Little Ismail passed away

(See the first flood refugees blog post about the birth of Mohammad Ismail just last month)

One month old Mohammad Ismail passed away last night.  Met with Faryaad Bibi, the young mother this morning.  I could see shock and disbelief in her big beautiful eyes.  “Allah ki marzi” as Allah willed she said.  She contacted me a little while ago “tu nai tasveer li thi mujhai dikha dai ji?  Who raat ko faut ho giya?” “You took Mohammad Ismail’s picture; can you show it to me?  He died last night.” I had no words for the sense of loss and failure in being able to provide proper care of this family and the newborn.  “It must be the cold, it must be the unhygienic conditions . . . it is our neglect.”

“Was he sick?  Why did you not come sooner so he could be taken to the hospital?”  I asked.  “Khaala (they call mother’s sister out of respect), he was not sick, I breast fed him and he was resting next to me and he passed away quietly.”…….Tears welled up in her large beautiful eyes, but there was such hopelessness in them as I have not seen before.

They must evacuate this vacant land with their “filthy tattered tents” because the newly constructed mansion could not be seen next to these less than acceptable abodes.  The new tenants won’t stand this sight and such unacceptable level of poverty.  Their own worth is at stake you see.  What worth do you think we have in front of Allah, when instead of doing anything we want the “poverty and misery” to simply get out of sight!

Before I printed out the pictures I wanted to write a few lines as my heart is full and feel responsible that I could have done more and made follow up visits more frequently.  How many souls leave without assistance from anyone and we shall be questioned as we did not do enough to give them ease or check on them to see if they are cold or hungry.  I know that if it wasn’t for Allah’s boundless Mercy I should not be seeing another sunrise after all a month old Mohammad Ismail left quietly at night without a cry for help.

“He was not sick, I breast fed him and he was next to my bosom when he died.  We don’t know what happened…perhaps it was the cold we are in…..” the mother said with tears flowing.  “You have his picture, you took his picture; can you show it to me?”  Her words will forever remain in my memory.

I enlarged the pictures and put it in a sheet cover as I knew it would get soaked out in the open.  When I got there and showed it to the mother, she collapsed on the ground and her cries were painful.  When I could muster up courage to say something I could hear myself saying “Insha Allah you will see him in paradise in a lofty mansion.  Allah gave and He took him from this miserable life.  Wouldn’t you like to spend eternity with Mohammad Ismail in Jannah?”  She became quiet and nodded her head.

You want to see Adab.  Listen to this.  When I went to what used to be Mohammad Ismail’s home, the only one he experienced for a month on this earth, it was a tattered tent amongst garbage.

The families gathered and said “Baji, bohat gund hai, aap is gund mai…Sister there is too much filth here, you are coming in such filth…..”  Then they quickly cleared the charpai (reed bed) to welcome their visitor.

Will we think of showing Adab (proper respect and honor) to someone if we had lost our child and would be apologetic for the poverty if we were in their place?  Will we have the heart not to harbor hatred towards people whom Allah gave so much and yet cannot give what is beyond their needs?  Such a heart I do not have, such Adab I do not have.  Such Shukr and Sabr, they have, I do not have.  What they don’t know is, they have what I do not have.  What they have can only be valued by the Creator, who knows the secrets of the hearts. Who knows the worth of such hearts.

Please make dua that Faryaad Bibi lives in mansions of luxury with her beloved and beautiful son Mohammad Ismail in eternal bliss.  May Allah show Mercy to us for what we are expected to do and fail in our duty to Him by not showing proper Adab to Him and His creations, Ameen.  May He give us the Taufiq to act fast before our time ends.  Little Ismail, is only one child I was fortunate to meet.  How many such little angels have gone and we don't know their names and their mother's cries upon their loss.  But they were as precious as our children are to us.