Perhaps the greatest power of being alive
is that we can pray for the dead.
Have you ever cared to stop by a graveyard
and feel its vibes?
Apart from the trees, the grass and the sky
all you see is a land, breathing the dead underneath...
And to even understand what happens
with the souls after it leaves the body,
is beyond anybody's imagination.
Is living a good livelihood
our sole responsibility as humans?
No. We have got even greater responsibilities,
not as humans but as living beings.
None has seen tomorrow
and none has seen what lies beyond death as well.
But our deeds speak for us
in this world and in that world too.
We are humans and humans are not perfect.
We all have wronged ourselves
at some point in our lifetime,
and so we repent and seek His forgiveness.
But has anyone ever seen the death coming,
much before its time?
What if death took somebody
before they could finish their act of repentance!
What if someone has suddenly lost their sanity,
and failed to remember who he was
and what he did when he was sane!
The dead don't speak but we do.
The dead can't think but we can.
Therefore ask yourself, what have you done so far
for the peace and the forgiveness of the souls
on their behalf?
Do more than enough for them.
Do as much as you can, in all ways that you can.
And above all, keep your prayers constant.
Life is not just about living for yourself.
Life is also about living for the dead.
And you need to know this that the dead need us.
Copyright Shaheen Akhtar.
October 31st, 2022.