Ghulam Abbas Sajan

The Last Speech By Ghulam Abbas Sajan

Bismillah-hir-rahmanir-rahim

Inna-lil-lahihi-wa-inna illahi raje-oon

As I lie dead before you, I cannot but not give my final speech. Over the course of my life, I noticed that it was a close relative or a friend who gave a speech on behalf of the deceased and his/her family. This was not acceptable to me; after all it is my funeral! Therefore, it is I, the egoist, who will have the final say.

I have lived a full life of 74 years. As I was writing this on my deathbed, I very quickly reflected on my life.

Like every human being, I had trials and tribulations but when I reflected, they were minuscule compared to many others who went through many pains and sufferings. I realized I had a very easy passage of life, Alhamdulillah. Yet those in great pain constantly said, “shookar-Allah”. Today I say, “shookar-Allah”. At this stage my only prayer was that Allah be pleased with me.

I knew myself more than anyone present today. The only Being that knew me more than I was Allah (swt).

At times I knew what I did and there were times I may have acted unconsciously. It is possible that I may have done harm to people not ever realizing my harmful acts. For those who are alive and hear this, I apologize. For those who preceded me, I ask Allah (swt) to permit the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), led by the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.), to intercede on my behalf and ask those whom I have hurt to forgive me.

For forgiveness, who best to quote but Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.). The following is from al-Sahifat al-Kamilat al-Sajjadiyya, Supplication No.63 for Monday: “I ask Thee concerning the complaints of Thy servants against me: If there is a servant from among Thy servants, or a handmaid from among Thy handmaids, who has against me a complaint because I have wronged him in respect to himself, his reputation, his property, his wife or his child, evil words I have spoken about him in his absence, an imposition upon him through inclination, caprice, scorn, zeal, false show, bigotry, whether he be absent or present, alive or dead, such that my hand has fallen short and my capacity has been too narrow to make restitution to him or to annul my obligations to him,

“I ask Thee, O He who owns all objects of need – which are Granted by His will and hasten to His desire – that Thou blessest Muhammad and the household of Muhammad,