Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank and his Wife have Died

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He Died in Prayer!
Article by Abu Hakeem Bilaal Davis

Bismillahi wal hamdillillah was salaatu was salaamu alaa rasoolillah
Ammaa ba’d:

After arriving for hajj with the premier hajj group yesterday, alhamdullillah so far Allah has facilitated ease in the performance of the hajj. With the expected crowds and Hujjaaj in their millions the Hajj is now well underway.

While driving from the airport to Makka I could not help reflecting on my dear brother and companion Daawood Rahimahullah .

I thought about how Allah fulfilled for him a wish of his I remember hearing him say more than once:

‘I don’t want to die here’

It made me think about my own loved ones and how much we take them for granted.

I reflected upon the manner in which he spent his life teaching the Sunnah and spreading it and it brought to mind something mentioned in the biography of Al imaam Ash shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahaab Rahimahullah. And it is that he used to make the dua ‘Allahumma ijalnee mubaarakan’ (Oh Allah! Make me Mubarak) that is Oh Allah make me a source of blessings for those who come in contact with me.

And those who really knew him will know that he was a source of good and khair for the Muslims of the west generally, the people of Sunnah specifically.

I met a brother today from the UK in Mina who when we spoke of Abu Talha he wept and said that I was carrying out various acts today and I realised that most of what I know and practice of the Sunnah I learnt by way of Abu Talha, and the reality is that many in the west if they reflect will share the sentiment

Even after his death there is no one that knew him that I meet except that he says that this has caused him to look at himself and think about what deeds he will leave, realise how much he needs to improve and question what type of end he will have

I also spoke to his sons who are fine examples of young men upon the Sunnah not leaving the Sunnah even in adversity. From the shrouding to the movement of the body to the burial their concern has only been whether or not it has all been in accordance to the Sunnah. They were invited to the house of the deputy minister of Hajj in Saudi Arabia who gave them pieces of the Kiswa (the cloth that covers the ka’bah) for them and their siblings

As far as the our brothers Janaaza then it was honourable, having a police convoy similar to the funerals of Saudi dignitaries having more than 2 million worshippers praying over him with Ameer Naa’if being among the attendees

But possibly the profound thing that has reached me so far is what many people don’t know and that is just before the accident Daawood had started praying dhuhr in the coach and soon after (in literally seconds I’m told by the brothers who were there) it was engulfed in flames!

When they went to view the body they realised he died with his right hand over his left hand over his chest!

We ask Allah to forgive them both and bless us with a husnul khaatima (good end)

Wa sallallahu ‘alaa nabiyinaa Muhammad

Abu Hakeem Bilaal Davis

http://ah-sp.com/2011/11/04/he-died-in-prayer/