Sunday, November 16, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Night of Power
In the darkness, silent whisper breeze of night,
Descended from heaven the book of guidance,
From Allah, the one to whom belongs all wisdom, might,
To intellect it brought knowledge, to heart it brought light.
To the Beloved Prophet, Muhammad, the pure, the one with open heart,
The Absolute Wisdom of Allah (SWT) did the book impart.
We too, like him, should try to be pure,
So in our hearts, as in his, Allah would His message ensure.
Try to imagine the span of Gabriel’s wing,
Descended from highest heavens the message to bring,
Yet the heart of the Prophet and his followers true
Transcend all creation when they the message include.
Time too, like space, this night is bent
Believers gather themselves, this night to repent
Return unto Allah, with sincere overture
Of all evil, and forgetfulness let your soul be spent.
-Ahmed Hussain-
Descended from heaven the book of guidance,
From Allah, the one to whom belongs all wisdom, might,
To intellect it brought knowledge, to heart it brought light.
To the Beloved Prophet, Muhammad, the pure, the one with open heart,
The Absolute Wisdom of Allah (SWT) did the book impart.
We too, like him, should try to be pure,
So in our hearts, as in his, Allah would His message ensure.
Try to imagine the span of Gabriel’s wing,
Descended from highest heavens the message to bring,
Yet the heart of the Prophet and his followers true
Transcend all creation when they the message include.
Time too, like space, this night is bent
Believers gather themselves, this night to repent
Return unto Allah, with sincere overture
Of all evil, and forgetfulness let your soul be spent.
-Ahmed Hussain-
On Ramadan
Of Clay and Water made are we,
In the Heart of hearts God made our souls to be,
Empty yourself of worldly attachment,
Let yourself be truly free.
Hunger is the flame that burns the dross,
Thirst, the bellow that fans the flame,
Righteous Act and Godly Thought is food for Hearts,
Return to God, feeling no shame.
Ramadan is a month of fasting true,
The reward is not reserved for few.
Lower the gaze and be not unkind,
In your heart find peace divine.
Half of faith is charity,
The other half sincerity,
Fast with intentions pure,
And in Ramadan attain piety.
-Ahmed Hussain-
In the Heart of hearts God made our souls to be,
Empty yourself of worldly attachment,
Let yourself be truly free.
Hunger is the flame that burns the dross,
Thirst, the bellow that fans the flame,
Righteous Act and Godly Thought is food for Hearts,
Return to God, feeling no shame.
Ramadan is a month of fasting true,
The reward is not reserved for few.
Lower the gaze and be not unkind,
In your heart find peace divine.
Half of faith is charity,
The other half sincerity,
Fast with intentions pure,
And in Ramadan attain piety.
-Ahmed Hussain-
The Flame
From darkness to light comes the penitent soul,
Sometimes freely, sometimes with pain,
In the end all are with the God,
To pursue this end is never in vain.
Look inside your heart you’ll find a bright flame,
Recall to mind Moses when he looked for a spark
He found a burning bush which was never consumed
Its light drove away the darkness, it was knowledge of heart.
Ramadan is a month, in which like the bush we became
Dry and withered and sometimes aflame
With the love of Allah and his Muhammad beloved
Return unto God, again and again.
Recall Abraham when he the idols smashed,
He too, like the burning bush was set afire,
Reposing in Allah, he remained in midst of cool breeze,
While the insane masses burned the pyre.
Have patience, dear friends and repose in the Truth
Even though in Ramadan we become withered and dry
God is with us watching, protecting
By the flames, his friends He’ll never destroy.
-Ahmed Iftekhar Hussain-
Washington DC
Sometimes freely, sometimes with pain,
In the end all are with the God,
To pursue this end is never in vain.
Look inside your heart you’ll find a bright flame,
Recall to mind Moses when he looked for a spark
He found a burning bush which was never consumed
Its light drove away the darkness, it was knowledge of heart.
Ramadan is a month, in which like the bush we became
Dry and withered and sometimes aflame
With the love of Allah and his Muhammad beloved
Return unto God, again and again.
Recall Abraham when he the idols smashed,
He too, like the burning bush was set afire,
Reposing in Allah, he remained in midst of cool breeze,
While the insane masses burned the pyre.
Have patience, dear friends and repose in the Truth
Even though in Ramadan we become withered and dry
God is with us watching, protecting
By the flames, his friends He’ll never destroy.
