A death.



"Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception 
(a deceiving thing)."
(  سورة آل عمران  , Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #185)


I heard this story from a dear sister of mine who's family member passed away recently. I asked her if I could share it on my blog because it truly is one of those stories that sends chills throughout your body. It serves as an important reminder first and foremost and it also reminds us about what kind of legacy do we want to leave behind when our time comes. As cliche as it always sounds, "life is too short" it is a statement that is too true and I hope that everyone can take heed to this reminder of death, the spoiler of all "fun & games."  May Allah make our last deed our best deed and may He give us the opportunity to repent to Him before it is too late. Surely His Mercy prevails His Wrath, but only to those who seek it. We should  never expect to enter Jannah without asking for it. Our stomachs will not be full with food if we just sit and stare at the fridge. Please sisters take heed to this story and remember death, it is closer to you than you can ever imagine. 

Larger than life.

 Larger than life, energetic, bubbly, healthy, caring, kind and helpful
are some of the qualities that people would use when they talk about
her...

All the words listed above made her the woman that she was. Not just a
woman, but a daughter, grand-daughter, cousin, niece, friend, aunt,
wife and mother.

WAS. A three letter word that can be used to tell the story of the
past- the stories that begin with life and end with death. This is her
story, and I am her voice.

In her mid 30s , at the peak of her life , loved by many, happily
married with four children (all of them no older than 12 years) -
blessings that only a Creator as great as Allah can grant to His
servants- and blessed she was.  But Allah also brought her to the peak
in her journey to The Hereafter - death. In her mid 30s, she returned
to Allah, and left her loved ones , husband and children behind.

How short her life really was...
After returning from a trip from overseas, she felt jet lagged, and
complained to her family about feeling fatigue, being tired and weak.
She didn't recover from being 'jet lagged' and those closest to her
noticed how the sudden drop in her energy levels were not normal.
After some time, the colour of her skin on certain parts of her body
showed bruising with no apparent reason, and she began experiencing
other symptoms like headaches and bodily pains - this surely was a
sign that the tiredness was not from being jet lagged.

With a check up at the doctors, she was diagnosed with AML - Acute
Myeloid Leukemia. AML starts in the bone marrow. This is the soft
inner parts of bones. With acute types of leukemia such as AML, bone
marrow cells don't mature the way they're supposed to. These immature
cells, often called blast cells, just keep building up. Without
treatment, AML can quickly be fatal. Because it's "acute," this type
of leukemia can spread quickly to the blood and to other parts of the
body such as the following organs:
•Lymph nodes
•Liver
•Spleen
•Brain and spinal cord

Her cancer lived up to its name. She would have to undergo
chemotherapy as soon as possible, for the type of leukemia that she
had really was that 'acute'. She began her chemotherapy , and after 2
weeks she began to show signs of recovery, she seemed to be getting
better. She was even permitted by the doctors to walk within the
boundaries of the hospital.

When her husband had come to visit her, she asked him to take her
home. After much persuasion, she went home. Greeted her family, and
went to her bedroom. She then returned to her living room, called her
children, embraced them in her arms, and said to them that mummy loves
them , and that she has only come home for a short while.
Subhana'Allah , one can only imagine the strength a mother must have to
say these possible last words to her children.

She returned to the hospital , and 3 days later she was found
unconscious. Scans revealed that there was slow internal bleeding that
was occurring around the brain stem. Although she received several
blood transfusions, her blood pressure was anomalous and her
temperature was fluctuating. The bleeding had spread to the rest of
her body, and after being in a coma for four days- she passed away.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raa ji oon - to Allah do we belong to and
to Him is our return. She belonged to Allah , and she returned to him.
 Subhana'Allah , no one saw her death coming, especially not this soon.
Her death brought shock to many, along with sadness, heartache and
pain for her friends and family.  Subhana'Allah  , the short passing of
her life, is a reminder to us all on how short life really is. A
reminder that death is inevitable- that whether we're healthy or ill,
married or unmarried, young or old - our journey that begins in a womb
will end in a tomb, and it is only Allah who knows the details of
every single one of our journeys.

As I tell this story, I remember this from reading it somewhere :
When we are born and come into this world, the Adhan is given but
there is no Prayer. When we die and leave this world, there is a
prayer with no Adhan. Could the Adhan of our birth belongs to the
Prayer of our death? Subhana’Allah. That’s how short our life in this
dunya is!

May Allah have mercy on the soul of the one whose story I have told,
may he fill her qabr with noor and grant her forgiveness and the
highest of stages in Jannahtul Firdows. And may He have mercy on her
family, especially her children - may He grant them patience and ease
in their hearts. And lastly may Allah have mercy on us all, the Ummah
of Muhammad (Sal'Allahu Alayhi wasallam) , when we return to Him and
may He take us when he is pleased with us- Aameen.

References : http://www.m.webmd.com

The Breath Journey (the poem she wrote weeks before her death, Subhana'Allah) 

Thank you Allah
for breathing life into me
I am on a journey
A breath journey
from my mothers womb
warm and liquid
that gave me all I needed
I was birthed into this
Dear Creator
Your magnificent womb
warm with sunshine
and blessed with rain
and charged with all that is energy
Now in this place
that knows no time
I am rebirthed into the womb of eternity
I have emerged
from myself
with myself - separate no more
A blend of movement and mystery
Mind, subconscious and soul
knowing now that you know it all
trusting that you will forever hold me
and that this breath is mine for the taking
ready to inhale it all
and without pause
LET IT GO
LET IT GO
LET IT GO ...

0 comments

Assalamualaikum, please be mindful about what you are about to write. Think about it before writing and make sure it is something positive and beneficial, otherwise it will be deleted and ignored. JazakiAllah kheyr ! Sisters ONLY! xo