Notes,OmarSuleiman, Reflections, Arrivals,Departures,,Life, Death, Dunya

I attended a convention this weekend out of state, there were lots of lectures, but some lectures have you reflecting more then others...there was one lecture, that had me thinking a lot upon my airport trip home to NJ.

Imam Omar Suleiman spoke on "Our End is Near: Living Life While Remembering Death".

He made this deep analogy between the dunya, death, and the airports arrival and departure levels.

Omar said,

"In the departure level of the airport everyone is sad, hugging people, its depressing, but go down one level to the arriavls section and its the exact opposite, there is joy, celebrations excitement.

 Its an agony of this dunya and the akhra....How much would you love to see the loved ones who passed before you?When you are leaving in the depature are you are going to someone you love more". Then he gave an example of how he loves attending these lectures and conventions away from home, but its always hard to leave his family, and its also hard to say salaams to the people he meets at the convention, lectures.

I spent a lot of time thinking about his words at the airport...especially on the plane as I was sitting at a window seat with only a partial look of what this dunya is, only Allah knows how many people live in this dunya, how many passed away,  and when its time for our own departures.

I had to say my salaams to the people I meet in Chicago, from the people at the front desk at the hotel,  to the volunteers at the Islamic Relief booth, the zaat and zatar vendor, the convert whose shahada I was able to witness out of nowhere inside the Islamic Relief volunteers booth, one last time I said salaams as I was getting ready to departure back to my "home" to my family.

I thought to myself, how true is his words, while I was sad to say salaam to my new friends in Chicago, I was very excited to come back home to my family, to my home state NJ....but then I thought about it...NJ is not the ultimate home, NJ is not my final destination, our families are not the only ones waiting for us....but its hard to remember that right?

Its hard to "live life while remembering death" as is the title of Omars lecture.

There is a  Jannah that awaits, an Ultimate Final destination, and there is Allah,
"Kheir yum, yum allqaik" the Best Day is the Day I will meet you oh Allah

 (Cant remember who said that)

And this dunya is just a "maaata " as mentioned in Surat Al Hadid,aya 20,

 "And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion"

Chicago is just another stop .

NJ is just a temporary place.

This dunya is like a hotel that hosts its guests for a while until they are ready to departure to their homes, inshAllah Jnnah...

The hotel is pleasing at first, as you think you are living a worry free life with room service and free shuttles but then after a couple of days you realize this is not my home, this is not fun, I want to go home...now what about the comparison of this dunya and the Jannah that is explained within the Quran...imagine that?

Yes its sad when we must think about the "departure" of this dunya, yes it hurts when we think of the loved ones that have already "departured" but there will always be another place of arrival...

Omar Suleiman said,

"Approach death with wisodom and optimisim.

You lose your identity when you die, you are no longer "Huda"(insert your name) you are "it" the body. When you leave this world you really leave...

If you look at the death of the righteous people before us:

Abu Bakr, his last words before he died was the aya "Tawfnaa Muslimeen wa ilhaqeen be salaheen"

"Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous."

(This is the duaa of Prophet Yusuf mentioned in Surat Yusuf aya 101)

Uthman:While he was suffering in oppression, on a Thursday, the day before he died he said he saw the Prophet in his dream. The Prophet said to him " Oh Uthman have they forbidden you  from food, water, and the Prophets Mosque?"

"Abshar ya Uthman " (this is a beautiful word! in Arabic it means like glad tidings, don't be sad ,"

"You will break fast with me, Uthman , and Abu Bakr (because he was fasting on Thursday, and he was going to see all of them the next day after he died).

Bilal:Bilal was dying in Aleppo, his wife was saying how this was such a sad tragedy moment...

Bilal told her "Wal farahaat ghada " My joy is tomorrow as I will see my beloved ones again.

You don't have to wait until the Day of Judgment to see the beloved people.

There is a hadith about how the believers wait for the beloved righteous people at birzkikh...they will meet them with more joy then their loved ones. The Prophet will be there to meet me..optimism

The Prophet said "you will be with those whom you love"

And whenever he would visit the grave he would say " You are ahead of us, and we will follow you "

(sounds better in Arabic, inty bakum al sabquoun wa nahnoo bakum tabaoun"). """

 As I finish writting this post, the suns shining lights are ready to set.. a reminder that even the sun has a time for arrival and departure......