-Ahmed Iftekhar Hussain-
Washington DC
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Smiling is Sadaqa...something Ahmed gave a lot of...
*the pictures are mainly from Sabih Khan's website.
DC: CAIR Offers Condolences on Passing of Muslim Activist
This is a link to the page by Cair in regards to Ahmed's death....
http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=777&&ArticleID=16083&&name=n&&currPage=61
http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=777&&ArticleID=16083&&name=n&&currPage=61
Friday, February 15, 2008
Glory and Praise to Allah!!!
Allah is one!
Glory and Praise to Him and unto others none.
Exalt Him and surmount creation.
Adorn with ornament, the ‘Arsh His station!
And upon the soul inscribe the ink of His in-liberation!
He is Unique!
Nothing bears His resemblance of creation.
Adoration to Him belongs and all dominion.
If trees were pens and the seas were ink,
He would fail description.
Life and Death He gives!
Yet of Death no part is His and in His hands is Goodness.
And I bear witness that His Messenger is Muhammad,
Allah and His angels upon Him send Peace,
Call His praise and let sadness cease!
Praise to Allah!
Who Pours forth light, and Gives sight;
From His mysterious height Removes the veils of night!
Prayers for Muhammad of all lights the light.
Sire of them that do the right; Beloved of the Sovereign of Might.
Ahmed's Childhood, by his beloved mother, Mubasher Hussain
Ahmed’s coming to this world is a blessing for us. We were new immigrants, struggling to establish ourselves, facing all kind of hardships like any newly arrived immigrants. Ahmed’s presence made our lives and struggle meaningful. His shiny, smiley face and big bright eyes refreshed us to face the world with new enthusiasm. He was a very bright kid. He memorized many Suras and nursery rhymes when he was just 2 years old. I still remember his joy and excitement when his younger brother Viq was born. Ahmed was two and half years old, I was amazed to see his love and patronization for his brother. He never felt jealous and annoyed with his brother, even though Viq teased him a lot. Ahmed always taught his brother what ever he learnt. But Viq claimed that he taught Ahmed to tie shoe laces and how to whistle.
It was such a pleasant experience for us to raise our children, though it was very challenging to bring them up in an environment very diversified religiously and culturally. I would like to share some of the interesting events we experienced while they were growing up. We were in an area surrounded by all American families. The boys got exposed to many cultural and religious encounters.
One day Ahmed and Viq were playing in the back yard with their friends. One of his friend said, “It is dinner time I have to go; my mom made pork chops; they are delicious”. Ahmed and Viq came home and asked, “Ma can we have pork chops? Our friends are having pork chops for dinner.” I replied, “No we cannot have pork chops.” Again simple and obvious question from the curious kids, “Why can’t we have pork chops?” I replied,” Because we are Muslims. We don’t eat pork.” For some other questions like, “why don’t we have Beer?” etc, they got the same reply that. “We don’t do it because we are Muslims”.
One day Ahmed asked his father, “Daddy, I saw a butterfly, it has antennas, very colorful wings and very bright eyes.” His father asked, “Do you know butterflies have compound eyes?” And he explained what compound eyes are. Ahmed asked again, “Daddy do we have compound eyes?” His father said, “No we don’t have compound eyes.” Ahmed asked again, “Daddy why don’t we have compound eyes?” Before his father gave an answer, Viq replied spontaneously,
“Because we are Muslims.”
One day the postman delivered a letter from immigration office, notifying that we got the citizenship. We were discussing about our citizenship. The kids were there listening to us; as soon as they heard that we got the citizenship, they said, “Now we can eat pork.”
They thought that, they couldn’t eat pork because they were not Americans; now having American citizenship, we were allowed to eat pork. We realized that, it is the time they need more explanation about our religion; the explanation “We are Muslims” was not enough. With the Quran and basic teachings of Islam they started learning the difference between Islam and the other religions; dos and don’t of Islam and simple explanation behind that.
Ahmed always had lots of questions about religion, he is curious about the basic concept for all our religious rituals; like in Ramadan he asked his father about the concept, meaning and requirements of fasting, the significance of Fitra, and Zakat; the Ibrahimi tradition of Sacrifice in Eid-ul-Adha; importance of “Ashora”, the 10 of Muharram. From very early age he tries to understand his religion and the significance behind all religious acts. He imparted his knowledge to his friends and encouraged them to do project on Middle East and provided them information and material; indirectly he tried to acquaint them with Islam.
