A Prayer for My Father

Baba,

I sit here by your side,

watching you sleep in silence,

and I pray.

I pray you can hear me, somehow —

feel my hand in yours,

feel my heart aching for you.

You were always my protector,

my shelter,

my quiet, unwavering strength.

You gave me love without asking for anything in return.

You gave me a home inside your heart.

And now, I give you all the love I have.

I pour it into the space between us,

hoping it finds its way to you.

I miss you, Baba.

I miss the sound of your voice,

the way your eyes lit up when you smiled,

the way you made the world feel safe just by being in it.

Please, come back to us.

Please, find your way through the darkness.

Please, fight your way back to life,

to laughter,

to light.

But if you are tired, Baba —

if you are too tired to stay —

then know this:

I love you beyond this life.

I will carry you in my every breath,

in every step I take,

in every dream I chase.

You are a part of me forever.

Your love is stitched into my soul.

Ya Allah,

wrap my father in Your mercy,

ease his pain,

grant him strength,

or grant him peace —

whatever is better for him.

I leave him in Your hands,

but I will never let go of him in my heart.

Ameen.