Sister Fazeelat Bibi 1961-2025

By Dr Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari

Here is a most moving and engaging tribute from a son to his mother. Zia has penned a homage to his most cherished and beloved human being, his mother. This shows why motherhood is so great that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Paradise lies under the feet of the mother’. After reading Zia’s account you will understand the truth of the Prophetic words.

Dear family of sister Fazeelat, friends, and those who are mourning today, I deeply sympathise with you, since the death of our sister, a wonderful mother is a great loss. I am extremely moved by the outpouring of grief and sorrow from around Nottingham and far afield. I wish to convey my deep condolences to her dear husband, Haji Abdul Rehman, sons, Zia, Atheeq, Anees and Haseeb and their daughters.

Her passing away has left a wound that will take a long time to heal. For her seven children and twenty grandchildren, it is as though the golden years of their lives are gone, it has robbed them of mutual bonds of love that are now broken. Sister Fazeelat’s soft, gentle smile has mysteriously disappeared into heaven. Her going has darkened the mood, and the inevitable moment of truth has arrived.

Our sister finished this life early, only 64 years old, what will happen to us when we finish our hours? When we stand before Allah, will we be received with open arms or be rebuffed? That day neither our family nor our wealth and social status will save us from the judgement we deserve.

A moving tribute to a mother by her son

By Zia-ul-Rehman

I wanted to say a few words about our beloved mum, our Ammi Jee. But in truth, no words can fully capture what she meant to us or the depth of our loss. It was an honour to have been born to such a noble and beautiful soul. At home, she was lovingly called Ammi Jee, Nano, Dado, and Daddi Ammi. To her siblings, she was Baji. And Fazeelat to her mum and Dad. Each of these names reflects the love and respect everyone had for her.

Our mum was a simple person, she was kind and had a heart so full of love. She genuinely cared for everyone — always putting others before herself, always making sure those around her felt loved, welcomed, and cared for. Mum would go to great lengths to make everyone feel comfortable, even if she was ill and in pain, she would be thinking about her guests. She never declined anyone’s calls. She gave food to neighbours on every occasion.

She had a beautiful heart — beautiful in her thoughts, beautiful in her character. Allah (SWT) blessed her with beauty inner and outer. She was generous, selfless, and forgiving. She never held a grudge and had the kind of patience and grace we all admired so deeply.

Ammi Jee had a way of making a house feel like a home. She loved feeding people — no one ever left her house hungry. She prepared feasts every time we came. She would say ‘Bismillah’ every time she stirred the soup ladle. Ensuring the food is prepared with Barakah. When she found her grandchildren sneaking snacks for their midnight feasts, instead of scolding them, she’d go down and get them more. That was her love — endless, thoughtful, and always giving. She had her little traditions, and they were part of the joy she brought to our lives. She loved bringing us her favourite chocolate bars— and she loved spending time with her family. She liked nature and going on walks, and she found so much happiness in feeding the birds outside in the garden.

Ammi Jee loved cats, she liked playing games with us — Doble Doble, Snap, Connect 4 and her laughter during those moments is something we will cherish forever. She had a playful side, a kind side, and a deeply spiritual side. She loved reading the Quran. Her faith was a huge part of who she was, and she taught us the beauty of Islam not just through words but through her actions — through her patience, her generosity, and her endless compassion.

She loved Ramadhan even when she could not physically fast due to ill health she would still try. She loved Jumma, she would count the days to Thursday and she practised all the Sunnah of Friday. She would say: “Aj Jumma ya, Utto, nai tui kinho, Nakhan catto, pak Saaf kapre Lai te, masjid jao, Jumma paro”. In our sweet mother tongue.

She was always happy with the little things and made those around her feel appreciated and loved. She didn’t like apple juice because she said it looked like something forbidden— a small detail that reminds us of her sense of humour, her attention to faith and her connection to her fitra.

One of her most beautiful qualities was her generosity. She loved giving money on birthdays and on Eid, and she would insist — even force — you to take it. That was her way of showing love. Ammi Jee had smiley eyes — eyes full of warmth and kindness. When she smiled, you couldn’t help but smile with her. And today, as we gather in her memory, it’s those smiley eyes, that laughter, and that love we will miss the most. We will miss her calls and visits when she heard someone wasn’t well. We will miss her asking about everyone and her attention to the smallest details. We will miss her presence in the lounge and everywhere we go.

We will miss the love she poured into every meal, we will miss every word. We will miss her every gesture. Although she is no longer with us, she is forever in our hearts and Duas and her home will always be called nanos, dados and Baji’s house. She was truly an incredible woman — kind, loving, selfless, and full of grace. Her final act of her selflessness was to allow us to make sehri in peace and half an hour later, Allah called her noble soul onto himself, on the first Friday In Ramadhan. The Friday’s and Ramadhan she loved so much. A final sign that she was going to a better place andwould  finally be at peace. May Allah (SWT) forgive her sins and grant her Jannatul Firdaus. May He fill her grave with light and grant her peace and comfort. May we all continue to honour her legacy by living with the love, kindness, and faith she taught us.

Death is not the end but the beginning of a new eternal life

These are wonderful memories of a son’s deep love for his mother. Let me end on a positive note, it is reported that when the bier of Sa’ad ibn Muadh was lifted his mother screamed and wailed, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to her ‘your tears should stop now since your son is the first one for whom God has smiled and the mighty throne trembled at that’ (Tabrani). Let’s pray that sister Fazeelat is received like this disciple of the beloved messenger (peace be upon him). Ameen.

Let me end with a couplet by Allamah Iqbal, he says:

Your life was brighter than the moon
Your journey was better than that of the morning star
May your grave be bright like the dawn’s mansion
May this dusty bed chamber of yours be light-filled
May the sky spray dew on your grave
May the freshly grown grass guard this house

Finally, anyone interested in reading a eulogy for a mother should read Allamah Iqbal’s poem in his famous collection of Bag-e-Dara. In 1908, Iqbal was a student in Cambridge where he received the telegram bearing the sad news. He was grief-stricken, alone and sad, so he wrote the most beautiful eulogy to honour the memory of his mother. The poem is an expression of his grief and deep understanding of the philosophy of life. He points out that everything in the universe is subject to the will and the command of Allah, and the news of his mother’s death was hard to bear. He recalls his whole life and sums up some memorable events of his home life.

In this eulogy, Iqbal expresses profound grief and reverence for his mother, highlighting her virtues and the deep bond they shared. He reflects on the irreplaceable loss and the void her passing created in his life. While the complete poem is best appreciated in its original Urdu, here is an excerpt:

Who would wait for me anxiously in my home?
Who would be restless when my letter fails to arrive?
For my departed mother alone I will now weep
Who would now think of me in midnight prayers?

These couplets hold significant emotional and literary value. It not only showcases Iqbal’s sorrow but also underscores the universal theme of a mother’s unparalleled role in nurturing and guiding her children. Iqbal’s reverence for motherhood is evident in his other works as well, where he likens motherhood to prophethood, emphasising its pivotal role in shaping societies.

By immortalising his mother’s memory through this poem, Iqbal pays tribute to all mothers, acknowledging their sacrifices and the foundational influence they have on future generations. The poem is a testament to the deep respect and love Iqbal held for his mother and highlights the broader cultural significance of honouring one’s parents.

Using several examples, he masterfully explains that death is a transitory phase in existence and does not annihilate and finish off the person. In the final stanza, which I quoted above, he compares humans with stars and presents the Quranic concept of human superiority over the rest of creation. The poem ends with a beautiful prayer for his mother. This prayer decorates many headstones in cemeteries in Pakistan.