The Night My Grandmother Prepared for Jannah - Alhamdulillah for Her Peace

My paternal grandmother lived a long, purposeful life. Even as she grew frail, she knew what was happening in her grandchildren’s lives. She was always interested in us and wanted each of her grandchildren to live righteously. As she neared the end, she became weaker. One day she asked one son to call his sister who lived in another city. My uncle called her, and she came right away. Seeing her mother a bit better, she went back because her children had important exams. Two days later, my grandmother’s condition suddenly worsened. Her sugar and blood pressure dropped, and we realized things could change at any moment. The doctor checked her and simply said, “Pray for her.” Then something remarkable happened. Her vitals that were out of range became stable. She opened her eyes, called everyone close, and told her sons to call their daughters - especially the one in the other city. We told her the aunt could only arrive the next night because of the long journey and no available tickets. Calmly she said, “If she truly wants to see her mother, she must come before Fajr. After Fajr, I will be gone.” We were all stunned. She continued giving small instructions: “Don’t cry after I’m gone. Prepare a meal and honor every guest who comes for my janazah.” We stayed in touch with my aunt, who said fog had delayed the trains. She couldn’t make it early; she would arrive the next night. Slowly, uncles, aunts, and cousins gathered. Deep down we understood what grandma had said about leaving after Fajr, but no one admitted it out loud. Late that night, the house didn’t feel like a place where someone was dying. It felt almost like a wedding home - children running, elders asking them to go to the terrace. After Isha, Grandma gave more directions. She opened the almirah and gave her gold to a woman who had cared for her selflessly. She also took out a small box containing dust from Jannatul Baqi that she’d brought during Hajj/Umrah long ago. She asked for some of that soil to be placed in her grave - larger pieces near her head and smaller by her feet. She told us to start doing dhikr and to call her daughters-in-law. When they arrived she spoke to each of them: “If I ever hurt you, forgive me. And if any of you ever hurt me, I forgive you.” Then she lay down and recited Qur’an. After a while she stopped and made a little motion with her hands as if eating. My cousin asked, “Dadi, are you hungry?” She replied softly, “I have finished my rizq of this world. Now I am eating the food of Jannah. My Allah feeds me.” It felt like a veil between worlds was lifting for her. Around 1:00 AM she told us to rest: “Don’t tire yourselves. Sleep now - you’ll be busy after Fajr.” Around 4:30 AM she woke, prayed Tahajjud, made dhikr and dua, then performed Fajr while we stood around her. She suddenly looked toward the door and said, “Make way. Let them come in.” Then she recited the Kalima: لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ - “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” With those words she left this world, her face shining with peace and noor. It felt like the Angel of Death came gently and honored her. As the Prophet ﷺ described, a believer may be met by angels with bright faces carrying shrouds and fragrance from Jannah, and the soul departs easily. That was the blessed passing given to my grandmother, and we are so grateful to Allah for it. In my next post I’ll share about my maternal grandmother’s passing. For those wondering, my aunt sadly did not make it in time; she arrived after Dadi had already returned to her Lord.