Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim
Assalam alaykum warahmtullah wabarakatu
A friend of mine once shared the story of a young woman who had accepted Islam and fell sick shortly thereafter and was hospitalized. Her new Muslim companions would gather at her bedside reciting Qu’ran and keeping her company. One day one of the Muslims was reciting Qur’an and the woman started to turn her head back and forth in apparent agitation. Concerned, the Muslims asked what was wrong.
The sick woman responded by saying that it was hard to concentrate because she didn’t know whom to listen to.
“What do you mean?” the Muslims asked her.
Agitated, she said to the one reciting Qur’an, “Should I listen to you and should I listen to them?”
The reciter turned and didn’t see anyone. “I’m the only one reciting,” he said.
The woman, who did not know Arabic, responded saying, “I hear someone else saying, ‘Yaa ayyu han-nafsul mut-ma-innah. ‘Irji’ee ilaa rabbiki raaDiyya-tam marDiyyah. Fad-khulee fee ‘ebaadee, wad-khulee jannatee.”
O reassured soul, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. And enter among My [righteous]servants. And enter My Paradise (Qur’an; Al-Fajr , 89:27-30).
A moment later, she died…
When I heard the story of the girl hearing the last verses from Soorat Al-Fajr before death, my eyes welled with tears. I longed to hear those Divine words recited to me. But as I reflected on my life and my shortcomings, I wondered if I’d be given that gift.
What was it, I wondered, that she had done that pleased Allah so much that she earned this momentous blessing? Was there something—anything—that I could do to earn something similar?
I thought of my parents and my deeds what could I do to achieve such an ending.
[Umm Zakariya]
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