The Questions

A good friend's grandma passed away this morning. I went for the burial rites and was fortunate to be able to perform the jenazah prayers twice and sent the deceased to her resting place. Alhamdulillah!

It always struck me how miserable, regretful and sad I would feel if I was lying in place of the deceased at the back of the mosque while the rest of the congregation is performing their noon prayer (for example) but I can't as I have already left this world. I think about being in that situation a lot, and at times, I would tear as the feeling of not being able to pray anymore really hurts. And then, moments later, to be prayed upon. Yet, there are so many Muslims who do not perform the prayer. Wallahu'alam...

Another thing that touched me today was when the Talqin al-mayyit (instructing the deceased) was recited. We were born naked into this world, with nothing on our bodies - and we leave this world in such similar situation. We grew up intellectualising so many things in life - when in truth, things are not complicated - and when we die, we were reminded of those simple truths we lived by. These questions being reminded to the deceased are the essence of our living and hearing this again and again always keeps us glued to our essential foundation. I know there are certain quarters who do not subscribe to the talqin being recited, but that is for another forum and another time. The talqin, in essence, summarises all that we have been in our living years, all that we do therein and all that we are.

Below is an extract of the said talqin for our reflection:

"O Servant of Allah! O son/daughter of the slave of Allah! Remember that pledge with which you have left the abode of the world for the abode of the Hereafter and which is testimony to this, that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and without any doubt Muhammad (saw) is His Messenger and without doubt, Paradise, Hellfire, death, Munkar and Nakeer, Questioning of the grave, Answering in the grave, Answering for your deeds, The Mizaan (scale), to be raised again, to repay (for your sins), intercession, the Siraat (The bridge), the Day of Reckoning and the seeing of Almighty Allah for the believers in Jannat are all Haq (True), and it is a reality that Qiyamah will come, and there is not doubt in it.

Without any doubt, Allah will raise those who are in their graves. Very soon the two appointed Angels of the grave will come to you, then they should not alarm you and they should not frighten you nor put fear into you. Without doubt, even both of them, are the servants of Allah. When they question you concerning, Your God, and Your Prophet, and your Religion, and Your Qibla, then you say to them, Allah Almighty is my Lord, and Muhammad (saw) is my Prophet and Islam is my religion and the Holy Ka'aba is my Qibla, and the Quran is my guide, and all the believers are my brothers.

May Almighty Allah keep you and I, and all the believers established on the words of firmness. Almighty Allah will keep all the believers steadfast on the words of steadfastness in this world and in the Hereafter, and Almighty Allah will drive away the oppressors. Allah does as He pleases.

O peaceful soul! return towards your Creator. Happily and with pleasure, join the congregation of My servants and enter My Paradise. O Allah! Pardon the dwellers of the grave who are Muslim men and Muslim women, and believing men and believing women and O Allah! Establish light and brightness on their graves and forgive the dwellers of the grave through your Mercy, O Most Merciful".

May Allah forgive her as He forgives us. May her soul rest in Peace in the company of the Beloved and The One Who Creates. Amin...

Our own time is not very far away from today. As the beloved Prophet used to say to the ahl-Baqi': "We will join you soon"