"Every soul shall taste death"
(Surah Aale Imraan)

Khadija can you please stop crying and tell me what's the matter ?" , Khair 's alarmed voice caught her attention . He walked out of Shaakir's room holding his left hand to his ear, he ran his right hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face.

Safwa stopped outside the bathroom door , wondering what must have happened that his sister was crying and couldn't speak.

"Khadija please calm down, and tell me what's wrong ?"
He stood in silence for a few seconds, then suddenly raised his voice, causing Safwa to shake in fright.

"WHAT! YA ALLLAH !"

The phone slipped from his hand , and crashed to the floor , Khair fell to his knees , tears poured out of his eyes , his eyes red and shoulders trembling. Safwa stood still , shocked by his sudden outburst, she had no idea what to do.

Shaakir walked out of his room, hearing the commotion.
"Dude...why are you yelli...."
Shaakir trailed off when he noticed Khair sitting on the passage floor, crying , a look of sheer pain flashing in his eyes.

He crouched infront of him.
"Khair what happened ?" He asked alarmed.

He bowed his head , and frantically wiped his tears, he shook his head from side to side.

"She's gone Shaakir , she's gone !" He repeated over and over again.

"Who ?"

" My ... my mother ! ", tears trailed down his face , wetting his shirt.

Safwa gasped, she couldn't even imagine how hurt he must be feeling, his mother passed away ,and he was not present during the last moments of her  life, how broken he must be feeling, he was in another country and his mother breathed her last , departing from this world even before her son could share his happiness with her.  A few tears escaped Safwa's thick lashes, as she returned to the lounge to inform her sister and mother about the death of a kind, loving and extraordinary woman who was admired, and loved by all.

Shaakir embraced him , reciting
انا لله و ا نا إليه راجعون
"To Allah we belong and to Allah is our return, May Allah grant her Jannatul Firdous. Patience at the moment when one is tested is true patience, Surely Alah Ta'allah is with the patient ones. May Allah give you as well as your family the ability to display beautiful patience. "

"Aameen ", Khair managed to mutter between sobs.

"I'm going to book the earliest flight we can get , I'm going with you I can't leave you alone."

Khair nodded, with his head lowered, shoulders sagging and bloodshot red eyes, he returned to the room in order to pack his bags, he assumed he would go home with the happy news of Safwa considering  him  as a husband, and return along with his parents and sister to officially propose, he never imagined he would have to return home to attend the funeral of the the most beloved person to him, his mother ! Mother and son had shared such a special and unique bond , that even his sister Khadija would become envious at times. The wound afflicted onto his heart could never be healed , his mother was his world , if it were not for the worship of Allah Ta'allah , life without his mother would be meaningless , she was his strength, she was his support , she was the joy to his soul , the love and encouragement that he received from his mother no one could give him that, even if they tried to ,  he had his sister  Khadija but, that was different... The love of a mother is the most pure, magical , special kind of love , no love in the world can surpass the love a mother has for her child , yet we only
realise  the true value of this love , once we are distanced from it...

A gust of wind occasionally wafted past him , as if consoling him for the loss in his life , dense clouds began hovering over them , as if they had gathered to witness the burial of his mother, the molecules of sand crunched beneath their feet , as they assembled for the Janazah Salaah , lining up, shoulder to shoulder  in three rows.

Khair's deceased mother was placed infront of them, the Imaam stood in line with the deceased's  chest.  The Muqtadees ( those that read Salaah behind an Imaam) , made their intention along with the Imaam and folded their hands. The Imaam recited Thanaa for Salaahtul Janazah and commenced with the Takbeer without raising their hands .

He then began the dua. Khairs eyes spilled the pain his heart experienced, his heart cried along  , it crushed him to see his once beaming mother placed on the bare soil , wrapped in a white cloth , she  once sat on the Musallah praying before her Rabb, and now her lifeless body lay on the particles of sand , others praying over her , she once slept in a comfortable, soft bed , and today she would be put to rest upon the bed of soil, sarrounded with soil on either side , her roof would be soil , her bed would be soil , her walls would be soil,  he silently supplicated for  his mother , asked Allah to make the rest of her journey easy, to make his mother's grave a garden from amongst the gardens of Jannah.

The Imaams dua echoed through the graveyard,

"اللهم اغفر لحينا و ميتنا و شا هدنا و غاءبنا و صغيرنا و كبيرنا و انثانا اللهم من احييته منا فاحيه على الإسلام ومن توفيته منا فتوفيته على الإيمان
"Oh Allah forgive our living and dead, present and absent , young and old , men and women. Oh Allah whover amongst us is alive , by Thee , be kept alive on the path of Islaam and to whom Thou cause to die let him die with faith. "

The fourth Takbeer was recited , the Imaam raised his hands , and the Muqtadees followed , Salaam was then made to the right and then the left.

Khair now felt his body turn rigid , his whole body felt numb, his thoughts became muddled , his hands began to sweat , his heart beat accelerated , his eyes pooled with tears once again, it was now time to bury his mother , he would have to lower his own mother into her new abode , he would have to throw sand onto his beloved mothers face , with his very own hands, his heart filed with an inexplainable pain, but he knew he had to do it.

His father gently took hold of his hand , tugging him towards his mother's lifeless body, two of his mother's brothers already stood beside her body , ready to carry his beloved mother. With a heavy heart Khair and his father , lifted the body of his mother along with his uncles , lowering the body into the grave from the side of the Qibla, beaneath the sheet .

"بسم الله و بالله و على ملة رسول الله "
"In the name of Allah, the command of Allah and in accordance to  the creed of Rasulullahصلى الله عليه وسلم
(I place this corpse in the grave)"

Khair gently turned his mother's face towards the Qibla , he then untied the three pieces of strings , used to fasten the kafn. He  gave his mother one last longing  look , with glassy eyes he climbed out and watched as planks were being placed , then joined in covering the grave with soil , the last thing he got a glimpse of was a portion of the white cloth, before the grave was completely covered , his decaeased mother now concealed from the world   six feet beneath the soil he stood upon, oh what a heart wrenching feeling  it was to return from another country and be met with the sight of the limp, lifeless body of your mother , than to be embraced in her warm arms, what a heart shattering feeling it was to carry your deceased mother on your shoulders , rather than kissing her soft hands , and seeing her warm smile, oh what a heart breaking feeling it was to cover your mother's deceased body with soil , knowing this was the last time you will ever see her in this world.

People slowly began to disperse, Khair remained rooted to the ground , he lingered near the grave , supplicating for his beloved mother.
Reluctantly he stepped away , then turned away , as he walked away , he felt as if he left his heart in the graveyard as well , despite having his entire family , he still felt lonely but, he would he patient ,he had faith in Allah , Allah never burdens a soul more than it can bear, surely his mother was his life , she was his anchor , she was his light, but he would be strong and he would use every free moment he had to supplicate and send rewards for her , as this was the only thing he could do for her from now on.

How astonishing we humans are ! We know that we will definitely die one day , although the time of our death is unknown , we know we definitely will depart from the world , yet we barely make any preparations for the journey of the Hereafter. May Allah grant us all the ability to live our life like a traveller in this world , whose main objective is to gather provisions for the abode of the Aakhira.

Death is unpredictable , not only old and sick people pass away , death is not confined to a specific age , death does not bother whether you're young or old , once its out to get you , it's impossible to flee , once it reaches you , there is no escape.

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