07/06/2026
As-salamu alaykum dear family,
Bismillah - some reflections of mine from yesterday's blessed janazah.
Yesterday, as we gathered for Aunty Zubeda's janazah, our hearts held both sadness and joy; sadness because her physical presence is no longer with us, yet joy because a beloved servant has returned to her Beloved.
The janazah was so beautifully attended, and wherever one turned there were stories of her service, generosity, care, and love. Person after person bore witness to her devotion to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. It felt as though everyone carried a small piece of her light and wanted to share it.
Even the sky seemed to pour down rahmah, subhanAllah.
One moment from the day has remained with me. As we stood in the kitchen serving food for the women, we became concerned that there would not be enough left for the men. Their numbers were three or four times greater than ours. In that moment, Aunty's love of salawat came to mind, and I was reminded of Imam al-Jazuli's encounter with the woman at the well.
I turned to the sisters and said, "Let's not keep looking into the pots. Leave them covered and simply keep serving. With the barakah of salawat, the food will continue to be there."
And Allah knows best what happened thereafter. Wave after wave of people came through, each person was fed, yet the pots continued to give. It felt as though Aunty herself was teaching us one final lesson. She spent her life feeding people, in body, heart, and spirit, and even at her funeral, Allah allowed that service to continue. We easily fed 500 people yesterday.
They say a person dies as they lived. And yesterday, service, salawat, generosity, and love continued to flow in her name.
May your hearts be wrapped in beautiful patience. May Allah grant you healing that is gentle and spacious, and may you feel His lutf and rahmah carrying you through these days of longing and remembrance. May He make your grief a means of nearness, your memories a source of gratitude, and your reunion with Aunty among the joys awaiting you in the next life.
Ya Allah,, envelop our beloved Aunty Zubeda in Your infinite mercy. Illuminate her grave with light, widen it from horizon to horizon, and make it a garden from the gardens of Jannah. Reward her for every heart she comforted, every soul she nourished, every salawat she inspired, and every act of remembrance she planted in others. Raise her among the righteous, gather her in the company of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and reunite her with those who love her in the highest gardens of Jannah.
Ameen.
I myself could not put into words the outpouring of love we saw for my mum yesterday as beautifully as my friend who sent this reflection to me this morning. With her permission I have copied it.
Thank you to everyone who travelled especially for her janazah and a special thank you to everyone who made this day easy for us.
And this was also a landmark funeral/janaza as it was the first ever one held at Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool. The oldest mosque in the UK. She truly was honoured.
May Allah swt give my mum the highest ranks of Jannat ul Ferdous. Ameen.
