My beloved boro mami (aunt) Nasima Khatun
(08/03/68-12/16/07)
On the evening of December 16, 2007, a day which was astonishingly cold and blistery, with surprising gale-force hurricane winds which seemed like it was sent by the heavens to take the soul of my boro mami (aunt) Nasima Khatun away from this world for the last time on her final journey.My boro mami as we traditionally called her was a person I never really gotten the chance to meet or interact with on a personal level like the rest of my family, but nevertheless from our brief encounters she was a person of true integrity and family oriented. She always put the welfare and well-being of her family first and worked tirelessly to improve upon family relations and sentiment. She was highly devoted to her direct family - her husband and two daughters and was steadfast till her last days and hours.
No words can be used to explain the state the entire family was in when news broke out of my aunt`s tragic death. I still remember that fateful night, when we were at a wedding reception and received a call from my uncle informing us of the news and were awaiting us in the hospital to decide on the final funeral matters. We rushed there as fast as we could, recalling I drove 80-90 mph and not caring about any speeding tickets. The atmosphere was so doom and gloom when we finally arrived there, seemed like a massive dagger was struck into the whole family collectively, I have never seen the family like this. There I noticed my boro mama (my uncle, husband of my deceased aunt) stooped over on a chair and with a facial expression that was beyond words. His youngest daughter and my youngest cousin (Nusrat Akhter) was present although I never knew her personally and couldn`t make her out until my other aunt pointed her out. I felt so bad and helpless seeing her facial expression that it was incalculable. Here I thought, such a young girl loosing her mother at such a tender age was beyond measure. I made a vow I would do everything in my power to always make her happy and see her succeed in this world. She had an angelic quality that made you grow sympathy and love for and came to appreciate her. To my astonishment we had similar characteristics and interests and made my devotion to her even greater. Just to see her smile would fill the heart with delight and content. Giving her the proper guidance was of utmost importance since she lost her mother at yet such a young age when the mind is so impressionable.
Keeping her mind occupied and showering her with happiness was of great importance. No one can imagine what she went through when she saw first hand her mother pass away in front of her very eyes. No one can understand what she thought and felt until someone goes through it, that's life and that's how it will continue on till the last days.
It is said, a dead person`s deeds are closed when they pass away so it is up to their living descendants to continue to fill their deeds with good actions, sincere prayer and charity. So when the inevitable day of Judgement comes and we all have to stand trial in front of our Creator, we all hope our good deeds will outweigh the bad and permit us to enter paradise.
Aside from praying for my family, for both sides of my family, I would wish for a Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous alms/charity) to be set up on her behalf that would last and continue to give good hasanah (rewards) and last till the end times.
So we extend our peace and blessings upon my boro mami, that may Allah the Almighty bless her and save her from the inevitable fitnah (trials) of the grave that we all surely have to face, and make her among the ones who are destined for paradise. To Allah we belong and to Allah we will surely return.
