Death.

Remember MR NIGER D? Yeah, me too. It just so happens that the most certain and inevitable part of the life cycle of EVERY LIVING ORGANISM is the least discussed. Do you know why? Because life is all around us, it encompasses everything that we see. But D?, D is somewhere in that eerie graveyard we walk by briskly in an unconscious bid to postpone the inevitable. ‘ I don’t even want to think about it’, we tell ourselves. But people, we HAVE to think about it. Often. Because someday, it’s going to be our turn. This isn’t about scaring ourselves into a state of irrational fear; it’s about taking action and preparing for that which cannot be escaped. There have been a lot of deaths lately; I lost my grandmother and my aunt within this past year. But I must say, the death of Aishah Giwa that occurred this morning scared, shocked and sobered me.

May Allah forgive you, Aishah, dear grandma, auntie and all other Muslims that have passed away. May Allah look upon you and us all with mercy, widen your graves and keep you steadfast in the face of the trials of the grave. Amin.

The only way we can prepare for death is to live in this world as though we were on a journey. I have been living this metaphor for the past 22 months and I didn’t even realise it.My husband and I always talk about when we are going to travel back ‘home’. Whenever I want to buy something large or bulky, he always reminds me that this isn’t our home and that there was no point in accumulating things that would eventually be a burden upon us when we decide to leave. This, is how we should live; constantly reminding ourselves when we are about to engage in activities that are going to be a source of grief and discomfort for us on the day we leave this world. The only difference, albeit a very major one, is that we don’t decide when we leave. We know there’s a ticket, but we have no idea what date is on it. As Muslims,we have to be ‘boy scouts’; be prepared!

Please say a sincere prayer for dear Aishah and anybody that you may have lost. And never forget; this isn’t our home. May Allah forgive me and you and make me and you among those who remind themselves first and then remind others.

“every soul shall taste death”