In the Memory of My Uncle.

Mohammad Aslam Zaman (Late)

              

 Some people are very ordinary when they are present between us but we realize their value at the moment when they are no more around us.  Such sort of people are so accessible in life that we can’t know their worth until they say ‘Good Bye’ to us permanently. We had such a character in our family; my grand uncle, Sufi Muhammad Aslam(Late) . 5 May, 2016 proved to be the saddest day for me and my family when he left this mortal world. His death was not less than a ‘shell bomb’ on us as we were not mentally prepared for that. That sudden death stumbled my whole family.
             

  In most of the cases people become ill, turn into patients, fall to bed and then die. But he had not such case. He was fully fit till very last day. He had a good chat with family members till late night but when he slept, he couldn’t wake up again. In normal days, he used to rouse everyone for morning prayers but couldn’t do so on that day. Early in the morning, my aunty shouted at him ’’Wake up, wake up, you are late for Fajar prayer’’. But at that time his soul had departed for final destination. Most probably he had a heart attack which was of sever kind.
             

  I was taking rest in my hostel when I noticed my cell phone ringing at about 6 am. The caller was my cousin Faisal, who in a much shattered voice, informed me about the passing away of my grand uncle. I couldn’t help my tears from falling at that time. That was the 1^st time in my adult life that I had wept like a child. My room-mates woke up and started assuaging me. While travelling back to home, I was recalling all the good memories with him and was continuously weeping. Unconsciously I was praying for that incident be a bad dream not a reality. But who could deny the bitter truth of death?  At that day I came to know the immortality of life.
              

Yeah, I acknowledge that he was not an ordinary person. He was a gem in my family ;always meeting everyone with a smiling face without any falsification. In today’s world of materialism, most of the people present a fake smile but he used to smile by heart and one could get a sense of freshness after meeting him. Hardly, I saw him arguing with anyone. He was a man of good nature; the simplest person in my family. Couples of days before his death, I called him on phone like I used to do in normal days but my behavior was very much changed at that day. After formal hello, hi  I asked him ’’Why haven’t  you come to Faisalabad? I waited for you to come but you didn’t. Please visit Faisalabad and give me a chance to host you’’. He replied’’ InshaAllah I’ll come later’’.

           He was a man of all seasons. He was equally kind to everyone be it a child or an adult. He had no discrimination between rich and poor. He used to ensure his presence  in joys and sorrows of friends and family.   He had a generous nature. Whenever any family member was back from Umrah or Hajj, he used to be the 1^st one to invite him/her for lunch or dinner, then followed others. He had a small business of clothes but whenever any customer came to his shop he entertained him/her with tea or bottle. One can assume his simplicity by the fact that despite being the eldest in our family, he used to bring vegetables, meat and other house hold item from market. He tried his best to oblige everyone. He was a person who fulfilled the rights of both Allah and His creation.  

           At his funeral prayers, I witnessed one of biggest crowds ever in my city. I listened everyone saying that he was a good man. That was enough to anticipate that he had been given high ranks in Jannah. May his soul rest in peace. May Allah shower His countless blessings upon him.  Ameen