by Mohammed Ijaz ul Haq Kanth
A heartfelt tribute to a beloved grandfather, honouring his wisdom, love, and faith. His legacy of kindness, devotion, and family unity continues to inspire and guide future generations.
As I sit to write this tribute, a storm of emotions rises within me—grief that feels unbearable, gratitude that knows no bounds, and love that remains unshaken. The past few days have been a blur of sorrow and reflection as we bid farewell to a man who was not just our grandfather but the heart of our family, the foundation upon which our world was built. His presence was a gift, his wisdom a guiding force, and his love a shelter that protected us from life’s storms.
My dear Lala
Yesterday, when the house finally fell silent after the last of our guests had departed, I stepped into my room for the first time in days. The emptiness was suffocating. My eyes wandered across the room and fell upon the wall clock you had gifted me. In that moment, time itself seemed to pause. The familiar ticking, once a mere backdrop to our conversations, now echoed in the silence, a painful reminder of what I had lost.
Memories came rushing back—the warmth of your voice, the wisdom in your words, the way your eyes crinkled with laughter, and the gentle yet firm reprimands that shaped me into who I am today. I could almost hear you calling my name, as you so often did, with love, with patience, with a sincerity that was uniquely yours.
So, I began to write—not to mourn your departure, but to celebrate your life. Not to dwell on the pain of losing you, but to honour the love, the wisdom, and the unwavering faith that defined you. No words can truly capture the depth of your kindness, the weight of your absence, or the irreplaceable role you played in our lives. But if this tribute can be a small reflection of the love you gave us, then I hope it does justice to the extraordinary man that you were.
The Pillar of Our Family
Your presence in our family was more than a blessing—it was a gift from Allah, a source of strength, love, and unwavering guidance. You were the anchor that kept us steady, the silent force that held us together, the foundation upon which we all stood. Without you, there would have been no centre, no binding thread weaving us into one. Your love was limitless, your concern for each of us never wavered, no matter how far we were or how busy life became.
One of your most cherished habits was your daily ritual of calling each family member who lived away from home. No matter the distance, no matter how hectic life became, we always knew that at some point in the day, a call from you would come. A simple check-in, yet one filled with warmth, gentle advice, and an unspoken reminder that no matter where we were, we were never alone. Those conversations—once routine, once so easy to expect—now feel like treasures we did not know we were collecting, precious moments whose true worth we only understand in their absence.
Your absence is not just felt; it is lived in every quiet corner of the house, in every unspoken moment where your voice should have been. The familiar creak of your walking stick, once a reassuring sound, is now an echo of what we have lost. The way you would call out to us before we left for work, asking if we had everything we needed, praying for our safety—those small, everyday moments have now become the memories we cling to. Even your scoldings, which we may not have fully understood then, now reveal themselves to be disguised blessings—lessons wrapped in love, subtle nudges towards becoming better versions of ourselves.
And perhaps, more than anything, I carry with me a regret—a heavy, aching regret—that I could not achieve something truly significant while you were still here to witness it. You always believed in me, always encouraged me, and always longed for the day I would rise to my full potential. I know how much it meant to you, how much you wanted to see me accomplish something great. It pains me deeply that I could not fulfil that wish in your lifetime, that you did not get to see me become the person you always believed I could be.
But I promise you, Lala, your dreams for me will not go in vain. I will strive with all my heart, not just for myself, but for you—for the man who saw my worth before I ever did, for the man whose faith in me never wavered. I will do my utmost to make you proud, to walk the path you wished for me, and to carry forward the legacy of honour, integrity, and strength that you left behind.
And yet, amid the pain of regret, there is one solace I hold close to my heart—that you witnessed my Nikah, a moment that mattered deeply to both of us. You were there, present with your wisdom and prayers, and you wrote the Nikah papers with your own hands. That memory, that blessing, is one I will cherish forever. It gives me peace to know that, in at least that moment, I fulfilled a part of my dream—to make you proud, to have you by my side in one of the most significant chapters of my life.
Even though you are no longer with us in this world, your presence remains woven into our souls, etched into our lives. You were, and will always be, the pillar of our family.
His Legacy Lives Through Us
To my siblings and cousins: if we truly love our grandfather, if we wish to honour his memory, then grief alone is not enough. He did not merely leave us with recollections; he left us with a roadmap—a way of life he hoped we would carry forward.
His greatest wish was never for wealth, status, or the fleeting successes of this world. It was something simpler, yet far more profound—to remain steadfast in our faith, to uphold the values he cherished, to be honest, kind, and compassionate. He wanted us to pray with sincerity, to keep Allah present in our hearts and actions, and to always stand for what is right.
Let not the passage of time dull the impact of his teachings. Let not our lives drift from the principles he lived and breathed. When we speak, let it be with truth. When we act, let it be with sincerity. When we serve others, let it be with selflessness. When we remember Allah, let it be with the same devotion that remained with him until his final breath.
If we truly wish to keep him alive, we must embody all he stood for. Let his love for us be reflected in the love we show one another. Let his prayers for our success not be in vain. Let us live in a way that would make him proud, so that when we meet again in the gardens of Jannah, he will look upon us and say, “You honoured me in the way you lived.”
May Allah grant us the strength to uphold his legacy, to live with faith, to serve with kindness, and to remain united as a family—just as he always wished.
Let us not forget. Let us live in a way that makes him proud.
(A resident of Shangus, the author is a trained engineer with a master’s degree in anthropology. He works with the Work platform on a project basis. Ideas are personal.)
