Places … Sadness …Happiness

As I walked into the funeral of my very close friend's mother, I noticed my friend and his father shaking hands with the visitors and accepting their condolences. I walked to them shook their hands warmly, hugged my friend and gave them my deepest condolences. Then I sat inside the hall of occasions that was attached to the Masged where the funeral was held (I choose this word “Masged” as the word “Mosque” means mosquito in some languages and is found to be offensive to the nature of such holy places).

While sitting there amongst friends I realized that at this exact same hall, two months ago, I was here to attend the celebration of marriage of one of my relatives (Katb El-ketab; The authentication of Marriage process in a registry book; this is carried out by a Sheik in a Masged’s hall of occasions or at home, or sometimes in some hotel's hall of ceremonies. This is followed by the Marriage ceremony on another day or sometimes on the same day of Katb el-ketab).

The same places where we celebrate happiness are also, where we grieve. I let my imagination go astray. I thought of Egypt's Masgeds, Churches, and the Pyramids. All those places along the years have stood and remained, until today and for more years to come, celebrating both happiness and melancholy. Happiness; when people are sacredly bond by marriage, when babies are newly born, when a Hijri or a Christ year ends and another begins, when the time of feast and prayer is due. Grieving in melancholy; when people died years ago in war, and when someone close to us leaves us in this world with all its challenges. The death of one is the dead of all and the life of one is the life of all. We should always remember those people; remember the great things they did, the legacy they left behind, we should also, pass on the story of the great people who died in order for us to live. We should know that the death of someone or something is the birth of someone or something else. With every end comes a new beginning.

I was pulled out of my world of imagination by the service man offering coffee and tea. I took a cup of tea and thanked him. I noticed the Sheikh reciting a verse from the Holy Koran. The verse states “(27) (To the righteous soul will be said :) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!  (28) Come back thou to thy Lord, well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! (29) Enter thou, then, among My devotees! (30) Yea, enter thou My Heaven!” (Surah 89. Al-Fajr (The Dawn, Daybreak) Translated by Yusuf Ali).

We are all here in this life as visitors, we will eventually come back to thy Lord; Allah. This is a message for us to remember that we should let our visit in this world be pleasant; help others who are in need, draw a smile on faces you meet, and be there with people in their sad moments to give support, pray and thank thy Lord; Allah for all the bounties he has granted us.

We should make the most out of this life, and prepare to leave this world with a calm smile. We should also, remember that our loved ones are there with thy Lord; Allah, and they want us to be ok, and pray for them. It’s ok to be sad for a while, it’s a natural thing. It’s not even healthy to keep all this sadness inside and not expressing it, not shedding a tear, but we must never let our lives be lived in sadness, and let sadness affect our lives negatively.

Be like all those places (Masgeds, Churches, and Halls), embracing both sadness and happiness along the years, remaining solid, but never forgetting to learn the lessons these moments carry within.

Alaa El-deen Esmail Fahmy Sunday, December 19, 2010

This is my first online official Blog, and it’s dedicated specially to my Friend Morad Ezzat; may his life be full of happiness and May peace and blessings be upon his Mother’s soul.

P.S: The Photos Above has been captured by the author the second photo is of El Ghory’s Market (Wekalet El-Ghory) at Islamic Cairo it was a place for shopping, but today a place for holding cultural events and art performances.