Ya Muhyi | Ya Mumit

Bismillah.

Inna lillah wa inna ilai hira ji'un.

One woman whose life, from the perspective of ignorant mortals, might not have been as rosy as most people, but who knows what the Master Judge thinks and evaluates? People who have plenty of the worldly possessions will have plenty to be judged, whereas people who have less, will not have so much to declare and be worried about. My aunt, Maryam, had passed away on Wednesday. She was in her early 70s. She was one woman who lived a simple life. It's amazing how the merciful Lord made her look like she was in her 30s at point of death. She is my mother's younger sister.    

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Tonight, we had a small majlis to recite Yasin and tahlil for her, for everyone in my family who have passed and all the ar-ruh of muslimin and muslimat in the realm of barzakh. The imam who recited talqin (the farewell prayers) for her, led the Yasin recital and the majlis - subdued yet beautiful.

I remembered seeing a miracle when she was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit two weeks ago. She looked like she was half dead. Her heart rate was very low. Her tongue was lifeless. When I tried to open her eyes, it felt like the eyelid was glued to the eyeball and I had to peel it open. And the eyeballs looked like lifeless stones. There wasn't any signs of life at all. So we geared up on reciting the Quran and zikrullah in her ears. When my mother was left alone by her side, on the third recital of the Yasin, her eyes miraculously flung open. My mother got very shocked at the abrupt change of condition so she rushed out of the ward to call me in. Subhanallah, we saw Al-Muhyi at work, literally.

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It's humbling to see how Allah, Majestic is He, who decides when a person dies. Just when we thought a person could be dying, He proved us wrong. After that miraculous incident, my aunt seemed to have gotten better that she was discharged from the hospital. Subhan is Allah, who then decided to take her to the realm barzakh on the appointed day and time, when we thought she was positively recovering from her illness. Glory be to Al Mumit who causes His servants/creations to die, thus showing us how powerful His prerogative is and to Him we shall all return. 

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I humbly ask that you recite Al-Fatihah for my aunt, and all our relatives and friends, mine and yours, all who have gone before us.

Thank you.