Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Rajioon (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return)

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

We are raising money on behalf of our late parents, Shiraz Ullah and Sagira Khatun. May Allah accept this Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity) on their behalf. May Allah (SWT) grant them forgiveness, protect them from the punishment of the grave and shower them both with his love and blessings. May he grant them a place in Jannat ul Firdous (Heaven) and reunite us altogether. Ameen.

Allah had blessed us with the most amazing parents Alhamdulillah, but they were taken from this dunya (world) far too soon. Our father sadly passed away in 2008 from ill health, the last few months of his life were spent in and out of hospital. This was a very difficult time for our family, losing our father left us with an emptiness that could never be replaced as we had lost the most important man in our lives. Our mother had to take on the role of both mother and father for the past 13 years, and she did such an amazing job.

Sometimes as children we forget how strong our parents are and how many sacrifices they make for us. We sadly come to realise this as our mother was diagnosed with stage four Cancer in May earlier this year, nothing could have ever prepared us for what we were about to face. Our mother was an amazingly strong woman, she did so much for us even in her ill state she always put us first and made sure we were okay. To see our strong beautiful mother slowly deteriorate as the Cancer took over was the hardest thing we will ever go through. Only then did we come to realise and see the true value behind the parent dua (prayer).

Rabbir hamhuma kama rabbayani sagheera. ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them, as they raised me when I was a child.’ (Quran 17:24)

As our mother got weaker, the roles suddenly reversed we became her full time carers and took care of her the way in which she took care of us her whole life. This is something we never thought we’d have to experience. From being able to walk, eat, talk as normal after 5 months of battling with Cancer she was no longer able to do anything for herself. Allah gave us this opportunity to serve our mother and to look after her when she needed us the most, my mothers duas will always be with us.

On Friday October 8th 2021, after Jummah prayer whilst listening to Surah Al Kahf (Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday will have a light between this Friday and the next.”) our beloved mother took her final breath peacefully in her sleep. My siblings and I have now lost both of our parents and our lives will never feel the same. Happy occasions will also be a sad reminder of our parents absence and what they didn’t get to see but we pray Allah reunites us with both our parents in Jannat Ul Firdous. Ameen.

The following hadith gives us comfort that even after our death, Sadaqah Jariyah continues to benefit us. On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ‘When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity), or knowledge from which benefit is gained, or a righteous child who prays for him.

The money that we raise will be donated to the following causes:

- Providing families affected by the extreme flooding in Bangladesh with emergency food and shelter

- Building a deep well for a community in Uganda. Reliable access to safe, clean water means that drinking, cooking, washing, watering crops and animals and making wudu no longer pose a risk of illness. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said, “The best charity is giving water to drink.” (Ahmad)

- Sponsoring vulnerable orphan children for a year. This sponsorship will help provide nutritious meals, clothes, healthcare and education, giving a vulnerable orphan the chance to break out of poverty. The Prophet (SAW) was reported to have said: “The one who cares for an orphan and myself will be together in Paradise like this,” and he held his two fingers together to illustrate

- Providing complete eye treatments. Supporting mobile Eye Clinics that are staffed with dedicated opticians and optical consultants, who provide sight-saving eye treatments to those with moderate to severe visual impairments in developing countries. The Prophet (SAW) said, "Whoever relieves a hardship for a fellow Muslim, Allah will relieve them from a hardship on the Day of Judgement." [Muslim]

- Supporting Cancer Research UK, to develop better treatments and diagnosing Cancer early

We kindly request you to keep my parents and our family in your prayers and please donate as much as you can. May Allah accept this Sadaqah Jariyah for my parents and everyone who kindly donates. Ameen.