Tribute to Julie Soyanayala sister of Zaiboon Motala
Julie Sonyanayala - A Rose Garden. (Fill in date of birth and date of death)
The winter frost burnt the petals of the many rose trees and the sweet smell lingered on in the air and people still had the picture perfect image of that beautiful rose – ‘A rose by any name still smells so sweet’ harped the bard and so, late Julie Sonanayala is that rose whose memory will linger on.
Late Julie Sonyanayala has a history of cherished dreams built on adversities that made her a champion among the poor yet, a mother to a people. In 1954 Julie settled in Swaziland with her husband and began the noble work of caring for orphans, assisting the needy, helping the widows and establishing madrassahs for the poor – an effort steeped into the Sunnah of Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W). In the effort of enjoining in good, hundreds of people accepted Islam at her hands; boys became Hufaaz, studied abroad, became scholars of Deen and in the secular fields and the list seem endless. In the humble setting of her unsophisticated office in the supermarket she and her husband managed, she empowered ladies to cook, sew, read, and write and so much more that they became independent beings who would take that example of learning and teaching deeper into the rural dwellings of Swaziland and abroad.
The beauty of a rose garden is forever etched in the mind because it added beauty to its surroundings and filled the atmosphere with a scented aroma that calmed the nerves. Similarly, Julie added beauty to peoples’ lives and gave their lives a meaning – a kind of meaning that it inspired those around them so much so that the presence of greatness of being enlightened the heart. When you walked in the streets of Swaziland, people took her name with pride and felt her to be the mother of the poor and the pillar of strength for the down trodden – this mercy is from Allah. Just like the rose garden is remembered in winter, Julie Sonyanayala is still remembered with a sweetness of scented rose with soft dew drops caressing its every petal. As every rose petal falls by the command of Allah to caress the soil, the place of its birth from a thorny tree, so to did Julie Sonyanayala leave the world to meet Allah.
Sadly, Julie Sonyanayala fell to her calling unlike the rose petal that caressed the soil and dispensed its scent, she died a brutal death. She was killed by a boy she took under her wing when he was just three years old only to take her life when he was 19. Shocked and grief stricken family members, people of Swaziland and many others from many parts of the world could not believe the news on July 10 2006 but, accepted the fate as the divine plan of Allah. And so the petal fell to the ground save that blood was spilt and not beautiful scent but, Julie Sonyanayala was serving the Deen when that tragedy happened. And so again we say the petal fell to the ground but this time as a martyr whose very blood before it touches the ground invokes Allah’s forgiveness of all sins and therefore, Julie Sonyanayala's grave would envelope her with gentleness because it was now home to a petal that fell in cause of Allah, in whose Hands all decisions rests.
Julie Sonyanayala will be remembered for work she did among the poor and her example will be there for us to follow. Just like the rose petal that fell, there grew others to offer us the same beauty so unselfishly, there will be many from her gardens of orphans, roses that will spring forth and take humanity into new horizons of moral integrity in the name of Islam.
Her life showed the quality of what Muslims should be i.e.: Muslims have come to give and not to take for surely, the one that takes is not liked. Julie Sonyanayala gave all her life and she gave her life too for the cause. Therefore, we should take example from her and pray that Allah grant her Janatul Firdose and make us imitate her example for her example was Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W).
Julie Sonyanayala - A Rose Garden. (Fill in date of birth and date of death)
The winter frost burnt the petals of the many rose trees and the sweet smell lingered on in the air and people still had the picture perfect image of that beautiful rose – ‘A rose by any name still smells so sweet’ harped the bard and so, late Julie Sonanayala is that rose whose memory will linger on.
Late Julie Sonyanayala has a history of cherished dreams built on adversities that made her a champion among the poor yet, a mother to a people. In 1954 Julie settled in Swaziland with her husband and began the noble work of caring for orphans, assisting the needy, helping the widows and establishing madrassahs for the poor – an effort steeped into the Sunnah of Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W). In the effort of enjoining in good, hundreds of people accepted Islam at her hands; boys became Hufaaz, studied abroad, became scholars of Deen and in the secular fields and the list seem endless. In the humble setting of her unsophisticated office in the supermarket she and her husband managed, she empowered ladies to cook, sew, read, and write and so much more that they became independent beings who would take that example of learning and teaching deeper into the rural dwellings of Swaziland and abroad.
The beauty of a rose garden is forever etched in the mind because it added beauty to its surroundings and filled the atmosphere with a scented aroma that calmed the nerves. Similarly, Julie added beauty to peoples’ lives and gave their lives a meaning – a kind of meaning that it inspired those around them so much so that the presence of greatness of being enlightened the heart. When you walked in the streets of Swaziland, people took her name with pride and felt her to be the mother of the poor and the pillar of strength for the down trodden – this mercy is from Allah. Just like the rose garden is remembered in winter, Julie Sonyanayala is still remembered with a sweetness of scented rose with soft dew drops caressing its every petal. As every rose petal falls by the command of Allah to caress the soil, the place of its birth from a thorny tree, so to did Julie Sonyanayala leave the world to meet Allah.
Sadly, Julie Sonyanayala fell to her calling unlike the rose petal that caressed the soil and dispensed its scent, she died a brutal death. She was killed by a boy she took under her wing when he was just three years old only to take her life when he was 19. Shocked and grief stricken family members, people of Swaziland and many others from many parts of the world could not believe the news on July 10 2006 but, accepted the fate as the divine plan of Allah. And so the petal fell to the ground save that blood was spilt and not beautiful scent but, Julie Sonyanayala was serving the Deen when that tragedy happened. And so again we say the petal fell to the ground but this time as a martyr whose very blood before it touches the ground invokes Allah’s forgiveness of all sins and therefore, Julie Sonyanayala's grave would envelope her with gentleness because it was now home to a petal that fell in cause of Allah, in whose Hands all decisions rests.
Julie Sonyanayala will be remembered for work she did among the poor and her example will be there for us to follow. Just like the rose petal that fell, there grew others to offer us the same beauty so unselfishly, there will be many from her gardens of orphans, roses that will spring forth and take humanity into new horizons of moral integrity in the name of Islam.
Her life showed the quality of what Muslims should be i.e.: Muslims have come to give and not to take for surely, the one that takes is not liked. Julie Sonyanayala gave all her life and she gave her life too for the cause. Therefore, we should take example from her and pray that Allah grant her Janatul Firdose and make us imitate her example for her example was Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W).
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