Five years ago this day my mother passed away, she was diagnosed with cancer. Two years prior to her passing away, she gathered us, her boys, and broke the news, that she has a terminal illness. And while she did, tears gently seeped from her eyes, I felt deeply sorry at that moment.
From then on everything became more intense, we were being hurtled from hospital to hospital, spending months at a time sometimes. But in between that terrible storm, there was a time just before everything deteriorated until her death, it was the three weeks we spent at one Dr.Hassan’s Clinic that I cherish the most in my life.
During our stay we forgave each other, showed compassion to each other, and she happened to grow more fond of me than the day I was born. She would ask me to make a cup of tea for her, and while I was in the middle of doing so, she would say “Allah yayi maka albarka.”, May Allah bless you.
I put a lump of sugar, Allah yayi maka albarka, put some milk, Allah yayi maka albarka, stirring, Allah yayi maka albarka, everything I did for her was the same, Allah yayi maka albarka. I got blessed so much.
She once asked me, while I was making tea for her, “Are you tired?” implying of helping her, I was like ‘are you kidding me? of course not.’ She smiled, it was the smile of one who has accomplished, the smile of victory, it was the same kind of smile I read in the stories of the companions of the prophet (PBUH), the same smile on Al-Barra bin Malik’s face when he was found martyred, the same smile on Zaid’s face on the day of al-mutah, the same type of smile Umar bin Abdulazeez dubbed the fifth righteous caliph had when the angels of death came to him, they smiled because they knew they had accomplished, they had victory.
My mother smiled the same smile, she was ready, ready to meet her Lord, for she knew she had accomplished her dreams, raising people that will matter, people that will change the world, because to her, simply becoming a man wasn’t enough, she wants great men, the likes of Danfodio, Albaani, Nelson Mandela, Saadu Zungur, Malcom X, she would tell us tales of great people, great entrepreneurs and astonishing leaders, hoping one day we would become like them, it was her single most important legacy. I have to say, that time at the hospital was the most beautiful part of my life, I cherished those three weeks, for truly was our last moment together.
May Allah have mercy on her, her parents, her deceased forefathers, and honourable muslims. I pray that al-jannatul firdaus is her final abode. I thank you mama for everything, for all the love, the patience, and the culturing you gave me.
P.S – Love, Hafiz.
Originally posted 2018.