One time we were invited to a local church to talk about Islam to the kids in the Sunday class. He was happy to accompany and to demonstrate them how we pray, the meaning and concept of the prayer, the prayer rug, the prayer beads (Tasbeeh), the 99 names of Allah and how we celebrate our festivals. He answered the questions kids had about Islam. The kids were very happy and enthusiastic to learn from a kid.
Ahmed was the only Muslim kid in his school, before Viq started, but he was never intimidated or shy, instead he always made a point to be recognized as a Muslim. In middle school, in the history class he had a lesson about Middle East. His teacher while explaining made a remark that, Muslims are terrorists. When his classmates heard the remark from the teacher, they reacted by moving away from Ahmed, him being a Muslim, a terrorist. Ahmed stood up and tried to explain to his teacher, that she could not generalize the term terrorist to all Muslims. He contested her with what ever knowledge he had in a very respectful way. In the evening, the telephone rang and his teacher wanted to talk to him. I gave the phone to Ahmed and was wondering that he might have done some mischief in the class. After the phone, he was very happy and exited. I asked him what happened. He then narrated, what had happened in the school and said, the teacher called him to apologize for her comments. She asked him to give a talk to the class about his religion. It was very nice of her to recognize her misunderstanding and giving a chance to Ahmed to talk about Islam. Ahmed was more than happy for this opportunity and gave a presentation about Islam. He got an extra credit for his presentation.
It was such a pleasant experience for us to raise our children, though it was very challenging to bring them up in an environment very diversified religiously and culturally. I would like to share some of the interesting events we experienced while they were growing up. We were in an area surrounded by all American families. The boys got exposed to many cultural and religious encounters.
One day Ahmed and Viq were playing in the back yard with their friends. One of his friend said, “It is dinner time I have to go; my mom made pork chops; they are delicious”. Ahmed and Viq came home and asked, “Ma can we have pork chops? Our friends are having pork chops for dinner.” I replied, “No we cannot have pork chops.” Again simple and obvious question from the curious kids, “Why can’t we have pork chops?” I replied,” Because we are Muslims. We don’t eat pork.” For some other questions like, “why don’t we have Beer?” etc, they got the same reply that. “We don’t do it because we are Muslims”.
One day Ahmed asked his father, “Daddy, I saw a butterfly, it has antennas, very colorful wings and very bright eyes.” His father asked, “Do you know butterflies have compound eyes?” And he explained what compound eyes are. Ahmed asked again, “Daddy do we have compound eyes?” His father said, “No we don’t have compound eyes.” Ahmed asked again, “Daddy why don’t we have compound eyes?” Before his father gave an answer, Viq replied spontaneously,
“Because we are Muslims.”
One day the postman delivered a letter from immigration office, notifying that we got the citizenship. We were discussing about our citizenship. The kids were there listening to us; as soon as they heard that we got the citizenship, they said, “Now we can eat pork.”
They thought that, they couldn’t eat pork because they were not Americans; now having American citizenship, we were allowed to eat pork. We realized that, it is the time they need more explanation about our religion; the explanation “We are Muslims” was not enough. With the Quran and basic teachings of Islam they started learning the difference between Islam and the other religions; dos and don’t of Islam and simple explanation behind that.
Ahmed always had lots of questions about religion, he is curious about the basic concept for all our religious rituals; like in Ramadan he asked his father about the concept, meaning and requirements of fasting, the significance of Fitra, and Zakat; the Ibrahimi tradition of Sacrifice in Eid-ul-Adha; importance of “Ashora”, the 10 of Muharram. From very early age he tries to understand his religion and the significance behind all religious acts. He imparted his knowledge to his friends and encouraged them to do project on Middle East and provided them information and material; indirectly he tried to acquaint them with Islam.
One time we were invited to a local church to talk about Islam to the kids in the Sunday class. He was happy to accompany and to demonstrate them how we pray, the meaning and concept of the prayer, the prayer rug, the prayer beads (Tasbeeh), the 99 names of Allah and how we celebrate our festivals. He answered the questions kids had about Islam. The kids were very happy and enthusiastic to learn from a kid.
