Everything I am, You Are

Summary

The text is a heartfelt tribute to the author's mother, expressing a deep connection and the desire to honor her legacy through prayers and good deeds, aiming to ensure her place in paradise.

Abstract

The author reflects on the enduring spirit of their mother, who has passed away, and the sacrifices she made. The piece is imbued with a sense of filial duty and love, as the author commits to standing tall in her memory and offering prayers to Allah, seeking the highest level of paradise for her. The author draws on Islamic teachings, such as the Prophet's advice on the importance of serving one's mother, to emphasize the significance of this relationship and the rewards it brings in the afterlife. The text is both a personal expression of grief and a declaration of the author's resolve to uphold their mother's values and aspirations.

Opinions

The author believes that their mother's spirit and guidance continue to influence them, shaping their character and actions.
There is a strong conviction that serving and honoring one's mother is a path to paradise, as indicated by the Prophet's advice.
The author holds the view that through consistent prayer and righteous deeds, they can contribute to their mother's well-being in the afterlife.
The text conveys the opinion that the bond between a child and their mother transcends death, with the child carrying on the parent's legacy.
The author seems to find comfort and motivation in the belief of reuniting with their mother in paradise, which fuels their commitment to living a life that would make her proud.

Everything I am, You Are

Author’s Mother

Though forever you’re gone, Mama, your spirit never dwindles away In graciousness and bleakness, you stood my way Paradise under your feet, A place I missed to stay Effortlessly you gave up all your desires for me whether big or small Mama, today for you, I’ll stand tall And through all, I write to Allah I shall call In prayers for you, my head down in sujuud¹ I’ll fall May your face be as bright as the full moon and angels greeting you with peace soon Alfirdouse’ l A’alaa² I hope is where you’ll bloom! May the sparkles of my prayers be poured to your grave To keep you in a company that is brave And be taken to your abode-Jannah³ that you crave Flags of peace… Peace to you I wave For I’ll carry the signatures of your legacy on top of my head Because you know I’ll give it all I got for paradise for you to head And I’ll spread my arms for you with a golden thread In my dreams, you said, “Everything I am, you are” All that I am, all that I will be, I pledge to make you proud Leave you in happiness that speaks out loud May Allah grant you a light above you that shines out from a billion crowd Mama, everything I am you are! Your legacy lives in the streams of my veins Not yet your end, until I am taken to my Lord That is when I’ll complete All you are, All you wanted to be, All you wanted to reach, All you wanted to dream Then, your statement “everything I am, you are” will be fulfilled!

Clarifications of a few things I said:

Mu’awiyah ibn Jahima reported: Jahima came to the Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, I intend to join the expedition and I seek your counsel.” The Prophet said, “Do you have a mother?” He said yes. The Prophet said, “Stay with her, for Paradise is beneath her feet.”

Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 3104

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

“Paradise under your feet, A place I missed to stay” I said that because serving her and caring for her was a gate of paradise metaphorically opened for me)

Sujuud: Is performing prostration to God and praising Him while facing the direction of the Qiblah (direction of the Kaaba at Mecca).

Note Sujuud are also part of all the five obligatory prayers that Muslims perform and Sujuud could also be performed on its own to show thanks to God without performing the ritual daily obligatory prayer.

Alfirdouse’ l A’alaa: The highest Paradise. There are seven paradises and the loftiest and the top of all of them would be Alfirdouse. A’alaa here means the highest in Arabic.

Jannah: Means eternal garden, paradise. Paradise is filled with many gardens and all that one’s heart desires.