At the face of death

[Hamza Asadullah]

At the face of death

A heart-touching story… learn from it.

This is something that is very personal and important to me. I hope that you will learn and benefit from it. Let me begin by saying “Bismillah.” When I first started University, I had met another Muslim brother. We had become good friends, but this friendship was not like any other ordinary friendship, I would have done anything for him, he was like my real brother.

During our last year of University, this brother of mine announced that he was engaged and that he was to be married after he graduates this year and finds himself a job. I was glad for him and so was he. He talked non stop about getting married, I was sort of getting jealous of him, because the brother had it made for him, finishing school, getting married and especially coming from a wealthy family.

One day this brother was to meet me at the coffee shop. He showed up, but astonishingly he wasn’t smiling and wasn’t talking about his fiancée. I asked him what was wrong, he asked if we could talk somewhere privately and we did. Finally I knew why he was upset. He had told me that he found out that he had a brain tumor which was malignant, which meant it had become cancerous. When he told me the news, his voice was quivering and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

I had never seen him like this before. I tried keeping in my tears and I tried not to show that I was hurt also. I was burning up inside and things were racing through my mind. I kept thinking, how could this have happened? A man who had everything made and had everything perfect. I kept it inside because I did not want him to see me upset.

I saw this brother slowly go down. He had to drop out of school at his last year because he began to lose his memory and he started to repeat himself over again. He did not have a chance at school without his memory. This brother was intelligent, but after, he became lost.

He was told that his fianceés family and her parents did not want their daughter to marry him, because he had no job and basically no future. This was hard for him, I remember he would cry to me about her and how he cared for her and how hopeless he felt.

Later, the brother had problems writing and his right eyesight was fading. The tumor was on the left side of his brain so it affected everything on his right. Because of his memory loss, the brother soon forgot suras and he even forgot how to pray. A year later, his right arm was paralyzed and his eyesight was taken away from him. It was the hardest thing for me to see. The brother I loved so much as going through so much. I began coming over everyday helping him recite suras.

When I was recited sura Fatiha to him and he was slowly repeating after me, I looked at him and I thought, this was the same brother who was so intelligent and was to finish school. This was the same brother who came from such a wealthy family. This was the same brother who talked for days about getting married and raising a family. This was the same brother who had everything. But now he can barely remember what I said to him ten minutes ago, he can’t get married, and now he is struggling to read Qur’an, he was not much of a practicing Muslim so it was harder for him to recite the Qur’an. This man was now turning towards Allah, he dropped EVERYTHING and turned towards Allah. Allah gave him everything, and he could take everything away just as easily.

A month ago, I had received a call saying that the brother passed away and that his janaza is today. I washed his body with a couple of other brothers and I saw his lifeless body. He was buried and after that I returned home. The next day, I sat down wondering to myself about the power of Allah. My brother’s death made me realize that we forget what our purpose of being here is for: To serve Allah. You could have everything, but do you have anything that is important? I spent six years knowing this brother, and caring for him. I never once shed a tear when he was alive and not even when he passed away. But the day after his death, I did cry because I thought about the power of Allah. I thought about my brother. We always say that we will return to Allah, but we never really believe it. If we did, then we would struggle to read the Qur’an and pray to Allah like my brother did.

My brother had his eyesight taken away from him, his arm was paralyzed and his memory was lost, but he still got up every morning and he insisted and I repeat, insisted on reciting the Qur’an. But we are able, but we still do not struggle to read the Qur’an. We do not really believe that we will return to Allah, or else we would struggle for Allah.

My brother had love for materialistic objects, but when death approached him, those things were no use to him because he knew those things were not going to lead him to Jannah without his Iman. Allah can give and take things easily whenever and wherever. I love my brother and I pray that Allah will accept him, and I humbly request that prayer be made for him. I do pray that you have a true belief of Allah and our return to Him because if you do have this fear, you will struggle for your Islam to the best of your ability before you can say it is too late. May we all be rightly guided. Ameen.

[PouringRain]

Thank you, Hamza, a beautiful story.

[Muslim Woman]

Salaam;

may Allah grant him Jannat , Ameen.

[aadil77]

SubhanAllah sorry to hear this bro, May Allah grant the brother jannah and an easy reckoning

Yh brother death is an important reminder for us, we often get lost in wordly and materialistic things, forgetting our true purpose in this world that is to serve Allah

[glo]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Asiyah3]

Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'oon. I was thinking to myself after reading how I could stop forgetting and really appreciate and make use of my time effectively. And then I realized one of the greatest benefits and blessings of prayer.

Jazakallah for sharing.

May Allah grant the brother jannah and an easy reckoning

Ameen.

[☆ღUmm Uthmanღ☆]

BarakAllahu Feek OP.

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'oon, this is a very emotive story & indeed 'death' should be a lesson for us all to learn from...May Allah (swt) bless us & icrease our Imaan, Aameen.

[Mohamed_Sadiq]

Inalilahi wa ina illahi rajiicuun, death can come in any moment n we will all taste it. Jazakallah for sharing it with us, its a good reminder of the purpose of life.

[Mohamed_Sadiq]

BarakAllahu Feek OP.

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'oon, this is a very emotive story & indeed 'death' should be a lesson for us all to learn from...May Allah (swt) bless us & icrease our Imaan, Aameen.

Ameen ya rab

[shuraimfan4lyf]

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. 2:153

And say not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah, "They are dead." Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not. 2:154

And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). 2:155

Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return." 2:156

They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. blessings, etc.) (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones. 2:157

May Allah have mercy on that brother and illuminate his grave with noor and make it spatial for him. Oh Allah forgive us and keep all the muslims on the path of Salaf as-Salihoon ya rabb!

Listen to these ayaat.

Wa'salamu alaykum.

[CosmicPathos]

dying slowly with a brain tumor and knowing that you have a malignant tumor, and loosing all your mental faculties that make us humans (brain) .... I just cant imagine how this brother accepted this reality and lived with it for 1 year ....

may Allah forgive his all sins due to this terrible disease he was struck with ... I really hope that Allah gives him Jannah because of his suffering in this world due to brain tumor ... if he died on kalmah, I hope God did not give him this disease except to raise his status above others, who wont suffer as much in this life, in Jannah ...

[Snowflake]

SubhanAllah! May Allah have mercy on your (our) brother in the barzakh and grant him thehighest Paradise without any reckoning in the hereafter. Ameen. Jazak Allah for sharing this sad but truthful reminder.

[muslimahhhh]

^Aameen

Inna Lillahi WaInna Ilaihi Raji'oon.

[Misz_Muslimah]

Inaa Lilaahi Wa Inaa Ilayhi Raji'oon..
Subhanallah!!
May Allah grant him a high status in Jannah and forgive all his sins..ameen

[FS123]

Inna Lillahi WaInna Ilaihi Raji'oon