Death of Br Omar Tarhuni
By Arshad Gamiet
Friday 13th April 2001
“As-salámu
'alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!” [Wait
for adhán]
“A-úthu
billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir
rahmánir raheem.
Al
hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi,
wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa.
May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may-
yudlill falan tajida lahu waliyan murshida.
Wa
ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna
Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
Brothers
and Sisters in Islám, although our dear beloved Brother, Haji Omar, died just
over a week ago, I am still in an emotional state. Today’s
khutbah is the most difficult and painful one that I ever had to prepare. So I
will keep it short.
“Inna
lillaahi wa inna ilayhir raaji-oon.” “From Alláh do we come and to
Him is our return.”
Just
before Fajr on Thursday 5th April, Alláh reclaimed one more
of his beloved servants. Haji Omar Tarhuni was to his family, a devoted husband
and loving father. We all knew him, not only as the leader of our small
community. He was also a much-loved friend and respected elder brother to us
all. Even though we should be prepared for death at any time, the suddenness of
his departure has left us all in a state of shock. We are still having to come
to terms with our sense of loss. Perhaps we should remind ourselves, brothers
and sisters, that Haji Omar was merely on loan to us, from Alláh. And Alláh
has now taken back that loan, which was only given to us for a time, in Trust.
The truth is, we are all on loan from Alláh, and surely, some day we will all
return to our Rightful Owner.
The
coming days, and weeks, and months, will be a period of trial and perseverance
for the Tarhuni family, and for all the friends who are near and dear to them.
It is our Islamic duty to stand by this family, to offer them help, support and
comfort during this critical time. And,
while we are still nursing our own sense of grief and distress, we must never
lose hope. We must be positive. We must believe that Allahis with us, always. Súra
Al Baqara reminds us in v 153:
“Yaa
Ay yuhal latheena aamanus ta’eenu bis-sabri was salaah. Innallaaha ma’as
saabireen.”
“O
you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer: for Alláh is
with those who patiently persevere.”
As
Believers in Alláh, our journey through life will not be an easy one. Even the
beloved prophets and messengers had to undergo severe difficulties, before they
earned the good pleasure of their Lord. Again, in Súra al Baqara, Alláh
promises us with absolute certainty, that we will have our share of hardship at
some point in life:
“Be
sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger; some loss in goods or
lives or the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently
persevere. Who say when they are afflicted with calamity:
“Inna lillahi wa inna
ilayhir raji-oon” "To
Allah we belong and to Him is our return."
They
are those on whom (descend) the blessings from Allah and Mercy and they are the
ones that receive guidance.”
“So,
truly, with every difficulty there comes relief, truly, with every difficulty
there comes relief.”
This
is the promise of Alláh, and Alláh never breaks His promise. The key is to
remember Alláh at all times, especially when life is going just fine; when we
feel so happy and secure, that we may not feel the need to pray or to seek help
from Alláh.
There
is a beautiful Hadith, narrated by Abu
‘Abbas ‘Abdullah. It says:
“Remember Allah in times of ease,
and He will recognise you in times of distress. What hit you could not have
missed you, what missed you could not have hit you. Remember that victory comes
with patience, relief comes with affliction and ease comes with hardship”.
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Islam, we have all remembered Alláh when things were
going well for us. Most surely, Alláh will not forget us now that we are in
distress. We must accept that despite our best intentions and despite our most
meticulous planning of our affairs, Alláh is still, the best of planners.
“Alhamdu
lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen.
Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.
Ammaa
ba’ad:
Innalláha
wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi
wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama
salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa
áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen,
innaka hameedun majeed.”
Dear Brothers
and Sisters in Islam,
“verily in the Messenger of Allah we have the finest of
examples”
Prophet Muhammad [sallal-láhu ‘alayhi wasallam] also
endured much pain and hardship, especially in his youth, with extraordinary
patience and perseverance. He was an orphan, cared for by milk-mother,
grandfather, and uncles. During the early years of his mission, he was jeered,
taunted, threatened, reviled and persecuted by his own tribe, the Quraish of
Makka. Many of his followers were
killed for their acceptance of Islam. In
the 63 years of our prophet Muhammad’s life, he experienced every human
hardship from loss of father, mother and grandfather to loss of dear friends,
personal wealth and rejection from his tribe. Because of his unswerving devotion
to Allah, he was granted success in this world, and in the hereafter. History
has witnessed his achievements. …Whatever personal grief, suffering or loss we
might encounter in our lifetime, it would be appropriate to remember Sura Dhuha,-ha.
This Sura addresses Nabi Muhammad directly, but it also applies to all Muslims
indirectly, in all times and all circumstances.
Bismillaahir
Rahmaanir Raheem!
Wadh
dhuha_, Wal laili idza_ saja_, Ma_ wad da’aka rab buka wa ma_qala_
Alam
yajika yatiman fa a_wa_; Wa wajadaka da_lan fahada_;
Wa
wajadaka a_ilan fa agna_; Fa am mal yatima fala_ taqhar
Wa am mas
sa_ila fala_ tanhar; Wa am ma_ bini mati rabbika fahad-dith
In the Name of Alláh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful!
By the glorious morning light, and by the night when it
is still;
Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased.
Verily, the hereafter will be much better for you than
the present.
Have we not found you an orphan, and gave you shelter and
care?
Have we not found you wandering, and gave you guidance?
Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness, nor turn
away
The petitioner unheard; but the blessings of your Lord
Rehearse and proclaim!.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, next time we encounter grief
or hardship, and we feel lonely and depressed, let us remember this Súra, that
offered hope and reassurance to the greatest of men. It offers the same hope and
reassurance to us also. At the end of every dark tunnel of despair is the reward
of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
We are all now
in a highly emotional state. But we must not allow the death of our beloved
brother and friend, to leave us so devastated, that we are paralysed as a
community. We must try to remember the good times, the good memories and the
knowledge and wisdom that Haji Omar shared with us. Haji Omar had a vision for
our community, and one way of coming to terms with our loss, is that we must
work to fulfil that vision. He wanted us all to work together, to bring our
diverse talents and backgrounds into a single community. We must now continue to
work together, to help and support one another, and to pave the way for our
children to build a better society for future generations, inshallah. I must
also tell you how deeply Haji Omar was held in respect and affection, in many
far-flung corners of the world. Last Friday in one of South Africa’s biggest
mosques, Masjid-Al-Quds in Cape Town, thousands of worshippers prayed salaatul
janaazah, and made special supplications and dthikr for him. The news
of his death touched many people from South to North Africa, from Canada to
Malaysia. You can get some measure of a man’s life, when you see the reaction
to his death.
Let us pray to
Alláh, first of all, to give comfort and solace to the Tarhuni family, and to
help them quickly to ease their pain, and to overcome their sorrow. O Alláh,
help us to give them support in this difficult time.
O Alláh,
please shower your Mercy and Forgiveness on the soul of Haji Omar, and allow him
to enter Your garden. He was dearly loved by all of us, and we will never forget
him. O Alláh, grant us all the best of this world, and the best of the
afterlife, and save us from the torment of hellfire.
"
Rabbana aatinaa fid dunyaa hasanatan, wa fil aakhirati hasanatan, waqeena
athaaban naar.”
Let us pray, may Allah give us all, the strength to
endure hardship with patience, and to emerge from all the trials and
tribulations of this life, with our Iman renewed and our trust in Allah
strengthened.
Ameen!