A Call to the Dead!

Osman Hamed Salim

To all the newly deceased, those departing from the bliss of the world, especially those for whom access to the Ahmed Afandi Sharfi or Al-Bakri cemeteries has become difficult.

Abu Habib calls you; come, even without shrouds!

Come, for the ancient abode opens its doors to receive you, and the residents of the place of the shrine, which is on the verge of disappearance after its paths were penetrated, trampled upon by the feet of passersby. It was almost turned into a track for the daily walking marathons of children heading to markets and other pastures.

They violated the sanctity of the ancient cemetery! They are no longer alarmed by the idea of graves that have been erased, some of which have been opened by the recent rains, with water engulfing the remnants of bones, mixing them with the red earth and clay that adorn the place with a grayish coat relentlessly!

Some tales say, Abu Habib was a sheikh of his clan, who hailed from Darfur, and he died in the early stages of the march towards Khartoum. It is also said that he was the leader of a military unit, the head of a hundred, who died from his wounds as one of the men of the famous Kerei Battle. Some say otherwise, but he was a well-known boat captain for the people of both banks, bringing goods up and down the river on regular trips, except that in a twist of fate, he drowned along with his companions from the Nawutiya while navigating the unpredictable waters at dawn, and by the time they reached Wad Ab Rawaf area, which would later be named after the famous leader, they recovered some of the drowned bodies. They retrieved some of them by various means and limited resources of that time. They buried them in that spot, in that place.

Now, those ancient noble dead have made room, those who were brought by the waves of the Nile after the tempest had subsided. They have made space for the dead of foolishness and senseless war!

The worst thing about death is humiliation and insignificance, especially the gnawing of human flesh by the fangs of hungry dogs.

What terrifies the displaced and those who left their homes to the looters and thieves is the transformation of those beloved homes into graves and dwellings for the dear departed.

Hence came the wisdom of the refuge of Abu Habib - peace be upon him - in their long slumber, which was disturbed by the commotion of the jackals and the crowding of the naked and tattered bodies, as well as the scattered garments and limbs.