This Ramadan, HHRD invited young voices from our community to share heartfelt reflections through our “Ramadan Story Writing Competition.” The response was inspiring—entries filled with the beauty of faith, compassion, and connection during the blessed month. As we commemorate 20 years of HHRD’s service and impact, we are honored to celebrate these stories that reflect the values we’ve carried since the beginning. One story stood out for its vivid imagery, emotional depth, and ability to touch hearts. We are proud to present the winning piece, written by Saffiyah Ali from Lombard, IL, for you to read, reflect on, and be inspired by.
Abdul-Rahman was an elderly man who consistently visited the masjid. The community knew him by his giving nature and his two high-spirited grandchildren, Asmaa and Zubayr. Every day at 1:00 PM, Abdul-Rahman entered the masjid. He said salaam to the familiar musallees, greeted the youth, and inquired about the health of his old friends, who once prayed beside him but were now too ill to leave their beds.
After praying the two rak'ahs, Abdul-Rahman sat Asmaa and Zubayr beside him. Asmaa, a six-year-old girl, always got excited to visit the masjid because she could pick out a nice outfit to wear. Zubayr, a hifdh student at the age of eight, was pleased to meet elder Huffadh.
As the family sat together, Abdul-Rahman asked the usual question. "Do you know who you are named after?" he asked. "I do! I do!" exclaimed little Asmaa, "Baba, you are named after Abdul-Rahman ibn' Awf, the generous sahabi. I am named after Asmaa bint Abi Bakr, the daughter of Abu Bakr, and my brother is named after Zubayr ibn Al-’Awwam!" Abdul-Rahman smiled and said, "Ma sha Allah, Asmaa. I'm glad you remembered!"
As their grandfather, Abdul-Rahman was responsible for educating his grandchildren about Islam. He believed that the youth were the key to the religion's future success. It was essential to involve the next generation with the masjid and community early on, so that they would have a connection to the House of Allah SWT when they grew older, after the generation before them had passed.
Abdul-Rahman was often compared to the great Sahabi, Abdul-Rahman ibn' Awf Radiallahu' Anhu. Both were known to be very generous. Abdul-Rahman was known for being the first to donate at fundraisers and encouraging others to donate.
One night, Abdul-Rahman was praying qiyaam al-layl when he fell. His grandchildren called the ambulance, and Abdul-Rahman was rushed to the hospital. At the age of seventy-four, his health had already begun to decline. At the hospital, the family discovered that Abdul-Rahman had had a heart attack.
The next afternoon, the usual musallees gathered around the masjid's entryway. "Where is Uncle Abdul-Rahman?" one asked, checking the time. I was excited to tell him today about my father's health improvement!" a woman said. At that time, a man came running towards them from the parking lot and said, "Did you hear the news?" "What news?" the crowd asked. Abdul-Rahman had a heart attack last night!" the man exclaimed.
In the hospital corridors, Asmaa wept on her brother's shoulder. Zubayr sat, facing forward, in stunned silence. Abdul-Rahman was on his deathbed. The heart attack severely weakened his heart, and he was only given a few days to live. Asmaa and Zubayr knew that, like their parents, their beloved grandfather would not be a part of their lives forever.
Abdul-Rahman lay in the hospital bed, wishing for some sort of company. With all the connections he had made with the community, he hadn't expected to be alone on his deathbed. He thought at least his grandchildren would be by his side, if not his friends. "Baba?" Asmaa's quiet voice asked as the door to the hospital room was pushed open. "Yes?" Abdul-Rahman replied weakly. "There are some people here to see you," Zubayr said.
The hospital room, void of visitors minutes before, was filled with friendly faces; some he recognized and others he didn't. Asmaa said, "They're all here to see you!" "And to thank you," a young woman stepped forward. She said, "Uncle, you always asked about my father's health, as he was one of your closest friends, and I came here to tell you that today my father has completed his final round of chemotherapy."
Another man came forward and said, "When I was a teenager, I was falling into haraam, and you found me in the masjid parking lot. You told me to go inside and pray salah. I hadn't prayed in years, and I had nearly forgotten how. I had given up on Allah SWT's help, but praying Thuhr that day changed my life. It's because of you, uncle, that I'm not some drug dealer living on the streets." More and more stories were told about Abdul-Rahman's impact on the lives of those in the community.
"Subhanallah," Abdul-Rahman said once everyone had finished, "Please, I appreciate the thanks, but all praise and glory belongs to Allah SWT." The visitors bid farewell and promised they'd come back tomorrow. Only an hour later, Abdul-Rahman passed away in his sleep. His last words were the words of the shahadah.
Ten years later.
Asmaa exited the women's prayer hall and went to the sadaqah box. She pulled a twenty-dollar bill from her purse, remembering how her grandfather would hand her the money when she was a little girl. Turning to Zubayr's daughter beside her, Asmaa asked, "Would you like to put the money in the box?" Two-year-old Sumayyah grinned, and Asmaa watched as she placed the money into the box.
A bulletin board above the sadaqah box said, "In honor of our beloved Abdul-Rahman, who always encouraged us to donate." Following Abdul-Rahman's janazah, the community raised money to build a water well in Senegal, which Abdul-Rahman had always wanted. The water well always reminded Asmaa of the hadith from the Prophet SAW, which her grandfather always said. "When a person dies, all action is cut off for him except for three things: sadaqah, which continues, knowledge that benefits, or a righteous child who makes supplication for him."
Zubayr watched Asmaa and Sumayyah and smiled at the sight of them donating in the sadaqah box. Together, the family exited the masjid, greeting the familiar faces. Everyone knew them through Abdul-Rahman, and the siblings promised each other they would do what Abdul-Rahman did and teach their children the value of staying close and connected to the Muslim community and the masjid.