Normal death, ‘abnormal’ death prayer plus normal ambulance

T’was one of those days when I managed to get to the mosque in time for the statutory post-midday prayer. Typical Monday and I was working on my preferred afternoon shift despite having to close at midnight.

A major indicator of a ‘death’ at the Sunnah Mosque of Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo is of the ambulance/hearse being parked in front of the mosque.

‘Wai Allah! Someone has died,’ I muttered to myself. Effectively, we had two prayers to offer. One being the statutory version called Dhuhr and then the other for the deceased fellow – the Janaa-izah.

There, our ambulance

As I entered the mosque I looked at a room where the deceased is usually deposited, it is located at the back of the mosque. I saw people gathered there and inferred that they were fellas of the departed waiting to carry him to the front for the ‘last respect.’

I was wrong. So wrong. When we finished the statutory prayer – may Allah accept it from us. The usual announcement was made. It was not the death of so and so. It was of a father who had asked for prayers for his four-year-old son.

Then it was time to sink in properly. A pictorial summary of proceedings: one man walked into the Imam’s office and appeared with a shrouded body of the little man. That single image lives on in my head and heart.

Ordinarily, the deceased is fetched from the room behind the mosque with a minimum of six men carrying it to the front and out after the prayer is offered. In the case of Mohammadu Traore, the same man carried him off after the prayer.

He died on Monday morning (October 30, 2017) so we were told and his father Seidou prepared the young man to be deposited later that afternoon. I could feel for his dad and mom, his family even friends.

I have joined about a score of Janaa-izah since arriving in Congo in February 2016. This was the second youngster to pass on. In the case of the first boy, his dad was absolutely inconsolable. Who would be seeing that young man of his being carried off lifeless?

But such is the reality of the lives we continue to live. Mohammadu came close to November but spent it elsewhere. I pray he is admitted into the school of prophet Ibrahim and that Allah grants his parents patience and the blessings of being patient. Ameen.

Tick – tock, tick – tock, man is not but a collection of time. Yes, we know how much of it is spent but know not how much of it is ahead of us. May Allah have mercy on the soul of all our departed – my dad Abdur Rahim Shaban and all others. Ameeen.

Photo from the last time that I joined the burial of one brother - may Allah have mercy on his soul. Ameen