Finally with the words of
La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasool Allah, Salallahualaihivasallam
as his last meaningful utterances, my brother Zulfiquer ventured into the World of the Hereafter to seek Allah, the Almighty and His divine blessings. The day was 7th of May 2008 and the time was half past eleven forenoon. He had been born on 7th April 1979 making the demise most painful for my mother and father. Zulfiquer's duties on the visiting earth towards Him were well-fulfilled. Zulfi, as everyone would call him, lived for a pious and honorable exit of life which was quite undreamt of in our families. He was not radically different from any god-fearing person in any religion. He had observed most of the covenants of Allah Subahanotallah, creating His lasting impression on people like me who were lost in worldly preoccupations, never thinking of absolution.
We had been a lineage of petty merchants with a few ancestors making it big but soon put to scrambles. The random riches were never ever-lasting for us. Generation from generation, time and again, had to realize this. We indeed failed to make it big long time. In fact, even today, many of my relatives continue to live in utter penury. With such dynamic social statuses, all religious duties were unconsciously delivered by a woman head or a man head in each generation. It was not a personal arrangement, but it was there. And it was like that for some time as far as I knew. It was my grand father, then my mother and then my brother. I would think that the arrangement dwelt on the shoulders of the well-built and handsome Zulfi for this time. He observed Islam in its purity, never digressed from the straight path laid by the Quran. He has recited the Holy Quran many times and wished he recited it more. By the time he went ill, he had observed every fast in awareness (of Ramazan) and delivered most salats in his lifetime. He had offered salat, zakat and qurbani. His actons alerted those in proximity to him, like myself and others, towards the duties.
