And Who Will Wash My Body When It is Time ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

On the 28^th March, 2010, we sat there at the lounge.  All of us were converts except for one.  And every single one of us converts are former Catholics.  It was a gathering of friends.  And holding court was an 82-year-old.  His name is Shalleh Lengyi and he converted to Islam long before I was born.  He had a mind as sharp as a razor and the sprightliness of men twenty-years younger.  He was witty, he was charming and he is an inspiration to all of us. 

His back had been broken in three places and he walked with a cane.  Every step, every movement was with excruciating pain and yet he never once complained about it.  His every sentence was punctuated with “al-Hamdulillah”. 

He told of a time, just after he converted, when he went through a period of difficulty.  He spoke to his parish priest.  And the priest asked him if he ever regretted converting.  He said he did.  He regretted not answering the call earlier.  And that is yaqin. 

His final words left me thinking: “I’m alone.  Who will wash my body and bury me when it is time?”  Surely that would be a great honour.  For those who know and for those who see with the eyes of the qalb, his face glowed like a lamp.  This is a man whom Allah (s.w.t.) Loves.