Saying Good Bye

Salam my muslim brothers and sisters,
I am a bit thoughtful today as I reflect upon my grandmother and her life as she passed away late last night at the very hour I was praying. I thought of my grandmother "mami rosi" as my other mother. She was very close to my heart and to all the family. I was actually planning to go to Guatemala to visit her this April after not seeing her in person for many years. As this is the first loss in my family since I have chosen Islam for my life, I wanted to study about how the Qur'an addresses death and loss. Here are some of the results of my research that I pray will also bless you as they have for me.

Death , according to the Qur'an, is not the end of man's life; it only opens the door to another, a higher form of life: " We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome, that We may change your state and make you grow into what you know not ." Qur'an 56 : 60 - 61 .

Since Muslims are told in the Qur'an that humans are on this earth only as passengers, we should not have this fear of loss. A Muslim's destiny is predetermined, so worrying about it is pointless. We as believers must remember that no matter what circumstances we face in life, we will return to Allah as this is a faithful attitude towards our life.

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction (Qur'an, 13:28)."

"O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely, Allah is with the patient (Qur'an, 2:153)."

Another way of finding peace with the idea of death is to have peace with yourself by addressing your sin with Allah. Even if a person has not done anything wrong, he must insure the forgiveness of Allah.

"Then I said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord; surely, He is the most Forgiving'" (Qur'an, 71:10).

Even the reciting and reflective study of the Qur'an in itself is also calming and healing.

Another way to be at peace with the future and live faithfully in the moment is to forget about the bad things of the past and think of good things, always having hope that he can be better. Know that success comes through patience, and that ease can come through the trials we must first go through. Muslims understand that there's no reason to be worried for we know what comes after the tribulation.

Life is short and purposeful and we should make the most of it. Wasting time worrying about it could be time used for making something positive of it and prepare for what is coming next.

In conclusion, a surprisingly effective remedy for stress is to "remember death" and be fearful to face it or try to learn about what Allah has to say about it and what it means for our lives. Al7amdulEllah, Allah knows best and from Him we come and to Him we return.
This post is dedicated to the memory of my mami rosi who gave me unconditional and wonderful love and to all in her life at all times every moment of her life, and who gave me the nickname "chi chi" (but please dont tell anyone that, hahaha). Allah bless my faithful, God-loving grandmother. May Allah have mercy on her and remember her goodness in that day.