will of Allah. After spending a few moments with them, the family loosened up as if that room was their home and they had no worries in the world. Everyone was sharing and discussing. So, my mom and I prayed for his speedy health and we excused ourselves so the family can have more family time. An hour or so later, visitation hours were over and it was time to go home. Subhanallah!! The car ride, this time, was much more vibrant. Everyone was talking and I got to know all the kids and wanted to be in the future. The girls want to be doctors and the boy wants to be a computer engineer. Overall, it was a great day.

Since then, the strong incredible wife has been on my mind. I actually met her either late last week or earlier the week before, when I was on my way to school or work and I said my Salams and asked her, “how she was was?” to which she replied “good” and I asked about her husband and she said, “he’s okay” and I repeated, “he’s okay?” to which she replied, “I swear by Allah, he is sick.” My heart shattered. And I said, “Inshallah Allah will grant him good health, soon.”

• All these happenings bring me to yesterday as I received the email notification to the left one hour before his funeral prayer. My heart ached because as neighbors we have lost touch with this beautiful family. I looked out the kitchen window and her eldest daughter is running to another neighbor’s house to drop off the two youngest kids. The eldest son is running in and out of the house like he/they forgot something. In a few moment, they had left. Instantly, I called my mom and she was downtown but made her way to the mosque and me and brother did too. We prayed Dhuhr and went down with his wife and his daughter as they didn’t exactly have family and that brought us all to his casket; His blueish gray casket. His eldest son looked numb and his mother and sister were deeply saddened. Around the casket stood half a circle of men. For a reason, I do not know. Then the death reminder stopped and the caskets were brought in and the prayer started. His wife was LIFO (last in and first out) for reasons, we can all understand. She rushed to witness the departure of her husband. Some people chanted “There is no God but Allah” as they carried the casket. We arrived home and soon shortly all the Syrian male neighbors did too which means they had buried him and Adel Al Masri was now in his final abode.

May Allah forgive and have mercy upon Adel, excuse him and pardon him, and make honorable his reception. Expand his entry, and cleanse him with water, snow, and ice, and purify him of sin as a white robe is purified of filth. Exchange his home for a better home, and his family for a better family, and his spouse for a better spouse. Admit him into the Garden, protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire. And may He accept the intercession of the people who attended.

May Allah give the beautiful family he left behind incredible strength and may He grant them beautiful patience.

Allahuma Ameen.