Ahmed was the only Muslim kid in his school, before Viq started, but he was never intimidated or shy, instead he always made a point to be recognized as a Muslim. In middle school, in the history class he had a lesson about Middle East. His teacher while explaining made a remark that, Muslims are terrorists. When his classmates heard the remark from the teacher, they reacted by moving away from Ahmed, him being a Muslim, a terrorist. Ahmed stood up and tried to explain to his teacher, that she could not generalize the term terrorist to all Muslims. He contested her with what ever knowledge he had in a very respectful way. In the evening, the telephone rang and his teacher wanted to talk to him. I gave the phone to Ahmed and was wondering that he might have done some mischief in the class. After the phone, he was very happy and exited. I asked him what happened. He then narrated, what had happened in the school and said, the teacher called him to apologize for her comments. She asked him to give a talk to the class about his religion. It was very nice of her to recognize her misunderstanding and giving a chance to Ahmed to talk about Islam. Ahmed was more than happy for this opportunity and gave a presentation about Islam. He got an extra credit for his presentation.
A SINCERE PRAYER - one of Ahmed's favorite du'as.
Oh lord I have to thy door with truth and sincerity;
Hold my hand with mercy for I have little or no provisions for a long journey.
Although I have committed many sins You can easily pardon all.
I am poor for good deeds and am Thy slave, a humble sinner.
Thy slave is given to sins and negligence after negligence
But you are a perpetual source of bounty and blessings!
Oh Lord my sins are as countless as the grains of sand,
Yet pardon all of them by Thy special favor and mercy.
O Lord Command the fires of hell to be cool for me
Just as You Commanded it in the case of Khalil;
“O fire be cool and peaceful for Abraham.”
Oh Allah! Preserve me from every ailment. And fulfill all my needs.
For I have a sick heart but it is You who cures all ills.
In all our troubles and needs you are certainly sufficient for us;
You are my Creator and Sustainer and You are my best Patron.
O Lord Grant me, the treasure of Thy bounty. For You are generous and bounteous.
Grant me what is in my heart, and show me the best Guidance.
Oh Lord how miserable is my plight, my sins are countless
And the sum total of my good deeds is very little.
O Lord, on the day when Gabriel is the prosecutor and You are the Judge,
Deliver us from the fear of Hell and grant us a vast and peaceful country as our Abode.
Alas… where is Moses where is Jesus where is John and where is Noah….
Oh Siddique you are a sinner therefore repent to Thy Lord…
FREEDOM
It was said by a great man, give me liberty or give me death
Once embracing freedom, true liberty to grasp,
And championed freedom till the last breath
Those who clarioned freedom until death's gasp.
Where are they now having even their bones turned to dust?
Has the soaring eagle spirit of freedom been caged?
It is we who must be its guardian and fulfill the trust
still we hear echoes of freedom's past age.
It was God Almighty who ennobled the soul
Filled the heart with wisdom, and the intellect with light
Allowed virtue to volition unfold
Allowed man to know and embrace the right.
So let us, we who uphold the waving banners of truth,
Dispel the falsehood which grounds tyranny
With our voices, action, and burden-bearing
Embrace true freedom and liberty
-By Ahmed Iftekhar Hussain
Once embracing freedom, true liberty to grasp,
And championed freedom till the last breath
Those who clarioned freedom until death's gasp.
Where are they now having even their bones turned to dust?
Has the soaring eagle spirit of freedom been caged?
It is we who must be its guardian and fulfill the trust
still we hear echoes of freedom's past age.
It was God Almighty who ennobled the soul
Filled the heart with wisdom, and the intellect with light
Allowed virtue to volition unfold
Allowed man to know and embrace the right.
So let us, we who uphold the waving banners of truth,
Dispel the falsehood which grounds tyranny
With our voices, action, and burden-bearing
Embrace true freedom and liberty
-By Ahmed Iftekhar Hussain
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Some words he touched upon...
I'm someone who cares about the inward more than the outward but realizes that what is percieved is a reflection of that which is imperceptible. I'm relatively crazy and love crazy people. That having been said there is nothing or very very little in this world that is mundane. I always seek people who transcend their own limitations and attain to greatness yet know that sometimes dwelling in the situation that fate/destiny/karma has put one in is itself a means of transcendence. Transcendence = Trance + Dance
Who I'd like to meet: People who are intelligent and perceptive. People with hearts of gold and intellects of mercury. Im tired of people who have mediocre spirits. Everyone has an amazing potential and its time we realize what our destinies are.
