There to do what I can

[Note: This is part of a series, told in first-person by local faith leaders, illuminating the rituals and traditions around dying.]

I entered to find him lying in bed, unable to speak--yet his warm smile and welcoming wave permeated throughout that cold, stark hospital room, bringing with it a sense of peace and calm. I began to realize that the kind gentleman with the unforgettable smile and the humble reverence for our daily ritual prayers was most likely nearing the end of his life.

Here, during some of his final days, he was surrounded by those who had also come to love and respect his presence, his warm welcomes, his wise words at our daily prayers-- friends, community members young and old, family from near and far.

He was an integral part of building a community and that community was going to support him during his last days, as we are called to do.

In Islam, death is not an end; it is a decree of God which promises us a hereafter, and the opportunity for life without physical limitations, suffering or hardships. That doesn't mean the concept of death isn't scary or unsettling for believers; on the contrary, the Holy Quran recognizes that those human emotions are very real even in the most faithful. But it is the promise of the hereafter that offers peace and acceptance to those left behind and to the dying in their final days.

When a Muslim is dying, the community rallies together in support. This is the common thread that weaves together the different traditions and cultural practices of our diverse global community of 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide.

As an Imam, my job is to help support this process alongside community members. From caring for the family by bringing hot meals, babysitting, offering condolences, reading the holy Quran, reciting favorite duas (prayers); each dying experience is different, unique, personal. I hold no special position in this process, other than to try to be a comfort alongside family, friends and members of our faith community who have come to support as well. A Muslim has a unique and personal relationship with God, one that doesn't require an intermediary. I am just another member of the community, there to do what I can.

I am honored to lead the funeral prayers of our community members as I was humbled to do so for my friend. I made special mention during my remarks about his reverence for the prayers, his careful investment of his time, and the countless lives that he had touched within our congregation and beyond it. Muslims are encouraged to attend the funeral prayer even if we didn't personally know the deceased. This practice is a way for us to support loved ones of the deceased as well as a significant reminder of our own mortality. Volunteers from the community wash the body and prepare it for burial with incredible reverence and care, and wrap the body in a white shroud. The white shroud is of particular significance and a powerful symbol. Young, old, rich, poor, black, white-- we all meet God in the same garb. This teaches us that in the eyes of God, we are all equal. Another reminder of the hereafter, and maybe even more importantly, how we should treat others while we are here. Muslims are buried directly into the ground, as the Quran teaches us that from the Earth we came, to it we shall return, and from it we are to be resurrected once more.

As sad as it was to say goodbye to a friend, I took heart in my hope that what awaits him is something more splendid than anything he would ever experience on earth. The community that surround us lifts us up, supports us in the good times and the difficult times. God gives us everything we need, in times of ease and in moments of hardship. Alhamdulillah - all Praise be to God.

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Mohamed AbuTaleb, Ph.D. is Imam of the Islamic Association of Raleigh.

Read these other first-person accounts of different faith traditions:

"Becoming the Angel of Death" (Christian Account)

"It's Time" (Jewish Account)

"Souls in Transition--No Before, No After" (Buddhist Account)

"Tulsi, Holy Water and Prayers" (Hindu Account)