BismillaahirRahmaanirRaheem
This time has certainly been a trying one for our family. On Monday, September 8th, 2008, corresponding to the 8th day of the holy month of Ramadan in 1429 AH, Allah took the soul of my brother Qaadir Siddeeq after Qaadir courageously battled a cancer that originated in his gall bladder. The next day our family, as they were preparing to attend Qaadir’s janazah, learned of the passing of the respected Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the husband of our sister Khadijah Siddeeq who had selflessly dedicated that week to being by the side of her brother Qaadir and who was at that moment on her way to her brother’s janazah.
Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon. ”Surely, we belong to Allah, and surely, unto Him will we all return.” These are the words that escaped my lips as I learned of this news, and as tears spilled from my eyes. Words cannot describe the feeling one has upon receiving such news. So much rushes through one’s mind–and heart. For me, I thought, Is this real? And I even asked more than once, Are you sure? Are they really gone? As reality settled, I thought of the words that I had recited… “Surely, we belong to Allah, and surely, unto Him will we all return.” It took a moment, but I realized, Yes, they are gone….as you will be, too, one day.
This time has become, for me and my family, a time of reflection, a time of thanking Allah, and a time of patience. The passing of my brother and brother-in-law respectively in the Month of Mercy has made me reflect on the brevity of life, and my time on this earth thus far. It too has inspired me to reflect on my blessings and the blessings of my family, most specifically the blessing we have in the two people from whom we are drawing so much of our strength–our parents Muhammad and Fareedah Siddeeq.
When I was growing up, my parents, each day after Fajr prayer, would sit down with all of us before we left for school or work and have a class. This class would sometimes last over an hour, and sometimes it would last as little as fifteen minutes. But in each class, the goal was one: to remind us of Allah and our purpose in this world. One of the moments that resonate in my mind was when my father said to us, referencing the Qur’anic lesson, “Do you think you’ll be left alone in saying you believe?” His voice rose and he emphasized the words, “Do you think you’ll be left alone in saying you believe when others before you fought, died, and suffered in Allah’s cause? They were tested so severely,” my father said, his voice reverberating throughout the living room, “that even the Messenger among them asked, ‘When will the victory of Allah come?’”
A couple of days after my brother passed, I called my mother to ask how she was doing, and she said, “I’m comforted.” She then told me that early Monday morning, she had asked my father, “When will the victory come?” Only minutes later, she learned of the passing of her son Qaadir. And in her words I knew her message. This is the victory.
My most vivid memories of my parents are all like this: that of strength and pointing us to the right perspective–that of Allah’s pleasure, despite that which pains us in our lives. Even as my father entered the hospital room after his son departed, the first words I heard him say were, “Allaahu’akbar!” proclaiming the Greatness of His Creator, even as his heart, surely, was aching at the loss of his son. The day before Qaadir himself passed, Qaadir remarked to his siblings and to the hospital staff, “For my Dad, Islam comes first, before anything else.” And then Qaadir said, “For me, it’s the same thing…I am Muslim–and that’s the most important thing.”
If I were to summarize in two words our upbringing in the Siddeeq home, it would be this: Living Love.
Allah says in the Qu’ran “Say (O Muhammad, to the people): ‘If you love Allah, follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins…” This is what I learned as a young Siddeeq: ”If you love Allah, then live as a Muslim–no matter what happens in the world around you.”
In our home, Living Love was sitting down with my sister after an argument and finding a verse in the Qur’an to solve our dispute.
Living Love was taking notes on whatever television or movie we watched to derive a lesson or to suggest a better way of handling matters than was presented on the screen.
Living Love was receiving a weekly call from our parents while we were away at college and their saying, “Keep up your prayers, sugar. Keep up your prayers.”
Living Love was our parents not allowing us to use the pronouns he and she when complaining, but the pronouns I and we.
Living Love was not allowing us to make a suggestion on what they should have done, but on what I should have done.
Living Love was in stopping us mid-sentence if we were talking negatively about anyone–even someone who wronged us.
