Pearls of Islam Reminder Series

DeathBy Ruby Ramjan

When a loved one departs this world, the idea that you will never, with your eyes, see their face again, you will never, with your hand, touch their hand again, you will never, with your ears, hear their voice again, this idea is unfathomable. There is little that can bring solace to a grieved heart. There is little that can counteract the bottomless sorrow and emptiness that death scatters upon those left behind but “God does not burden the soul with more than it can bear” [2:286]. Even when you feel that all happiness has evaporated from the river in which runs your life, there is contentment in the words of the Qurʼan. “Verily in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest” [13:29]. There is comfort in the hopes of the Hereafter and in the knowledge that the true happiness of this dunyah is to abandon what lies within it. “And you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object (of Life); and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities [Quran 3:185].

We are so consumed by the roller coaster ride that is life, we forget the destination we are all headed to, indeed we forget there is a destination at all! And when the pourer of death pours death upon a loved one, it knocks us off our feet and it is a struggle to get up again. But is it not much easier to stand when you have help? “It may be that you hate a thing which is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows and you know not” [2:216]. We should never

underestimate the power of the words of the Qurʼan. Death is an inescapable truth and surely it is a great reminder for us all of the true nature of this life.

When we grieve, it is often a natural instinct to bury your grief inside yourself. Although it is not tangible, there is nothing as real as death. As we mourn brothers and sisters in faraway lands, or in planes nearby, let the reality of death be a reminder to us all and an incentive to “work for your world as if you were to live forever, and work for the hereafter as if you were to die tomorrow”. Knowledge of when that last breath will be is impossible so what remains is to be prepared for it. “There is no house for the individual to live in after his death, except the one he built before his death” (Imam Ali).

As the Prophet (SAW) advised Abdullah ibn Umar whilst holding his shoulder, “Live in this world as (if you are) a traveller or a stranger.” And Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) used to say: “If you live until night, then do not wait for the next day and if you wake up in the morning do not have hope that you will live until the night. And take (advantage) of your health before your sickness and take advantage of your life before your death (i.e. do every possible obedience in your life before death comes to you for then no deeds can be performed.)”

Let us live life as travellers, with our souls ready to leave our bodies when the pourer of death pours death upon us, having made the most of our health before our sickness and ultimately, our life before our death.

THE PEARLS OF ISLAMREMINDER SERIES

Monday 23rd January 2012 29 Safar 1433 Volume 5 Issue 3

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Pearls of Islam Reminder Series

You Are Never Alone By Aamir Shamsi

Times will come in the life of a believer where we will be tested in this world whether it is through a

r the fruits [2:155] but we must

always remember that we are never alone and that we should and need to turn to Allah in these times. Trials and tribulations can not only change the course of your life but also make you feel very down and lost. Nothing remains the same and although an oxymoron, those who have been in such a situation like I have will understand when I say life can be consumed by emptiness. Although it is important to understand the many reasons why calamities befall us and how to cope with them, we must never forget that we will always have the one that loves us more than a mother loves her child (Muslim) close by to bring some solace to our hearts. In order to bring about this comfort

connection with Allah and believe that everything that happens is for the best.

for it can change the fate of our lives. And it is for this reason, as well as the fact that it shows our need for Allah, that it is highly

encouraged in Islam. So we should ask our Lord to alleviate our pain, to make things easier and to grant us peace and happiness with His decree, even though in some situations it is extremely difficult to accept what has happened and to want to move on from it, for it is only He that has the power to make things better. Connect with Allah As the creation of Allah, we are all connected with our Lord through our souls. He is our provider, our sustainer and our support. But it is our responsibility to nourish this connection for remembrance of Allah, do hearts

[13:29]. We can do so by reciting Quran, reading our salat with concentration and regular dhikr. The stronger our connection with Allah the greater the comfort our hearts will receive for it is then

protection over us and this will make the difficult times that much easier for us. Everything that happens is for the best Allah loves us so much that everything that happens that is not a direct result of our own actions is for the best for us - it may be that you hate a thing

which is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows and you

[2:216]. Having this belief at all times and being thankful for all that comes your way is a real test of our faith but also an undeniable fact. If adopted in our mindset it will ease our pain for we will understand it is for our best and so the true believer would not want it any other way than what Allah sees best. All the above can be summarised

should regularly recite:

Allah is enough for me and there is no better to look after me.

And there's nobody to count your tears

Just remember, no matter where you are

- Nasheed by Zain Bhikha

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!Monday 31st October 2011 4 Dhul - Hijjah 1432 Volume 4 Issue 1

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I n n a l i l l a h i w a i n n a i l a y h i r a j i 3 o o n “ Ve r i l y t o H i m w e b e l o n g a n d t o H i m w e s h a l l r e t u r n ” [ 2 : 1 5 6 ]