A Treasured Friendship With My Hijabi Sisters

Arafat Day 2014:Our Visit To The Hospital And Graveyard

A week before Arafat day 1435,one of the sisters decided that we needed to do something beneficial since Arafat is a very important day in the islamic calendar.Whomsoever fasts that day his previous sins are forgiven and his sins for next year.Its also a great day to offer charity and do different acts of Ibadah..So she planned that we were going to visit the Edward Francis small teaching hospital(EFSTH) in Banjul.Giving out charity is really a good thing because "whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's Cause), He will replace it.And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allah's Countenance. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.''
Ma Sha Allah we all acceded with the idea because we didn't want that opportunity to slide away..We gathered funds and all was set for Arafat day.
Arafat day came and I was really excited because it was a blessed day and also For the fact that I was going to meet my beautiful sisters.I Left the house by 8:30am because When eid is approaching,everywhere is so busy,transportation becomes difficult too so I had to make sure I left home early..We agreed to meet up at the arch 22 in Banjul.By the time We arrived there, I had met some sisters already there patiently waiting for the others to arrive.Ma Sha Allah we were all determined to do something for the Deen because it's worth sacrificing a lot.
Moments later,A lot of sisters arrived and I was really impressed with the turn out.We set off for the hospital after waiting for all the sisters to arrive..I felt that feeling of sisterhood once again,walking together amongst the midst of young ladies determined to make the best out of that blessed day.I was overwhelmed.we set off To the pediatrics unit.Met the children and we moved from bed to bed offering words of encouragement to the parents of the children to have sabr and we also prayed for them.Ma Sha Allah May Allah Azzawajal Grant them good health.It is recommended that the visitor prays for the recovery and health of the patient and that he should urge him to endure his trouble patiently. He should say nice words to cheer him up and keep his spirits high. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When you visit a sick person, give him hope for a long life. This will not avert anything, but will please the patient and give him comfort." When the Prophet, peace be upon him, visited a sick person he used to say to him: "Do not worry! It is a means of cleansing (you) of sins, Allah willing."
The next place we went to was the labour ward.We Prayed for the mothers there and the new born babies and for all those who were awaiting to have babies.
Of all the Days of Arafat I witnessed this particular Arafat was the best.not only did my sisters and I partook in striving and struggling to do something for the Deen but also for the fact that we made good use of our time that day in the remembrance of Allah.May Allah Azzawajal accept our Ibadah.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious will say on the Day of Resurrection: 'O son of Adam, I was ill but you did not visit Me.' He would say: 'O my Rubb, how could I visit you and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine was ill but you did not visit him? Did you not realize that if you had visited him (you would have known that I was aware of your visit to him, for which I would reward you) you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked food from you but you did not feed Me.' He would submit: 'My Rubb, how could I feed You and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' He would say: 'Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him? Did you not realize that if you had fed him, you would certainly have found (its reward) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked water from you but you did not give it to Me.' He would say: 'My Rubb, how could I give You (water) and You are the Rubb of the worlds?' Thereupon He would say: 'Such and such a slave of Mine asked you for water to drink but you did not give it to him. Did you not realize that if you had given him to drink you would have found (its reward) with Me?"'
From this Hadith we can learn that it's our duty to visit our fellow Muslim when he/she is ill,it's our duty to provide food for them when they are hungry so visiting the sick is really a good .
I learnt a very great lesson as I came out of that hospital.I learnt that we should appreciate our health And Be thankful to Allah He has made this illness a thing to atone for our sins.The Almighty Lord grants Paradise to his creatures on account of their piety and noble thoughts.Every fatigue, hardship, pain, worry, sorrow, mischief, oppression, and even every prick of a thorn that befalls the Muslim atones for sins(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).Anyone suffering from an illness should remain patient, for there is no reward better or more enriching than that reserved for those who endure in patience. A patient should thank and praise Allah, before talking about his distress and complaint.Ibn Mas'ud said: "If one thanks Allah before complaining about his pain or disease, then it is not considered impatience. Indeed, to refer one's complaint to Allah, is quite lawful." Jacob (the prophet), said: "I complain of my distraction and anguish only to Allah." The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, himself prayed: "O Allah! to You I complain of my weakness."
Alhamdulilah we left the hospital and proceeded onto the next level which was to visit the graveyard.like I said earlier it wasn't easy to get a car when eid was approaching but Allah made everything easy for us.It didn't even take a long time for us to get a bus.While we were in the car,we chatted for just few minutes and our eldest sisters adviced us to recite the dua for Arafat day whilst we were on our way to the cemetery.the dua we kept on repeating was laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer meaning None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. He is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.
About 30 mins later we arrived at the jeshwang cemetery.whilst we entered, we recited this dua"as-salaamu ‛alaykum ahl-ad-diyaari mi-nal-mu'mineena wal-muslimeena, wa in-naa in shaa'-allaahu la-laaḥiqoona, nas'al-ullaaha lanaa wa-lakumul-‛aafiyah"meaning Peace be upon you, people of this abode, from among the believers and those who are Muslims, and we, by the will of Allah, shall be joining you. May Allah have mercy on the first of us and the last of us.I ask Allah to grant us and you strength.
As I stood there,I couldn't hold back my tears.i thought about myself.The day I will be in that same position.I also thought about those desolute people lying in their qabar.They walked on the surface of the earth like us.Death is inevietable. Rich or poor,old or young we shall all taste death.kulun nafsi zalimatul maut.From dust we were created and from dust we will return.We should ponder upon these.no matter how rich you are your wealth won't follow you into the grave.your deeds will so we should all try and make we work well for our akhirah..The life of this duniya is nothing but the enjoyment of deception.looking at the graves of those buried there.we will all be buried under the soil one day and it will be our home before judgement day.Only our deeds can save us.May Allah save us from the punishment of the grave.Be in the world like a stranger or a wayfarer.'' Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) used to say: When you survive till the evening do not expect to live until the morning; and when you survive till the morning do not expect to live until the evening. While in good health (do good deeds) before you fall sick; and while you are alive (do good deeds) before death strikes..May the souls of all the departed rest in peace.
A true reasonable person is he who learns lessons from graves, stripping himself of the sweetness of this worldly life and changing its sweet taste into bitterness, he who ponders over the inevitable extinction of this worldly life and the ceaseless changeability of its manners, and he who always remembers that very soon, he will be just like these inhabitants of graves, will fail to do any further charitable deed, and will be lesson for others.
Even for the time being, abandoning the worldly interests, reflecting upon this world's being mortal and thinking the hereafter. Imagining that one day in the future we will also have the same aftermath..
After offering Duas we left the grave yard.I was silent in the bus on our way going home throughout because this visit has thought me a lot.i learnt a lot of lessons.That motivated me to be more steadfast on the Deen.Our purpose in this life is to worship Allah Azzawajal.we might not know when the angel of death will come take our souls.we have to start repenting to Allah before we return to him..Time waits for no man.Lets make a CHANGE now!