By Saadikah Hameed
GOMBAK, 8 May 2015. Inna-lillahi wa inna-ilayhi rajioon. Five words that are so easy on our lips when one hears of a death or calamity. But how often do we ponder on the heaviness of its meaning, ‘surely we belong to God and to Him shall we return’.
Death is certain for all of us. It doesn’t see age or status. We’re all just a name on it’s list. And if Allah wills, our soul can be taken this instant. The fragility of our lives is taken for granted, and the death of our fellow IIUM student, Shahed Sami, (May Allah’s mercy be on her) will indeed be a huge reminder for us all.
The 21 year old engineering student from Palestine, Shahed was a beautiful soul living a normal student life just like all of us. On Wednesday night, 6 May 2015, sources reported that she lost balance in the balcony and fell from the 17th floor of her apartment in PV Condo. Her sister Ahed also studies in IIUM, and her uncle and brother are expected to come to Malaysia to take her body.
On Shahed’s memory, ‘I Can’ club of IIUM collected donations on her behalf after Friday prayers, to feed the homeless.
Her passing brings us all to the sudden realisation that the time of death for each of us is written and there is no way escaping it. We pray that Allah forgives her sins and protects her from the trials of the grave.
It is inevitable that we all have to meet our Lord one day. We need to reflect whether we are prepared to meet Him at this state, and whether we have done sufficient to please Allah.***