Last year, I wrote an article titled Maryam of Leicester. I used the opportunity to remember those personally known to me who die in Ramadan or just before it over the years. This year again, we witnessed another death. Although a grandmother, this Muslima and mother of a Judge and a Legislator passed away in Ikorodu (Lagos, Nigeria) on the first day of Ramadan. She died while in iba’dah (act of worship).
Many Muslims have passed on this Ramadan either while fasting or while preparing to fast or after breaking their fast. May Allah forgive them and accept their Iba’dah. Similarly, loads of People have died in Ramadan, neither faithful to Ramadan and Allah, nor distanced from sins. Death is always an opportunity to rethink our directions in life and to appreciate the vulnerability and lack of control of our existence.
During the funeral event for Grandma, we were reminded of the following verses of the Qur'an:
“And it is He (Allah) who created the night and the day, (He also created) the Sun and the Moon, each floating in its orbit (according to fixed laws). Indeed, Allah has not permitted any of you to live forever (eternally), and if any of you should die, would (the rest of) you live forever? Every one of you will definitely (certainly and assuredly) taste death. Allah will test you with things you perceive as bad and with things you perceive as good, and at the end of it all, you will all return to Allah.” Qur'an 21 verses 33-35
Perhaps you don’t live or act as if you will live forever, but how do you react to the tests and trials of life, with faith or with faithlessness? What if you lose the dearest person to you, would you query Allah or praise Him?
- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad
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