Mahmoud died with our dreams. He died in his prime. Though he was able to accomplish one of his life desires, to build a befitting house. This desire has been accomplished some few months before his death. As he was aware, he devoted much of his time and resources to see the completion of his new house.
If I had not seen his body in a peaceful repose, motionless for once, tears swelling the disbelieving eyes of family and friends, I would think someone was up to a costly prank. But Mahmoud has been committed to mother earth.
“Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihir Raji’un”. The Prophet (SAW) said “The eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say anything except which pleases our Lord”; I know that Mahmoud, Biiznillah is now in Aljanna and have found favour from his Maker. I am console on that.
I can only grieve because of the pain of long separation. Mahmoud and I have been so close in life that this separation is like sharp knife cutting through the heart. We met in 1979 as classmates at the School for Arabic Studies, SAS, Kano where we had our secondary education. We were young and full of dreams. Our friendship however did not preclude a strong competitiveness. We tried to outperform each other in our academic studies. Where Mahmoud took the first position, I would take the second and when I beat him to the first position, he would settle for second, but the competition never ended.
In 1984, we graduated in full colours and only the two of us in our set were instantly admitted into the Bayero University, Kano, the first step in our dreams. Mahmoud read Education and I read Mass Communications.
Being in different disciplines however, did not affect our friendship, rather we became closer. We stayed in the same room on Campus and shared everything together. We shared same interests and read almost same books and magazines in our spare time. Our friendship brought our various families together too as his folks came to accept me as their son and mine accepted him as theirs. In fact, two weeks to his death, while I was in Saudi Arabia for Umrah, Mahmoud was at my mother’s house, where he had gone to greet her as he used to do so.
I trusted my friend Mahmoud without reservation and our friendship blossomed like a nourished flower, we did nothing without consulting each other. The Mahmoud I knew was level-headed, calm and gentle. His thoughts were always positive and he bore no grudges against anyone. When I saw Mahmoud stretched out lifeless, the verse from the Holy Qur’an I easily remembered was “And those who came after them say: our Lord forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and do not put in our hearts any hatred against the believers. Our Lord, You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful”. Qur’an 59:10.
I was on my way to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital when a mutual friend of ours, Nura, who was there before me, called to drop the news that “our friend is gone”. It was devastating news.
Mahmoud and I had a lengthy discussion the previous day. We had concluded plans to transfer him to a hospital in India for more treatment because his condition was not improving since we brought him from the Nassarawa Hospital to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. I was left with hot tears pouring from my eyes. So many things flooded my confused mind at the same time. Mahmoud fought for his life and gave it his best shot. I always believed that Mahmoud would return to his feet and continue with life, but death is unpredictable.
My prayers are: O Allah forgive Mahmoud and elevate his station among those who are guided. Send him along the path of those who came before, and forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds. Enlarge for him, his grave and shed light upon him in it. O Allah forgive him and have mercy on him and give him strength and pardon him. Be generous to him and cause his entrance to be wide and wash him with water and snow and hail. Cleanse him of his transgressions as white cloth is cleansed of stains. Give him an abode better than his home. Take him to Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave and from the punishment of hell-fire. O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are with us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our menfolk and our womenfolk. O Allah, whomever you give life from among us give him life in Islam, and whomever you take away from us take him away in faith. O Allah, surely, Mahmoud is under your protection, and in the rope of Your security, so save him from the trial of the grave and from the punishment of the fire. You fulfill promises and grant rights, so forgive him and have mercy on him. Surely You are Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. O Allah, Your male slave and the child of Your female slave is in need of Your mercy and You are not in need of his torment. If he was pious then increase his rewards and if he was a transgressor then pardon.
Rabbig-firh War-hamh.
Sule writes from Kano. Email: [email protected]
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