Till We Meet Again.............

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “The gift to a believer is death,”

 Al-Tirmidhi – Hadith 1609

It’s never easy to lose a loved one. Some of us were given advanced notice of their passing but for some, the departure was all too sudden. And then, there are also some, who can never find closure because their loved ones can't be found.

            Different people have different ways in dealing with grief. Some unleashed their frustration in anger and some remains stoic. Some find comfort in the company of others but unfortunately for some, opted for a fatal ending to their misery. In Islam, suicide is definitely a no-no!

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 71 Hadith 670

            As Muslims, we believe that life in this world is just a temporary set-up and death is a process that each of us have to go through on our way to a more permanent life i.e. Hereafter. So, death is actually a temporary separation and we will meet our loved ones again in the Hereafter. 

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned.”

 (Surah Al-Anbiya:21)

"O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the Hereafter that is the home that will remain forever."

Surah Ghafir 40:39

            When my father-in-law passed away a couple years ago, I had mixed emotions. I was really sad to see him go but I was also reluctant to see him suffer any longer due to his illness. I loved him as much as I love my own father and he treated me more like a daughter than a daughter-in-law. He used to tease me by telling me that I was his most favourite daughter-in-law and I had to keep reminding him that I was his ONLY daughter-in-law since my husband is the only son!

            He was always the first person to greet me on my birthday and till now, I still miss that one special phone call.

            My father-in-law taught me a lot about life but most of all, he taught me about forgiveness. The person whom I knew, never held a grudge against anyone and was always ready with a smile.

            I pray that his soul is placed amongst the righteous and I know for a fact that I will be meeting him again one day.

            We tend to take our loved ones for granted. We always feel that they will always be there for us and we keep them waiting. Don’t put your loved ones in the back seat. Spend time with them while you still can. Once they are taken away from you, no amount of regret will bring them back. Cherish them now and not when they’re gone. People are to be loved during their lifetime and ours. After that, it will just be called ‘memories’……..

On the authority of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of my shoulder and said, ‘Be in the world as if you were a stranger or a traveller along the path.” And ibn Umar would say, “If you survive till late afternoon, do not expect [to be alive in] the morning. If you survive till morning, do not expect [to be alive in] the late afternoon. Take from your health before your sickness and your life before you death.”

(Recorded in al-Bukhari)