I wish I had not invited him over. I wish I had refrained him from nearing the waters. I wish he had missed his flight. I wish I had not induced him to accelerate his car. I wish I had accompanied him on his journey. He would have been alive by now. We wish and wish and only wish. All that, we can do as meager humans, is only wish. Not realizing the fact, that this world which has been mapped out, does not work according to our whims and fancies. Even a leaf falls, not without His Almighty’s permission. Even the sun rises and sets, not without His Master’s permit.
When such gigantic creations cannot have voluntary witherings and strings of their own, how can man assume, he is ought to live and die as and when he desires. It is imperative to understand that everything is predestined in our lives, except for few matters that meander, upon our supplications made to Almighty. Our life, our sustenance, our spouses, our death are ascertained, long before these heavens and the earth were created. Moreover, ever since we were embedded in our mother’s womb.
As it is mentioned in a Hadith (Prophetic narration), “These ” Ifs” and “Buts” are nothing but satanic vents that challenge the pre determined destinies drawn by Almighty.
Last year we lost our beloved soul mate Mr. Sarfaraz Bava- a doting member of Jamat-e-Islami Hind, known for his mind-numbing and back breaking social activities, a heroic figure, who had pushed the envelope in every sphere of his life, as a son, a brother, father, a confidant and a complete preacher. A selfless man with an ultimate source of inspiration. Not a leader but a shepherd, who never abandoned his flock, leaving behind his wisdom and clear course of actions for us. His death came as a blow to every man in the city. His demise made our souls feel decimated from our bodies.
We kept lamenting over his death for quiet a long time, asking ourselves and Allah , ” Oh Allah You are Al-Wadood (the most loving). How can you place his expectant wife in such grueling trials, who had meticulously decided the name of her baby in unison with him?” How can she-would-be mother, evade Your swords of tribulations and remain unwounded. Only to pacify our queries with what Allah says in the Quran that “And Allah tests those whom He loves”
These quotes dispersed our agitations, along with some effervescent wisdom of one of our prayer-leaders. He said, ” Grieve not my fellow beings on the death of Sarfaraz, Allah was pleased with his virtuous deeds in Ramzan, He was overwhelmed by his ethics and actions.” “Lest he gets allured by these transitory adornments of this world again and nullifies his virtues I chose to draw him near me through his death.”
And Allah knows, and We Know Not (Quran). Allah knows why He has afflicted people with such hardships. It is only a test for the people around that person. As for the deceased, Allah knows it is His soul before it was anyone else’s husband, wife, daughter, son, a friend on this earth. And it will go back to Allah. Perhaps through such mishaps, Allah will grant the deceased a lofty rank in paradise.
Only Allah’s geology can make continents move, and the bodies tremble. A strong believer must bear in mind, that Allah will never burden a soul beyond its endurance. He will not give us what we can not handle, but help us to handle what we are given. We have to learn to accept that, there are plans for ourselves, and there are Allah’s plans for us. Our plans are according to our wishes, and His are according to His infinite wisdom and knowledge. We need to trust Allah with all our heart and remember that He knows what is best for us, always.
This world is just like a drop of an ocean. In that, when a finger dips, it can only garner droplets, leaving the infinite ocean unaffected. Live in this world as if you are a traveler, and benefit from it to the spiritual benefits of your sustenance, not to get lost in its mundane affairs. This world is an intermediary phase between birth and death. So treat it as an intermediary to prepare for the final abode. The final – the one which is ever-lasting and unending with its infinitude- is the one which awaits us.
The amalgamation of our virtues and Allah’ s plan is the core raw material for the smooth magnitude of our life. One must have full faith in the wisdom of what is happening in the Divine factory by the will of Allah. We must be steadfast till the curtains from the “unseen” are raised to spill the reality beans for the betterment of man.
Life and death are not realities but are part of the nature of this world, which are an abode of tests. How we respond to these trials are strong indicators of our faith or lack thereof!
To summarize in a nutshell, through perseverance, instead of lamenting, let us indulge ourselves into powerful energies of love and pleasures of Allah.
