How Does One Say Goodbye?, Losing A Loved One & Learning To Live On.
Life is indeed a mass complexities that sometimes confound us and completely overwhelms our senses when we are faced with some of its marvels and mysteries.
Marvels and mysteries like death;does anyone really understand why it has to happen apart from the scientific explanation that we are taught in school about the cycle of life,how it start and why it ends? We also know and accept aas an integral part of our faith that,a person is born,goes through life and then dies and that death will definetly come.Also we know that its where,when and how are part of the secret of the Unseen that only Allaah has the exclusive knowledge of.
But does knowing ever really prepare you for losing someone dear?Can anybody truly understand that wrenching pain of losing a dear one or the resultant emptiness of the soul as though a huge chunk of it has been turn away? Do the memories fade away with time as some wellmeaning sympathizers predict?
Memories! perhaps they will fade depending on the nature of the loss, or the person lost.Perhaps not, !What is it about a person anyway that keeps in himor her even in death;alive in the hearts those that care?Is it the age,colour,status or may be the waythe person died?
Hassan was a young man in his twenties who had nothing but shy smiles and an ever present willingness to help out.He never once complained about anything in the all too short three years I knew him.A modest man,he was mannered enough to know when to lower his gaze, how to stand by the door to give his salaams, his 'thank you'spurred you on to give more and his friendship was craved and cherished by children,he was never too busy for them, Hassan was our 'Maiguard'(Gateman),he was also a friend and a family and a member of the family, Hassan died just when he set to make something of his life,start a business and most likely get Kareemah, what was special about her?Her mother,who is admired and loved by many?The manner and circumstances under which she was conceived and born,the sparkle in her eyes
that made her look like both cheeky and adorable at the same time.

Can one ever say goodbye?May be not!But we can dry our tears and find succour in the dua' of the prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa ssllam);"O Allah,forgive those of us who are living and those of us who are dead,those of us who are preesnt and those of us who are absent,our young and our old,our male and our female.O Allaah,to whosoever of us you take him in death as a follower of Islaam.O Allaah,do not withhold from us the reward (of faith)and do not lead us astray after his death."(Abu Dawood)