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Ur_Sister
10-18-2006, 10:06 AM
Monday, August 25, 2003 was a sad day for all. Sonia Ahmed, a 16 year old Muslimah from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was driving with her mother on her way to take her road test. At the intersection of Ellsworth Rd.

Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Sonia's car drove into the pathway of a heavy gravel truck, resulting in a devastating wreck. The impact crushed the small car and pushed it into a ditch nearby, instantly killing Sonia and leaving her Mother critically injured.

Sonia had attended Michigan Islamic Academy for most of her life, and went to Huron High School after 8th grade. Sonia had turned 16 only two months before the tragic accident. She was set to begin her junior year of high school the next day. Like all of us, Sonia had many dreams and aspirations for her future. She was a hard worker, planning to go to the University of Michigan and becoming a doctor in order to help people. Her dreams were short-lived however, because Allah (subhaana wa ta'aala) had other plans for her.

We ask Allah (subhaana wa ta'aala) to forgive Sonia for her sins and bestow upon her His abundant Mercy. We ask Him to grant her peace and tranquility in her grave, and a beautiful palace in Jannatul Ferdous, where all of her friends and family may unite with her. Aameen.

I wanted to ask, do you all remember Sonia Ahmed?

Do you remember her death?

Do you remember how you felt the very first time you found out she had passed away? Where were you? What was your first reaction? Do you remember how you just could not believe it?

Still, when out of no where I will think of Sonia again, a part of me still cannot believe it. How it happened, how it was so unexpected, just everything... it seems so unreal.

And do you remember how you were feeling so different then? Like, still sorta in shock, and at the same time, it made you really look at yourself, like Wow, that so could have been ME. It could have SO been MY death that day, instead of Sonia's (if Allah swt had willed it).

I remember I was thinking a lot like that. Really no one I had known closely had passed away before, so it was really a huge reminder/wake up call ...and I think a lot of other people felt that way too. It’s like we know we will have to die one day, but do we really UNDERSTAND that? Do we really understand that any minute, any second, the Angel of Death can come to us...and then our time will be up. The chance we had for doing good deeds and repenting to Allah swt will be OVER. All we will be able to take with us are our deeds and we will just be hoping for Allah swt’s mercy.

For some time after Sonia's death, I really tried to remind myself of those things and tried to be a better Muslim. I tried doing extra good deeds and I tried to be careful in not sinning or letting myself fall into Shaytan’s tricks. I thanked Allah swt for the fact that I still had time and it was not me taken that day (because I knew I wouldn’t have been ready for it).

Now, its been more than a year since Sonia's death (August 25, 2003). I wanted to ask myself and then you all, if Allah swt was to will for TODAY to be your last day, would you be ready? I think I know at least my answer for that, and that really scares me.

You know, every day we are so busy with our daily lives. And, the more time that passes from Sonia's death, the more we (or at least the most of us) lose sight of the reminder we got that day. Like, we were so in shock then, and then as time went on and we got busy with school and work and family, we sort of started to forget.

I guess the reason I decided to write this out is because I have been CRAZY busy for the past few weeks. It’s been so hectic and I think during this time my Imaan was sorta shaky. Of course our Imaan is always either going up or down, but what keeps it high is by us doing good deeds, remembering Allah swt, etc… and being so busy and all, I barely had time for that. It’s like I would have to "squeeze" in time for all that. I even had to squeeze in time to pray, because I had so much to do in my “busy” life. Then, the other day I was like, “Mona, what the heck are you doing?!” Once I stepped back and actually looked at how I was living my life, I realized how easily we can get sidetracked in life. I mean, you know how many Non-Muslims are just like, "What is our purpose in life?" and they feel so lost and confused because of that. Well we KNOW the answer!

Allah swt says in the Qur'an, "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship me" ( 51:56)

SubhanAllah, that is WHY we were created! That is our MAIN purpose and goal in life, to worship Allah!

And worship does not necessarily mean one single thing, but in general, while we are living the life of this dunya, we need to remember Him in all that we do, we need to obey Him and to try our best to keep away from sins, we need to do that which is pleasing to Him, and keep AWAY from that which is displeasing to Him.

It’s so easy for us to forget our purpose in life. It’s so easy to get caught up with this world and our busy lives, as if we are living solely for this life, and nothing more. Yet somewhere inside, all of us insha’allah know that this isn’t the truth. We all know that one day, there will be no more school, no more work, no more family, and no more friends…time will be up, and all of that will be nothing. It is then that we will be wishing we could get another chance, wishing Allah swt could give us a day longer, even a few hours longer…… we were going to repent, we were going to change, really we were!!

The fact of the matter is, however, that death can approach us at any second. Did Sonia know that that day was going to be her last? Did she know that she wasn’t going to be able to come home that night and repent for anything she might have done? The last prayer she prayed….did she know that was going to be her last? The answer to all those questions is No. And then, imagine for a second, how things would be if she did know she was going to die that day. Imagine what she might have done differently, how her actions and deeds might have been so different. Unfortunately though, she did not know. She was like all of us sitting here right now, thinking that it was another ordinary day, making plans for the next day, the next week, the next month… unaware of the fact that Allah swt had planned otherwise, and the Angel of Death was waiting for her only a few hours later.

Sonia’s death was a reminder for us all. It’s our duty to remind each other of that reminder. I ask myself and you all the following:

Do you realize that today could be your last day?
Are you ready for death?
Are you at least TRYING to PREPARE yourself for death? (And I mean really trying, not just making yourself believe you are)
Do you try to do extra deeds whenever you can? Do you make du’aa Allah accepts them from you? Do you feel like you’ve done so much and are really proud of yourself because of your few good deeds?
Are you satisfied with just doing the "minimum"?
Do you get careless about things you think are just "little" things and assume Allah swt will forgive you?
Jannah is something we cannot even imagine. It is the utmost success you can achieve. And as we all know, when you want something great, you gotta work HARD for it, right? Can you sacrifice a few of your desires here and there (that are displeasing to Allah) for this short period of time in order to attain Jannatul Ferdous? If so, start now, not tomorrow… because Allah knows best if your tomorrow will even come.

Our friend Sonia Ahmed’s death was a reminder for us all. Can you really guarantee though, that you won’t be the next reminder?

May Allah swt forgive us for our sins and guide us all onto the siraatul mustaqeem. May He see us worthy of his mercy and allow us to enter paradise. Aameen.

Author: Mona Hameed, 18
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umm-sulaim
10-18-2006, 10:10 AM
thanks for the reminder sis jazaakillahu khayran

wassalaam
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IceQueen~
10-18-2006, 10:10 AM
:cry: :cry: :cry:
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Maimunah
10-18-2006, 10:11 AM
subhanaAllah
j/khayr sis n thnx for the reminder
its just worryin to know whats ahead of us
may Allah guide us all:)
wasalaam
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10-18-2006, 10:12 AM
Amin! :'(
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