Jawad Sarji

The covenant we enter with Allah SWT when we are entrusted with our children is one bound by a term, we do not command. From the very first breath, we know the trust is sacred and its duration known only to the One who owns all souls. And when that lease is lifted, the rightful Owner reclaims what was always His. We accept this covenant knowing our time is borrowed, yet we welcome it with overflowing love and joy. And because the span of that trust rests beyond our reach, we submit to the wisdom of Allah SWT, the All-Knowing, who perceives what our hearts cannot comprehend.

With heavy hearts and complete submission to Allah’s will, we announce that Jawad Sarji returned to his Creator on Thursday, December 4, 2025. Jawad was born on July 22, 2018, to Mohamed El-Sarji and Marwa Soboh, who felt their world expand the moment he arrived. From his first breath, he carried a presence far larger than his small frame, a bright and tender spirit that filled every corner of their home. As the firstborn, he led with love, embracing his role as big brother to Ameer and Malika with pride and gentleness. Jawad’s pure heart and radiant joy touched everyone blessed to know him. And while his parents’ love for him is eternal, their loss is a sorrow only Allah SWT can soothe, a grief as deep as the love that shaped his short, beautiful life.

To all who knew him, Jawad was a true ray of sunshine. His smile was always waiting, so wide and so sincere it engulfed his entire face, radiating from deep within his little soul. He showed up with a presence so undeniable, and charisma so magnetic that he drew in everyone around him. To know Jawad was simply to love him. It was as if he arrived with a quiet knowing that his time on this earth would be brief. This creative, intelligent, kind, and loving boy never wasted a moment. He lived with an intensity and joy that made every second count, packing more life into a heartbeat than most could gather in a year. Filled with endless wonder, he saw possibility everywhere. Where others saw scattered pieces, he saw a LEGO masterpiece. Where others saw a blank page, he saw art waiting to be born. Where others felt time passing, he felt opportunity calling. There was no activity he didn’t embrace wholeheartedly. LEGO building, drawing, soccer, taekwondo, swimming, reading, whatever sparked his curiosity, he pursued with fierce devotion, soaking up knowledge and mastering every interest that captured his bright mind. He found deep joy in nature and the outdoors, in the open spaces that could hold his boundless energy and imagination.

Jawad was a consummate collector, gathering rocks big and small, and sometimes even boulders. Emptying his pockets was a daily ritual, each stone carefully lined up and admired. Even when told no more rocks, he simply couldn’t resist. Once, he found a beautiful, heavy stone, slipped it into his backpack, and then sweetly asked his dad to carry it home. The sly grin on his face as his father complained about the weight, only to discover he’d been tricked into carrying the contraband, was pure Jawad.

Jawad was, first and foremost, a humble servant of Allah and a faithful observer of Islam. He lived his faith not only in words, but in the way he loved his family, respected his parents, and protected his younger siblings. Even as a young child, he carried a visceral understanding of the sacrifices of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. It is the knowledge that he is now held in their embrace that brings the faintest thread of comfort to the shattered hearts of his parents.

Jawad was a loving son, mischievous and silly in the most beautiful ways. Playful, inquisitive, always listening, always learning. He had a gift for negotiation, especially when asking for one more minute of play or one more moment of TV. Strong-willed yet dutiful, he was a child shaped by love, and a source of endless pride and joy. He was a devoted big brother to his shadow, Ameer, and to his princess, Malika, leaving behind cards and notes that expressed his love, pride, and gentle heart. A testament to the bond between the two brothers was seen this past school year in the small ritual they created: every day at recess, they would meet at the fence dividing their grades, reaching through the fence to talk and play. One day, Ameer was disappointed when Jawad didn’t make it out for recess, so Ameer tucked his name tag into the fence, hoping Jawad would find it and know he had been waiting for him. Jawad beamed with love for his baby sister, Malika. They were two hearts sharing one soul. She carries his features and smiles when she hears his name. How blessed she is to have a guardian angel who will watch over her with the same fierce devotion he showed when he held her in his arms. Her smile, wide and radiant like her brother’s, engulfs her entire face. It is a forever reminder of the other half of her heart, Jawad’s light living on within her.

Jawad leaves a crater in the hearts of his cousins, Hadi and Husayn in Ottawa, and his army of cousins in Calgary: Ali, Maria, Kasem, Marcella, Ali Haydar, and Fatima Zahraa, along with the many second cousins who adored him and cherished his friendship. Jawad lived for his trips to Calgary, for the cousin gatherings, the birthday celebrations, the joyful pilgrimages to Calaway Park. Each visit was a collection of moments carefully saved, stitched together so the whole gang could be close again. And now, the mandatory cousin photo will forever carry a space, missing the light that was its crowning piece. The hearts of his aunts and uncles, Hamza, Lubna, and Karim of Ottawa, and Mona, Hussein, and Mohamad of Calgary are forever broken. To them, Jawad was not only a nephew but a son, a light woven into the fabric of their lives. And for his Jedo and Teta Ali and Nabila, of Ottawa the loss is immeasurable. Jawad was their first grandchild, utterly irreplaceable. The building projects they planned together now rest in permanent pause. The sound of his pitter patter trailing behind his Jedo in the garden will forever echo in their hearts. The memory of his love of Teta’s scrambled eggs, reminiscent of the love language between a grandson and his Teta. For his Jedo and Teta, Ali and Amal of Calgary, lovingly called Teta and Jedo Buddy, their home and acreage will forever echo with his laughter, his mischief, and the trail of curious chaos he left behind. The green tractor Jawad loved so dearly was a constant reminder of the wondrous joy of this little boy. The hours of cooking and crafts with Teta Buddy, and the mutual love of cars with Jedo Buddy ensure his presence is indelibly etched into every corner of their minds and every crevice of their home.

And as a friend, he offered true, unfettered companionship to Joshua, Carl, Mark, Jude, Micah, Fatima, Zahraa, Alex, Kingston, and so many more. To all of you who loved him, Jawad’s family thanks you for the joy, friendship, and kindness you shared with him.

May his beautiful spirit continue to give you strength If this precious soul taught us anything, it was the power of a smile. A simple remedy for whatever ails the heart. Jawad showed us that a smile does not heal only the one who wears it, but everyone fortunate enough to witness it. He was gifted in so many ways, but resisting a smile was never one of them. Even when he tried, he could not last more than a few seconds without breaking into that radiant grin. His record will forever remain at two seconds. May his beautiful, brilliant smile illuminate the highest levels of Jannah, where he is surrounded by those who passed before him and held safely in the arms of the Prophets and the Imams. His innocence and his awe for the simple things we often overlook are what defined him. A bird, a bug, a pile of dirt, a smooth or jagged stone, everything held wonder. He was always constructing and deconstructing, exploring the hidden potential in the world around him. Whatever he was given, he treasured. He understood, even as a child, that it was never about the object itself. It was about the love it represented. To his family, Jawad was known as the gentle giant, described by his Jedo Buddy as relentless in his pursuit of leaving no stone unturned, no mystery unexplored, and most of all no person feeling unseen or unloved.

The family expresses profound gratitude to EMS, Queensway Carleton Hospital medical staff, Ottawa Police, paramedics, and firefighters who fought valiantly to save him. Your kindness will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Education Foundation of Ottawa (EFO) in support of learning, something deeply loved by Jawad. May Allah SWT envelop our precious boy in eternal light, grant him the highest stations in Jannah, and give patience to all who grieve his loss. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Indeed, to Allah we belong, and indeed, to Him we shall return. (Quran 2:156)