In the autumn of 2016, our family experienced the profound intersection of endings and beginnings. On October 22nd, I stood with heavy heart as we laid my beloved father to rest. The earth was still fresh on his grave when, just eight days later on November 1st, a new light emerged in our family—baby Rayyan entered our world.
Cherished Memories
There is something deeply meaningful in this timing. As I returned home from burying my father, still wrapped in the raw emotions of final prayers and farewells, news of Rayyan's birth reached me. While I had been present to bid my father farewell, distance meant our relationship would be shaped by brief, precious encounters—once a year, sometimes even once in two years.
Yet in those rare moments when we were together, Rayyan's face would light up with a smile that illuminated my heart. There was a pure, unfiltered joy in his expression that seemed to transcend the time and distance between our meetings. Despite seeing me so rarely, he greeted me with a warmth that made the miles between us disappear.
I can still vividly remember how he loved playing with my hair—his small fingers curious and gentle. He would tug my hand when he wanted to go outside, a simple gesture that communicated more clearly than words ever could. These small, ordinary moments became extraordinary treasures that I carried with me across continents and time zones.
Final Moments Together
Our last time together was just four months before his passing, in January 2025, during our Umrah journey. Walking those sacred grounds with Rayyan, feeling his small hand in mine as he pulled me along to explore new sights—these memories are etched into my heart with perfect clarity. How could I have known those tugs on my hand would be among his final communications to me? That soon, those small fingers would no longer reach for mine?
Rayyan's name itself carried hope—meaning a gate of Paradise, one that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us is reserved for those who practice patience and devotion. How fitting that this child, who arrived as healing balm during our darkest hour, would carry such significance in his very identity.
Living with Cohen Syndrome
When news came in August 2017 that Rayyan was born with Cohen syndrome, it seemed another test of the resilience my brother's family had already demonstrated. Yet even with this diagnosis, Rayyan's joyful spirit remained undiminished. Though his mind would not develop beyond the age of three, his heart had a wisdom that many adults never achieve—the ability to find joy in simple things, to communicate love without words, to live fully in each moment.
Reflections
Today, as Rayyan rests in his final earthly home since May 18, 2025, I find solace in believing that perhaps my father was waiting to welcome him—that the grandfather and grandson who never met in this world have now embraced in the next. Two beloved souls, separated from us by the thin veil between worlds, but forever connected to our hearts.
For my brother and his wife, who experienced both the profound gift of Rayyan's daily presence and now the acute pain of his absence, I pray Allah grants them sabran jameel. Having welcomed their son in the shadow of losing a father, they now face another farewell that no parent should endure. May Allah ease their suffering and reward them abundantly for the love they gave, and may He reunite all of us—father, grandson, and those who loved them—in the gardens of Paradise.
Rayyan, though our moments together were few, each one was precious beyond measure. Your smile, your touch, your simple joy in being alive—these gifts remain with me always. Until we meet again, beyond all separations, beyond all pain, I will cherish every memory of your hand in mine, guiding me forward just as you now guide us toward greater patience and faith.
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
(To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.)
I pray fervently that no parent ever has to face the test of losing a child—a pain so profound it seems to defy the natural order of life itself. In Rayyan's memory, I pledge to help create awareness about genetic disorders and the importance of pre-screening. I commit to supporting research for Cohen syndrome, so that other families might have more resources, more understanding, and more hope for their precious children. Perhaps this is how Rayyan continues to teach us—by inspiring actions that might spare others similar pain, or at the very least, help them feel less alone in their journey. Though his time with us was brief, his impact can extend far beyond the years he was given, touching lives he never met through advances in research that bear the invisible imprint of his story.
If you would like to honor Rayyan's memory by supporting research into rare diseases like Cohen syndrome, you can contribute to our fundraiser:
Support Rare Disease Research in Rayyan's MemoryAll donations go to rarediseases.org, an organization dedicated to helping families affected by rare diseases.