Living Love was our parents telling us, You be the example, instead of waiting on others to.
Living Love was our parents saying, Your very presence is da’wah.
Living Love was in opening our home, and everything in it, to someone in need, even if we were in need ourselves.
Living Love was turning our humble home into a local masjid, until the community could establish one in truth.
Living Love was making pancakes with Dad after Fajr.
Living Love was hearing Mom’s sewing machine all night as she made yet another dress for us…for Eid, for the party, for our wedding…or Just because.
Living Love was Dad inserting our names into a song, making us think that we actually had a list of each family member on the song sheet.
Living Love was in embracing us with a warm hug after each prayer.
Living Love was in proclaiming, “Allahu’akbar!” whenever we made an effort at doing good…even if we missed the mark.
Living Love was our parents’ taking the suffix in-law off of every addition to our family and treating them like one of their own.
Living Love was our parents’ saying yes to the marriage of their youngest daughter Khadijah to her Muslim brother-in-faith Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. Because in our home, Islam, like love, was not a word. It was a way of life–like the love in the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, our example. Because, to my parents…
Living Love was…..living love.
Thank you, Mom and Dad for teaching us the meaning of Love. Thank you for raising us upon the saying, “Whenever a Muslim endeavors to do anything, he seeks to perfect it.”
Thank you for…Living Love and perfecting that endeavor–for your children and ours. May Allah bless you both.
We love you.
May Allah grant you and us, and Qaadir and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the best in the Hereafter, where everyone will be with those whom they loved.
With Love,
Your Daughter,
Baiyinah Siddeeq
With the name of Allah, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer
Living Love was when we would do wrong in public, Dad would insist on correcting us there…
Living Love is being taught to remember Allah (SWT) at all times and begin every sheet of paper for school with the words “Bismillahir-Rahman-nir-Raheem!”…
Living Love is to ALWAYS, when replying to Mom and Dad, say “Yes maam/No maam” or “Yes sir/No sir”…
Living Love is demanding we make our own birthday cards, anniversary cards, Eid cards, mothers day cards, fathers day cards, etc. rather than purchasing generic Hallmark cards…
Living Love is always allowing the younger sibling to choose which half of the PB & J sandwich they want after you cut it…
Living Love is to always give the younger siblings a chance to play with the older siblings…
Living Love is when we get in an argument, we must sit on the stairs until WE work it out…
All Praises due to ALLAH!! there is tremendous wisdom in each act of Living Love and I can only pray that I am blessed with a fraction of that wisdom to impart on my offspring, Insha Allah!!
I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY SIBLINGS AND I APPRECIATE THE IMPACT ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD ON MAKING ME WHO I AM!!!
And to my Father, Muhammad Siddeeq, and my mother, Fareedah Siddeeq, the love I have in my heart is overwhelming and I thank you with the utmost sincerity for guiding me, and nurturing me, and lifting me up, and equipping me with the life lessons and self-respect/self-confidence to now lead a family of my own, and Allah as my witness, I will do the very best I can to protect, nurture, serve and teach my family everything I got from the both of you!!!
Al-Humdulillah!!!
With the utmost love and sincerity,
Mansoor Abdul-Mateen Siddeeq (Siddeeq number 14!!!)
Living love was Brother Siddeeq and Sister Fareedah letting me and my brothers sleep on the living room floor of their home.
Living love was their letting me and my brothers get more pizza, even though the Siddeeqs had to make our “more” pizza from scratch.
Living love was cooking a big breakfast with Br. Siddeeq for his mother at his childhood home in Pittsburgh…which was the best breakfast I ever had!
Thank you Brother Siddeeq and Sister Fareedah…because I’m Living Love right now in seeing your daughter raise our daughter in the way you raised her.
