Saleem Ahmed Siddiqi
If someone picks up a pen and paper and scripts a perfect death for himself, it wouldn’t be as sweet as my father was blessed with. Muslims believe that a person’s sins are wiped off after an Umrah, and he is pure like a small baby. Dying in Makkah, purified after Umrah, whose janaza (funeral) was prayed by hundreds of thousands of people in haram, and getting buried in Makkah – a death only one in a million Muslims are blessed with. His health was deteriorating, he used to take 10-15 tablets daily for various medical conditions, but he was pain-free and independent in every way, till his last breath. He supported and helped so many people during his life, Allah kept his pride and kept him mobile and independent till his last day. His daughters live thousands of miles away and had not seen him in many years. Allah created an opportunity for both to visit and meet him during his final days. They did not come to meet a dying father on his deathbed, they reunited to perform Umrah with him, in his good health. One of the daughters brought along her kids and even the son-in-law, who visited Saudia for the first time. It was a perfect reunion anyone could have wished for. Doctors tell me that heart failure is considered the easiest death, instant and pain-free, it is like a simple switch off. He had completed all his obligations, had no liabilities, and died among loved ones in a perfect way. A picture-perfect death!
His days of responsibility started early. His father passed away when he was in Grade-10. They had zero resources, lived in a rented apartment, and had no source of income. His mother started teaching in a school, and he had to leave school to take a job. Being the eldest of the siblings, he sacrificed to ensure that his brothers completed their education. He was a man of strong will. Not only did he strive through this tragedy, not only started his job early on, but also continued his education in night school. After multiple jobs and completing his graduation, he had a stable job in State Bank of Pakistan. He got married and had a daughter. At this stage in life, he got the opportunity to work for Aramco. He had to leave his newborn son, only a few days old, to avail the opportunity. He always remembered his time at Aramco as a good one. He learnt a lot, but above all, he met wonderful and talented people. Even many years after his return, he wanted to stay connected with his colleagues. I could see a sparkle in his eyes when he met or spoke about any of his colleagues from his golden days.
Dr. Saleem Ahmed Siddiqi, One day before he passed away in Makkah
After his return to Pakistan, he worked with various oil and gas companies, Esso (now Fauji), Union Texas (now BP), Pakistan Petroleum (PPL), and had a great run in each of those companies. In 2004, he moved to Qatar and worked for renowned oil companies, Dolphin Energy, Ras Gas, Qatar Gas, before moving to South Africa to work for Sasol.
When his brother who was taking care of his mother passed away in Pakistan, he decided that it was time for him to take on the responsibility, he quit his job and moved back to Pakistan. He had several opportunities internationally, but he decided to be with his old mother rather than make money.
Throughout his journey, there were ups and downs in his career. Tough boss, sudden job redundancy, and office politics, he sometimes shared the stories for our grooming, but I never recall him feeling frustrated, irritated, or ungrateful due to any curveball life threw at him. Always thankful for the blessings he had, always hopeful for a positive future, he never transmitted the stress to his family, he was a perfect shock absorber.
He was a family man, enjoyed his time with the family, but had great networking. Whenever he found anyone in need for any support or guidance, he always had someone in his contacts who he could connect to. He did many philanthropic projects but kept everything under wraps as he was not an attention seeker. After his departure, many people contacted me to tell me about how he impacted them and they are now who they are due to his guidance. He always believed in empowering people, be it his kids or any stranger looking for advice.
It is the end of the journey that determines if it was successful, the end of our lives and how people remember us thereafter is a litmus test of how we spent our life. My father lived a full, complete, and died an enviable death. He left behind a widow who cannot stop thinking about her loving and caring partner, his son, two daughters, and 13 grandchildren, all remembering him for his high spirits and positive approach towards life. The fact that he got a perfect end gives patience to his family.
May Allah raise his ranks in Jannat ul Firdous. May Allah accept all his good deeds and forgive him. May Allah give sabr to all our family members, especially my mother, and may Allah reunite us with our dear father in Jannah. Aameen.