On April 30, 2015, I assisted with the janaza preparations and burial of a dear brother who I met in the late 80s where we worked together at a large Emerson St. house in DC that was later known as Masjidul-Islam. Various well known duat and scholars regularly came to assist and teach at the Masjid in those days. As a result, by the early 1990s a gradual transformation had taken place and the house had become one of the few local places where people were talking about following the Qur'aan and Sunnah and the way of the Pious Predecessors.
A lot of history has occurred since then with the Muslims of Washington DC. By the mercy of Allah, a project is now underway to capture the chronology and make it accessible to the current and future generations who were not there.
The brother himself was widely known and genuinely respected by many. He was very aware of many issues and problems yet never had a bad word to say about people even if they did him wrong. He was not perfect by any means, but he was steadfast and had courage and loved the deen of Islam and the youth of Islam, many of whom did not know how to properly respect their elders in the deen or maybe elders period. He however, was about trying to get the Muslims together.
Last week I saw people at his janaza who I had not seen since they were children and others who I thought had indeed long passed! There were many who the last time we saw or spoke to each other, we both had hair and no grey. Indeed, in his passing, Allah used the janaza to bring us all together.
Of the hundreds who tightly crammed for his janaza, many could have died that day had there been a panic or fire! There would have been little hope for us all that day to escape such a scenario. Isn't that a thought? How many of us reflected on that and that we all could soon be where our brother was that day? How many of us reflected on all the time that has passed and all those who have gone on before us?
There are many more lessons I learned from that day and the entire experience, and it was the first time I had been involved in such janaza preparations from nearly start to finish. I saw the brother go from alert and happy to see me in a hospital bed to weakness and finality at a hospice facility. His family endured stress, sadness and emotions as well as demands placed upon them and may Allah reward them. May Allah forgive the brother and pardon his errors and shortcomings and enter him into Al-Jannah, ameen.
He was named Abdul-Mubdee Shakir. He is buried in Al-Firdous Memorial Gardens, 3845 New Design Rd. Frederick Maryland which is a completely Muslim cemetery located in the peaceful countryside. Visit when you can and make duaa for those therein and yourself.
-- By Abdul-Qaadir Abdul-Khaaliq