-Ahmed Hussain
Poem by Ahmed, posted April 24, 2005 online
December
I am blessed and cursed by memories
of you that make it impossible to despise
you, even though tears fill my eyes
every time I remember…
December… its strange that in the winter months
slick roads, snow storms and freezing cold
only brought us closer to together, I will never
forget the warmth of your embrace
Now that Spring is here, the beauty of your face
I see in every blossom, your voice in every buzzing bee-zanbur
But you’re not here to share the honey
Okakura’s Tea is meant to be bitter isn’t it?
The wine of heaven awaits me after death, although
I’m drinking tea right now, I am smelling its bouquet
and with every sip I’m realizing that either drink
takes the form of the vessel in which it resides.
Some of Ahmed's poems posted online, this and more following:
Solitude…
What is it about silence
That causes the soul to sing?
Resonance and wide open spaces
That echo the voices within…
Metallic reverb, sometimes copper and tin
Other times warm woody bass and hollows
One sound following the other
Each note a brother, lyrics and rhythms akin
They’re all quiet, and stillness surrounds
Flying melodies now buried in ground
Silence is golden, it has to be The way, much more than melodies…
Forever to stay…
Oct.2,2005
What is it about silence
That causes the soul to sing?
Resonance and wide open spaces
That echo the voices within…
Metallic reverb, sometimes copper and tin
Other times warm woody bass and hollows
One sound following the other
Each note a brother, lyrics and rhythms akin
They’re all quiet, and stillness surrounds
Flying melodies now buried in ground
Silence is golden, it has to be The way, much more than melodies…
Forever to stay…
Oct.2,2005
Another one posted online...
Puff of Smoke
Lessons taught in a puff of smoke
Through the haze, perceiving eyes that glimmer
The lonesome friends choke
While reflections of the moon in her eyes shimmer
That fragrant cloud that fills the air
Blocks the scene and with despair
The lonesome friends forlorn and lost
Pay the price, unaware of cost
-Dec 26,2005
Lessons taught in a puff of smoke
Through the haze, perceiving eyes that glimmer
The lonesome friends choke
While reflections of the moon in her eyes shimmer
That fragrant cloud that fills the air
Blocks the scene and with despair
The lonesome friends forlorn and lost
Pay the price, unaware of cost
-Dec 26,2005
This is one of Ahmed's poems he posted online, written 2weeks before his death:
Praise
Mere words fall short when
Mere words fall short when
The one you write for, by her essence
Herself is praise lifted to heaven.
Silence bears better testimony to
Upon her - the marks of infinitude
transcending the sevens.
Look at her with the eye of your heart
and you, like me, may read
indelible verse, panegyrics
in praise of virtue and beauty
penned Himself by the Lord of Majesty!
Jan 25, 2006
This was the posting upon Ahmed's death online:
PLEASE KEEP AHMED IN YOUR PRAYERS:
Ahmed Hussain was an institution in the DC/Baltimore area. He was always ready and willing to support any positive activity in the Muslim community. He served as MSA president while in college and worked on countless initiatives including relief efforts, educational projects, Masjid activities, cultural programs and political empowerment. He was an energetic participant in interfaith affairs, capably representing ADAMS at several functions. He was a student of Islamic Sciences, studying under leading scholars such as Sayyid Hossein Nasr and Shaykh Taha Jabir. Deeply intellectual, he had the ability to articulate philosophical subtleties, while conversing authoritatively about any number of academic disciplines.
He was also a lover of the arts; singing qasidas and reciting the Quran melodiously, and was an accomplished poet. What we will remember-and miss-most is his friendly and deeply spiritual persona. As many can attest first hand, he was always willing to help anyone, regardless of his own circumstances. His smile was warm and constant, and it only took a few moments for a stranger to feel connected to him like family, regardless of age or gender. His positive, upbeat nature was contagious, it was impossible to be with Ahmed without feeling optimistic.
Before an emphasis on spirituality was common place, Ahmed was among the earliest to passionately remind us to reflect on the inner meaning of all our actions, and for Muslims to realize the great tradition of spiritual sciences we were blessed to inherit. In his gentle reminders he was not self-righteous, but sincere and compassionate in his desire for the ummah to increase its spiritual connection with Allah, His Messenger Muhammad (S), and each other.
While we will no longer be comforted in this life by his affectionate hugs and reassuring smiles, by his warm words and witty demeanor, his spiritual insights and deep thoughts, we thank Allah for giving us the opportunity to call him a loving brother and committed friend, and pray that Allah accepts his good deeds and grants him Jannah.
