inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon
“We belong to God and to Him we shall return.”
I remember a time when I was a child, I knew of no one who had passed away. I knew peopled died but I was proud to have both parents, all grandparents and relatives in my perfect world. When I was eight years old, I learned about death and dying when my maternal grandfather passed away in his 60’s. Slowly thereafter I have seen dozens of friends, relatives, colleagues and patients die. Some deaths are tragic and premature, holding on to every minute of every day before departing, leaving emptiness in our hearts and lives forever. Some departed slip away into forever slumber after achieving every milestone in life, celebrating and having been celebrated, on borrowed time in the ripe old age of 90+ years.
The deaths that happen prematurely are the ones that leave, deep lasting impressions on our souls. I cannot say I know how it feels as I am fortunate enough to have not lost a parent or sibling (Alhumdulillah), but I have been close enough to taste death in close relations that to this day have left hollowness in my heart.
Premature death changes the course of life of every person related to the departed. The five year old daughter who is too young to understand death is waiting for her mother to return from the hospital any minute. The twelve year old daughter whose world crashed will never get to talk about the changes her body is going through, high school drama, crushes or plan her wedding with her mother. The newly widowed man who had penned a lifetime of happiness with will not grow old with his late wife who left him at the young age of 40 years. They will not celebrate their next wedding anniversary together. Now when sleeping with his head nestled in the last shirt she wore, any prior arguments are nominal.
Ustad Nouman , my heart goes out go you and your family in this time of grief. May your sister Saima rest in peace in her forever home and be granted Janat ul Firdaus, Ameen.