(64) (O Prophet), say: “Ignorant people! Do you bid me to serve any other beside Allah?”(65) (Tell them clearly that) it was revealed to you and to all Prophets before you: “If you associate any others with Allah in His Divinity, your works will surely come to naught and you will certainly be among the losers.”(66) Therefore, serve Allah alone and be among those who give thanks.(67) They did not recognize the true worth of Allah. (Such is Allah’s power that) on the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be in His grasp, and the heavens shall be folded up in His Right Hand. Glory be to Him! Exalted be He from all that they associate with Him. (68) And the Trumpet shall be blown and all who are in the heavens and the earth shall fall down dead save those whom Allah wills. Then the Trumpet shall be blown again, and lo! all of them will be standing and looking on. (69) The earth shall shine with the light of its Lord, and the Scroll (of deeds) shall be set in place, and the Prophets and all witnesses shall be brought, and judgement shall be justly passed among them, and they shall not be wronged; (70) and everyone shall be paid in full for all that he did. Allah is best aware of all that they do.
قُلۡ اَفَغَيۡرَ اللّٰهِ تَاۡمُرُوۡٓنِّىۡۤ اَعۡبُدُ اَيُّهَا الۡجٰـهِلُوۡنَ
وَلَـقَدۡ اُوۡحِىَ اِلَيۡكَ وَاِلَى الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَۚ لَـئِنۡ اَشۡرَكۡتَ لَيَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ
بَلِ اللّٰهَ فَاعۡبُدۡ وَكُنۡ مِّنَ الشّٰكِرِيۡنَ
وَمَا قَدَرُوْا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهٖ ۖ وَالۡاَرۡضُ جَمِيۡعًا قَبۡضَتُهٗ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ وَالسَّمٰوٰتُ مَطۡوِيّٰتٌۢ بِيَمِيۡنِهٖ ؕ سُبۡحٰنَهٗ وَتَعٰلٰى عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُوۡنَ
وَنُفِخَ فِى الصُّوۡرِ فَصَعِقَ مَنۡ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا مَنۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ ؕ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيۡهِ اُخۡرٰى فَاِذَا هُمۡ قِيَامٌ يَّنۡظُرُوۡنَ
وَاَشۡرَقَتِ الۡاَرۡضُ بِنُوۡرِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ الۡكِتٰبُ وَجِآىْ ئَ بِالنَّبِيّٖنَ وَالشُّهَدَآءِ وَقُضِىَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ بِالۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُوۡنَ
وَوُفِّيَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتۡ وَهُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ
He would always recite that final verse as if almost out of breath: “…and everyone shall be paid in full for all that he did. Allah is best aware of all that they do.”
Like us all, Ali Subhan was not perfect. What I know is that he was a man committed to Islam and committed to learning “from the cradle to the grave” as he would always remind us. He was a man of great physical vitality and strong will, even in his later years. He was not a scholar and kept things as basic as they could be. He was very charitable with his time and the knowledge he was given and gave all that he had to everyone who was willing to come spend time with him.
In July, Sister Saida Abdul-Aziz an old friend of Sheikh Ali Subhan, a registered nurse, and the wife of my teacher Shaykh Anwar Muhaimin, contacted me to inform me that Ali’s health had begun to deteriorate quickly. As soon as I could, I called to talk to him. Unfortunately, his hearing was so bad that it was extremely difficult to know for certain if he really understood me. His memory was deteriorating quickly too. So, in order to remind him of who I was I sent him a picture. Once he saw it, he became very excited. I knew then that he was aware of who he was talking to. Today, he returned to his Lord. Ali Subhan lived a happy, comfortable, productive, and fulfilled life. He loved to say, “Subhanallah!” According to Sister Saida, today he woke up from his nap, said “Alhamdulillah”, and then breathed his final breath. This sounds like one who was relieved to be leaving this world. May it be the same for us all when our time comes. May Allah accept him into His graces. And may we all take lessons from our elders and benefit from those who remain with us while we can.