Ahmed returned to his Lord on the morning of February 8, 2006 due to heart failure, at age 31. He is survived by his father, mother, brother and thousands of friends. Ya, Allah! Have mercy on Ahmed Hussain's soul, grant him jannah, and give comfort and strength and to his family!
To send condolences to the family, share your thoughts or for more information please email prayersforahmed@yahoo.com
Ahmed Hussain was an institution in the DC/Baltimore area. He was always ready and willing to support any positive activity in the Muslim community. He served as MSA president while in college and worked on countless initiatives including relief efforts, educational projects, Masjid activities, cultural programs and political empowerment. He was an energetic participant in interfaith affairs, capably representing ADAMS at several functions. He was a student of Islamic Sciences, studying under leading scholars such as Sayyid Hossein Nasr and Shaykh Taha Jabir. Deeply intellectual, he had the ability to articulate philosophical subtleties, while conversing authoritatively about any number of academic disciplines.
He was also a lover of the arts; singing qasidas and reciting the Quran melodiously, and was an accomplished poet. What we will remember-and miss-most is his friendly and deeply spiritual persona. As many can attest first hand, he was always willing to help anyone, regardless of his own circumstances. His smile was warm and constant, and it only took a few moments for a stranger to feel connected to him like family, regardless of age or gender. His positive, upbeat nature was contagious, it was impossible to be with Ahmed without feeling optimistic.
Before an emphasis on spirituality was common place, Ahmed was among the earliest to passionately remind us to reflect on the inner meaning of all our actions, and for Muslims to realize the great tradition of spiritual sciences we were blessed to inherit. In his gentle reminders he was not self-righteous, but sincere and compassionate in his desire for the ummah to increase its spiritual connection with Allah, His Messenger Muhammad (S), and each other.
While we will no longer be comforted in this life by his affectionate hugs and reassuring smiles, by his warm words and witty demeanor, his spiritual insights and deep thoughts, we thank Allah for giving us the opportunity to call him a loving brother and committed friend, and pray that Allah accepts his good deeds and grants him Jannah.
Ahmed returned to his Lord on the morning of February 8, 2006 due to heart failure, at age 31. He is survived by his father, mother, brother and thousands of friends. Ya, Allah! Have mercy on Ahmed Hussain's soul, grant him jannah, and give comfort and strength and to his family!
To send condolences to the family, share your thoughts or for more information please email prayersforahmed@yahoo.com
Saturday, February 9, 2008
My teacher...my mentor...my friend...
Today was the 2nd year Anniversary of Ahmed's death. I cannot believe it has been two years already, it seems just like yesterday. I went to visit his grave in Baltimore, MD to pay my respects and also was introduced to his parents thankfully. It was an introduction I had been anticipating and looking forward to for two years now. I have always wanted to meet his parents because he spoke such great things about them. I always looked forward to it but always was anxious about it. They remind me of him so much, how could I face them and not cry? I was afraid I wouldnt be able to hold my composure and I couldnt handle it, so I kept my distance. I met them today and they were amazing people, God bless their souls. He was a product of great people, great knowledgeable people who have amazing intellect and amazing hearts and characters. I didn't want to leave them for a second. I could have sat with them all night and day if I was given the opportunity. They were so intelligent, so kind, so loving, so caring. It is apparent where Ahmed got his genius from, his depth and his great attitude. I have to visit them so much more from now on. Ahmed is like the exact replica of his father in character, appearance, mannerisms and speech. He looks like a perfect mixture of both parents, yet he comes to life through his father. It was amazing to see how his father sat, spoke, would look around, hold his hands, cross his leg, hold things, etc, just like Ahmed did. I got to see pictures of Ahmeds childhood and other memories. I saw his belongings put into collections. His 1,100+ books being organized in a library for him, his gifts and collectibles he received over the years from people, his swords and islamic art, his posters, etc. Some of these things triggered memories within me, causing a wave of sadness over me, sometimes putting a smile on my face as well. It was an emotionally draining day, but worth every second. I was given the privilege to meet his parents through one of his best friends, God bless him for introducting me to his parents and giving me such an opportunity. Just to hear him reminisice and recount stories about Ahmed and jokes, it made me feel so much better. I look forward to meeting more people and hearing more great things.Life passes by within a blink of the eye. We forget this and move on with our lives not remembering how easily we can be removed from this world. As Ali (ra) says, "Remember your pride, set down your arrogance and remember your grave".
I will continue tomorrow...
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