Bismil
Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Assalaamu
alaikum wa rahmatul Laahi wa barkaatuh
I
pray that you are all doing excellent, alhamdu lil Laah. May Allah subhaanahu
wa ta’aalaa continue to reward you bountifully for tirelessly reading each of my
articles. May Allah favour all of us with the best of His rewards. Aameen.
Today
is one of such days when the word I hear most is; ‘Death.’ Oh yes! These days,
it is one of my most popular words actually. I guess you too. This article was
inspired by that fact and also by some photos I saw posted by Sheikh Ahmed
Nazir on facebook.
We
do need to do some pondering in order to take caution. So I am coming to tell
you about some encounter…
The Encounter
He
was a young man full of energy. (I’m telling you a story, ok). One day, he got
dressed up for work. As neat a guy as he was, he wore his black jalbab well-ironed
and sleepers well-polished. Plus he added a hulla (Is it a cap they say) to it.
He
went to sit in his sleek car and drove off. He parked his car at the entrance
of his work place and wanted to buy something nearby. Unfortunately for him, a
man carrying a pan of soil bumped into him and some of the sand poured on his
jalbab.
Awwwccchhh!
Just imagine that! How could he be all ‘soil’ at work? The frown on his face
was enough to make the Soil Carrier’s stomach rumble.
‘Why don’t you look straight when you
are walking? See what you have done to my jalbab (he starting dusting it off
with his neatly ironed handkerchief). You’ve made me dirty all over.’
He
said angrily.
The
Soil Carrier was definitely not happy about what he had done to this young man
so he apologized.
‘I am sorry my brother. I would never
do that to you intentionally. Do forgive me and Allah would reward you
bountifully.’
Our
neat guy was touched and he regretted being angry. Of course he was a good
Muslim but he doesn’t play with his neat appearance at all. He never meant to
sound rude to the Soil Carrier anyway.
‘I’m so sorry for letting this get at
me. I should be the one asking for forgiveness. I just don’t like getting dirty
that is all. We are brothers so let’s forgive each other.’
He
said regretfully.
So,
they sorted themselves out and our neat guy crossed the street to the other
side to get his ‘object of interest.’ Our Soil Carrier stood at a corner
admiring this young Muslim gentleman and his kindness.
As
our neat guy crossed the road to get to work, he was knocked down by a car. A
fatal accident. Our Soil Carrier had rushed to the scene in shock and together
with others, they had taken our neat guy to the hospital.
As
the guy’s family and others waited, they were given the sad news: He was dead.
The Soil Carrier had various thoughts going through his mind just as you would
have had, had you been the one who witnessed all of that.
The Burial
So
many people had come for the burial of this young man. He was indeed a good
guy. Forefront was our Soil Carrier. He had asked for all the information
concerning the neat guy’s burial and he had been told. He tried so much to be
part of his prayers and then he made sure he was right by the grave where his
friend was going to be laid finally.
The
dead body was wrapped in pure white and smelling good and all ready to be
lifted and buried. Our Soil Carrier had felt a little happy that his neat
friend was really looking neat and smelling good just like he loved to be
whilst he lived.
As
they lifted him and were about to lower him into the grave, our Soil Carrier
almost pulled his hands out to stop them. He was looking into the grave and
wondering to himself;
‘How could they put such a neat guy in
this hole that is full of soil?’
Besides,
he wasn’t wearing black today; he was in pure white.
So,
they did lower him into the grave and a tear had fallen off the Soil Carrier’s
face. The pain came from deep within. Worse of it all, the beloved father of the
deceased whose sorrow was written all over his face, had taken the shovel and
fetched some soil and poured it on the deceased.
The
Soil Carrier screamed within in deep sorrow. Soon everyone was rushing to pour
his part of the soil and the grave was covered and everything was done and
everyone left.
He Remains Behind
Our
Soil Carrier still stood by the grave quietly. So many thoughts were going
through his mind. So he began to talk sorrowfully to no one in particular. May
be it was you and I he was talking to. What was he saying?
Oh my brother in Islam
You really loved to be neat and tidy
in this Dunya
You hated to be dirty
My soil infuriated you
But you let your
Islam overshadow your anger
Tears
began to flow down his cheeks as he spoke. It was to him like a dream. What was
Allah, our Creator, trying to tell him by making him encounter the neat Muslim
brother? He continued talking.
Look at you today my brother
They had indeed kept you as neat as
you would have loved to be
They bath you excellently
They perfumed you like a king
Yet… yet…yet… (He began to cry)
Yet they put you in this soil, this
very dirty soil
Why didn’t you scream at them and
stop them?
I wanted to do it for you but I
couldn’t
And then look at what your dear
father had done
He soiled your white dress with this
soil
And everyone did the same
Yet, my brother!
Why didn’t you stop
them?
He
stood there for a while and then he did series of du’a for him and then he
left. As he was walking, he said to himself;
‘I wasn’t really talking to you my
brother in Islam, I was only warning myself because soon, I will be there too.’
That
was an imagination of mine. Now this is reality…
Reality
So,
a few weeks after my dad’s demise (may Allah shower an abundance of His
abundant rahma on him, aameen), some of my siblings and I went to do ziyara at
his grave. As I stood there whilst a big bro of mine prayed for him, my mind
began to wonder;
‘Was this really my father who’s now
in the bosom of the soil? The man who had loved to look good always?’
Then
I advised myself (and indeed, advise must always begin with yourself and no one
else) and I keep advising myself.
‘Rubaba, someday, you’ll be gone so
use the opportunity you have now to worship Allah.’
I
pray I heed to that advice and you do the same.
Are You Reflecting?
So,
what would you have done had you been our neat guy who had been soiled by
another? Would you have quickly thought that of course someday it is in the
same soil that you will go so there is really no need to be angry? Or would you
have kept screaming at the Soil Carrier like he had committed murder? Be honest
with yourself and take caution.
What
does this story teach you? Would you let it stay with you forever so that you
will always remember where you are going? Well, I don’t need the answers; You
Do! And I would definitely answer to myself as well.
May
we be among those who ponder. May Allah make us among those whom He favours.
May we be able to fulfill the purpose of our lives which is solely to worship
Allah. Aameen thumma aameen.
And
do not ever forget that Rubaba will always love you fiisabi lil Laah and if you
love her for the same reason, then may Allah love you and Rubaba even more.
Aameen.
Jazaakumul Laahu khairan always!!!
Islam forever in shaa Allah!!!
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatul Laah!!!
Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu
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