With the deepest gratitude,
your son “in-law”
Abdul-Hakim
Living Love is having the Sideeq family, here in Saudi Arabia spend such precious heartwarming hours in our home. And my family trying to find ways to keep them longer whenever it was their time to leave. One of us would run to the kitchen to whip up a meal and say they have to stay till it’s done. One of us would pull out homework that needed Baiyinah’s revision. One of us would hide an abaya or a shoe….. the Sideeq family has been an inspiration to our own family. may Allah swt perserve you in the best of faith, keep you all steadfast on this deen, and give jannah al firdous to the brothers who have departed from us.
I pray my husband and I can be the types of parents the Siddeeqs obviously were and are. They are an inspiration to us all; the ummah needs more people like them.
Wassalaam,
Hina
Living Love is having Grandparents that after reaching infinity, always seem to have one more. One more bed, one more plate, one more meatball in the chili, one more seat at the table or in the car, one more song that somehow has been personalized just for you, one more tailor-made graduation dress, one more hug, one more ride to school on a cold day, one more piece of advice, and on what would seem the hardest day of their life, one more smile.
Saba-Na’imah
Assalamu alaikum…
It has also been my privilege to know Baiyinah, and these words have profoundly touched me. My husband said, “Print it out! Let’s use it as a reference, make sure we do these things!”
Living love has no boundaries, does not discriminate, and has the ability to change the world one person at a time.
Jazakum ALLAHu khairan, Br. Muhammad and Sr. Fareeda, for allowing your “Living Love” to jump start the “Living Love” journeys of so many people (and to you, Baiyinah for breathing life into it with your beautiful prose). May ALLAH continue to sustain you with faith, patience, fortitude, knowledge, and peace, and may HE (SWT)shower you all with His mercy and forgiveness, reuniting you all in the highest gardens of Jannah. Ameen.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this inspiration…
may allah bless the siddeeq family and the mohammed family insha allah.
may allah bless the siddeeq family and the mohammed family insha allah.
Living Love is walking across the neighborhood on a blistering Thanksgiving or Christmas Day to Nana and Grandpa’s house. Being completely happy and oblivious to the weather because you know that a huge, (I was a child then), 16 passenger van would be shortly pulling up with my Uncle Siddeeq and a WHOLE BUNCH of my cousins.
Being more than ecstatic to help Lug they’re luggage up over four flights of steps from the street to the third floor where they would set up shop for the duration of their stay.
My Grandad will have arrived the night before.
Uncle Jimmy is due in a little later. (In time for dinner of course. HARDEE HAR HAR!!!!)
My Uncle and Aunts from here will have come with all of my younger first cousins. Even if only to stop by for a couple of minutes to say hello and give their love to the ELDERS of our family while en-route to a celebration being given by another branch of the family.
Living Love is the year that I finally got to sit in the Dining Room with the Men, (Children sat in the kitchen and the women were either in the living room or scattered throughout the house making sure that everyone else was comfortable), while trying to comprehend exactly what they were talking about…….World events???….What’s that gotta do with me?….Christianity’s demonization of the Islamic faith???…. Why? Aren’t we all praying to the same GOD?, (That’s What my Mom told me, and we’re not of the Muslim Faith). The President’s policies???…Who knows…. But I’m sitting in the DINING ROOM with My Father, My Grandpa, My Grandad, My Uncle Jimmy and My Uncle Siddeeq!! I am sitting with the smartest and most powerful Men on the planet.
When I ask questions about the issues that are being discussed?
I GET??…
Not Just Answers!!…
Not with these men of various opinions, faith and beliefs…
NO!!!
What ensues is Healthy Debate!! The type of which I see from talking heads and World Leaders on C.N.N. and Meet The Press today on the picture box!! ( I heard Nana call the T.V. that once.)
Living Love is having a Question and getting an answer.
Living Love is having a Question, with a presumption, and being told an answer that you don’t want to hear…. Not to prove you wrong. But to Guide you in the right direction.
Living Love is holding the mantle while it’s hot… Knowing well that your hands Will burn. Yet holding on with full, uncompromising faith and fortitude because HIS WILL shall Always Prevail
Living Love– is FAMILY.
Family– is LIVING LOVE.
And That….. That Is Beautiful.