My classrooms in Darul Uloom Zakarrya is the ink source of my pen, Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah I have had marvellous teachers who not only mastered the different sphere of Islamic Education, but also had the best of qualities to offer the present world. Qualities of sunnah were living vividly in them. They were the real ambassadors of their teachers and they had linked themselves to the unaltered sunnah stream sourcing from India, Deoband.
On reaching there, the Johannesburg climate offered coldness and dryness to the body. But the heat that the teachers was delivering daily kept my student journey ongoing. They soaked our heart with water and pure inheritance of the beloved prophet SAW. Every teacher had a peculiar graceful quality prevailing in him and students went forward picking and plucking these flowers daily.
Alhamdulillah, I had the favour being married during my student time. My principal, M Shabir Saloojee rented me an studio on top of the classes. And with this blessings, I became closest neighbour to the studio of M Suleiman Choksi. Through this blessing and closeness, I have been blessed with lots of gifts in my life.
On the other facet, my wife discovered the other sphere of the lives of my ustaads, their homes. My wife would describe her living alongside my ustaads` wives as memorable, enjoyable and pleasant. Gossips, ill thinking and party construction were never in their agendas. They understood to stand hand to hand to their husbands to accomplish the delivery of sunnah to the present generation. Behold, the living scene of the house of the beloved prophet SAW and His life came alive in front of me through my ustaads and their homes.
I remember that once Hazrat M Choksi came in class and he addressed us:’’Asl Husne Khatimah hein’’ that ‘’Verily, it is a pious ending of our life that is most counted.’’
To have Husne Khatimah, we need to live a life of piety. Ambitious on this track, our teachers taught us: tahajjud, learning the deen of Allah, spread it with wisdom, the sunnah of being gentle and tolerant to others and finally be cautious about the consequences of your own actions.
Today Friday, my wife`s close companion passed away. The wife of M Suleiman Choksi sahib. We are grieved with sadness and sorrow with this separation. We participate with the grief and sorrow with hazrat mowlana and his five children. 2 sons and 3 daughters. All of them are ulamas and Alimas, Alhamdulillah.
Reported in Tirmizi that any muslim that dies on Friday or Thurday night, then Allah Ta`ala would protect him from punishment of the grave:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَمُوتُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَوْ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَّا وَقَاهُ اللَّهُ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ
Apa died on Friday morning in India, at her daughter`s house. She performed her Fajr salaah this morning. After fajr, she read her ma`moolat and then would quietly collapse.
This is Husne Khatimah. A graceful pious ending.
May Allah Ta`ala bless M Suleiman`s wife with jannah and special gifts in the Akhirah. Ameen. Indeed she had very good qualities and encouraged young mothers to look after their children with patience and ambitions.
The formula to Husne Khatimah is to fill our day and our night with good deeds and good thinking. Let`s start as from today. May Allah Ta`ala bless us all with Husne Khatimah. Ameen.