In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful

A True Story Translated by Muhammad Al-Shareef

This story is about two sisters - Noorah and Hanan. It is written from Hanan's perspective. We do not know its authenticity of being a true story, but there is a lesson to be learnt regardless. Please enjoy this extremely heart-touching story.

Her cheeks were worn and sunken and her skin hugged her bones. That didn't stop her though, you could never catch her not reciting Qur'an. Always vigil in her personal prayer room Dad had set up for her. Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer. That was the way she was from dawn to sunset and back again, boredom was for others.

As for me I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I treated myself all the time to videos until those trips to the rental place became my trademark. As they say, when something becomes habit people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my responsibilities and laziness characterized my Salah (prayer).

One night, I turned the video off after a marathon three hours of watching. The adhan softly rose in that quiet night. I slipped peacefully into my blanket. Her voice carried from her prayer room, so I replied, "Yes? Would you like anything Noorah?"

With a sharp needle she popped my plans. 'Don't sleep before you pray Fajr!'

"Agh ... there's still an hour before Fajr, that was only the first Adhaan!", I said.

With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was always like that, even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut her in bed. 'Hanan can you come sit beside me?', she asked.

I could never refuse any of her requests, you could touch the purity and sincerity. "Yes, Noorah?"

'Please sit here.'

'OK, I'm sitting. What's on your mind?', I questioned.

With the sweetest mono voice she began reciting: [Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your earnings on Resurrection Day]. She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, 'Do you believe in death?'

"Of course I do."

'Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do, regardless of how small or large?'

"I do, but ... Allah is Forgiving and Merciful and I've got a long life waiting for me", I said.

'Stop it Hanan ... aren't you afraid of death and it's abruptness? Look at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. So did so and so, and so and so. Death is age-blind and your age could never be a measure of when you shall die.'

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