REMEMBERING MOTHER ON HER 100TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

27th August 2016 marks the centenary birth anniversary of my beloved mother Gnei Fareena Meedin (nee Jayah). She was the fourth among seven children born to Tuan Arifeen Jayah and Gnei Sulaiya Packeer. Her other siblings were Zahira Ahamat, Rasheed Jayah, Raheela Bongso, Hisham Jayah, Murad Jayah and Chintaree Azoor.

According to Arifeen Jayah's diary Fareena was born on Sunday 27th August 1916 at 0.30am at Saunders Court in Slave Island (Kartel). She had her primary education at the Bilingual Girls School in Slave Island and like her elder sisters was soon confined to her home, a practice prevalent by devout Muslim parents in that era.

In 1949 mother was given in marriage to Hameem Meedin, a returnee from the North African theatre of War (WW2) after serving the Royal Ordnance under the Allied Forces only to begin his new career as Stenographer at Walker and Greig in Darley Road.

After being blessed with a daughter in 1950 the Meedin couple moved from 18 Fountain House Lane, Maradana to 35 Vauxhall Lane, Slave Island Their second child, a son was born six years later.

When they found the hustle and bustle of city life too much to bear, in 1973 they chose to move far from the madding crowd to a retreat of sorts, a 35 perch plot at Akbar Town with fruit trees and abutting paddy fields . Hameem Meedin, a religiously inclined Malay, ensured that the Malay Muslim environment from Slave Island (Kartel) to Akbar Town should remain throughout.They always desired to live in close proximity to a masjeed and a burial ground.

Their married life together lasted 47 glorious years during which time they had the fortune in having witnessed the 2 children being educated at Colombo's best schools, saw them happily married and celebrated the births of 4 grand children.

Fareena Meedin continued to live a perfectly healthy life except for a cataract operation she had to undergo.She never complained of any aches or pains usually associated with old age but lived a nonagenarian leading a normal life partaking all the gastronomical inventions she had inherited from her mother and imparted the skills to her next generation to perpetuate the fine art of Melayu cusine.

Till her death she never procrastinated her Salat and always observed the full month of Ramadhan without missing a single day of fasting. She recited the Quran at a marathon speed and always had enough 'katams' to donate to other's 'rateebs' a deed she relished.

Among the seven siblings in the Arifeen Jayah family she established many records. She outlived all others to the ripe age of 97 years. She lived to witness the weddings of 2 grand children. She was the only great grand mother to witness the births of 2 great grand children.She had the honour of having her grandson to be the only Hafiz of the Koran in an entire generation.

As all beings shall taste death, Allah Almighty decided that she should leave us to join the 'saliheens' in Jannah when He sent Malak- al -Maut to her death bed in hospital on the morn of 29th December 2013. Her Janaza took place at Akbar Town Burial Grounds the next day.

May Allah Rabbul izzeth through His grace reward mother for all her good actions, through His mercy forgive my mother from all her shortcomings and bless her with Jannathul Firduose. Ameen!