CODA TO LIFE
(Jamil Abdul Rahman)
We had been called to hospital, knowing his life was near an end. When we arrived at his bedside, customary salams were extended to each of us. He appeared alert and jovial, fully cognizant of our presence, even laughing at one point about a mischievous young man who stood in the room with us.
Life support machines pulsed and beeped, no indication that his life was in peril. A handful of family members and friends filled the room. His immediate family stood beside him. His wife took his hands in hers, while his only daughter, not yet in her teens, rested a hand on his forehead.
Suddenly, without warning, he announced, matter of fact, he could no longer see. Seconds later, he began to recite the words "La ʾilaha ʾilla llah...La ʾilaha ʾilla llah...La ʾilaha ʾilla llah..." (There is no god but God.) At first, his recitation was clear and strong, repeating over and over the affirmation of Islamic faith. Within a few minutes his voice slackened. Words faded into unintelligible syllables, then phonemes, and silence. Unconscious, he drew his last breath, seconds ticking away, then nothing except more silence.
All was still. The room. His family. His body.
© Breyel, Timm. "Coda to Life". All rights reserved. No part of this text may be copied, broadcast, reproduced in print or electronically represented without permission from the author.
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