Jannah's Story - How Lucky We Are

Every morning, I’d send Haziq and Husna to the Special School that both of them are attending. Teacher Jannah – an Iraqian - would always come to greet me and get my special ones out of the car. She’d always smile, give her Salam and we’d have a small chat before I left for my office. However, last Friday morning she looked rather sad. Her puffy eyelids showed that she must have came down with flu or something.

Teacher Jannah, you’re not feeling well, aren’t you?

I’m OK... it’s just that my Father passed away after Raya.

I was stunned. I lowered down the volume of my radio.

Innalillah.... How old was he and how did it happen?

He was 63. He had a stroke. He also had High Blood. But he reached the hospital quite late. You see, there were so many road blocks... here and there.....many, many road blocks.. so when he reached the hospital, it was too late...

That’s so sad... how’s your Mother?

She’s staying put. You know what, the situation in Iraq is really bad. My siblings all have High Blood. And they are very young. Younger than me.

Why is that?

You see, since when we were young, when we opened our eyes, we saw people die everywhere. We hear bombs everyday. Life’s very very stressful for all the Iraq people. That’s why Iraq people have many sickness at young age. The effect of the war.... Most of us are scared of aeroplanes. If we hear the sound of aeroplanes, we’ll be terrified... We just can't help it...

Why didn’t you bring him here?

He was coming here. I spoke to him in Ramadhan, he told me that he wanted to come to Malaysia. He came here once and he liked it. He said Malaysia was a very peaceful country. He said he’d get his papers ready. When he died, my mother was cleaning his things and saw his passport. Everything was already in order. He was actually coming here...

I couldn’t help it. Tears were welling there, waiting to fall... Jannah was also fighting back the tears.

It was never meant to be Jannah....

If only he could reach the hospital earlier.... Then InsyaAllah he’d live...

Jannah, Allah has fixed it all. All are fated. There must be a hikmah in all these. I just hope that you are OK and your mom, your siblings too...

Yes, I know. Thank you. I’ll pass a Quranic verses in CDs to all the Muslim parents on Monday. I hope you can listen to the CD and sedeqah to my Father..

OK, TQ Jannah. Let’s pray that things will get better in Iraq. Take care, OK?

I left the school with a heavy heart. Somehow I knew that I should be more thankful for what I have now. Maybe some of us, including me, take Malaysia for granted... and forget that we are truly blessed to be living in this Peaceful Land. Look at Jannah, this is an Iraqian who lives in Malaysia for 16 years with her family and feels very grateful for the serenity that our Tanah Air has to offer.

Like Jannah, we should count our blessings too... and try not to take things for granted, not only with our Tanah Air, but with all the good and bad things that we have....