It’s
about Muslim man named Rashid. He
Says. “I was not a practicing muslim, I had bad friends. I enjoyed going out with them. I was almost never home, but
always at gatherings with friends, in these gatherings we backbited, gossiped
and made fun of ppl. I was especially known among my friends to make jokes and
ppl were impressed by the way I was so good at it.
One night (at the time I was 30 and married and my wife was
pregnant with our 1st child) I was as usual gathered with my friends and
talking useless talk. I was telling them how I was at the market one day and I
saw a blind man and I put my leg out in front of this man and the blind man
tripped and fell on his face. My friends laughed and so on. When I went back
home that night, my wife told me ‘were have u been?’ ‘I am so tired and sick
and I think I am in labor.’ A tear dropped down her cheek. I felt guilty, for I
hadn’t cared about my wife properly. I quickly took her to the hospital. She
was in pain for a long time and could not give birth, I waited patiently, but
eventually I left and told the hospital to call me when she gave birth. An hour
later, they called telling me my wife had given birth to baby boy named Salem.
I quickly went to the hospital. I askedwhich room my wife was in.They told me I
1st had to see the doctor. I got mad at them and said “What doctor? I want to
see my son!?!” they insisted that I see the doctor first. So I went to the
doctor, she first talked to me about calamities and that one must accept the
will (qadar) of Allah.
Then she told me, ‘your son is blind!’ My lowered my head and
remembered the blind man I tripped and made fun of. I didn’t know what to say,
I thanked the doctor for her kindness and went to see my wife. My wife was not
sad, rather she accepted the will of Allah (swt). She had always advised me not
to make fun of ppl and not to gossip and backbite. We left the hospital. I did
not care about Salem, I did not like him, I pretended that he wasn’t even in
the house. But, my wife loved Salem very much and cared for him.
Salem grew and he began to crawl, he wasn’t crawling properly.
When he began to walk, we discovered that he was handicapped. This was too much
for me. Later, my wife gave birth to 2 boys, Omar and Khalid.
Years passed, salem and his brothers grew. I continued to hang
out with my bad friends and did not like to be at home. However, my wife was
patient with me and she always made Dua that Allah guide me.
One Friday, I woke up at 11 am (which was early for me) and was
getting ready to go to a walimah (I did not go to Jummah). I got dressed, put
on 3tter, and was about to head out the door when I saw Salem (who was 10 yrs
old) crying very loudly in the living room. So, for the first time in 10 years
I cared and went to ask him why he was crying. When salem felt me coming near,
he stopped crying and pushed me away as if to say, “Now you care, where were
you for the past 10 yrs!”
Salem
was calling his mother and brothers, but no one was answering him, so he went
to his room. I followed him. At first, he would not tell me why he was
crying.Do you know why he was crying? His brother Omar, who normally took him
to the masjid, was late.
Salem was afraid that since it was a Friday, he would not be able to get a spot
in the front row at the mosque. I said, “is that why you cried salem?” salem
answered positively.
I, out
of disbelief from what I heard, forgot about my friends and the walimah. I then
told salem that I would take him to the mosque. Salem could not believe what he
had heard. He thought his father was mocking him. He then began to cry. I wiped
salem’s tears and took him by his hand to take him to the car. Salem refused.
He said the mosque is near, and he wants to walk there by foot. I could not remember the last time he went to the mosque. The mosque was full, but I
was able to find a spot for salem in the first row. After prayer was over,
salem asked me to get him copy of the Quran. I thought, ‘how can he want a
Quran if he is blind!!!!’ so I gave him one anyway so that his feelings would
not be hurt.
Salem then asked me to open to surat al-kahf. So when I opened
it for him, salem began to recite. He had memorized the entire surah. I felt
embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I took a Quran and began to read. I asked
Allah for forgiveness and guidance. I then began to sob like a child. There
were still people in the mosque, so I tried to hide my tears. I couldn’t. I
began to sob loudly.
I felt a small hand wiping his tears away. It was salem. He
hugged me and I thought, ‘you aren’t the blind one, for I am, because I ran
after the evil people who would drag me into hell-fire.’From that day on I
never missed a prayer at the mosque. My wife was really happy.
I left all my bad friends and tasted the sweetness of eman. I
went to halaqas. I became closer to Allah and to my family. I thanked Allah for
this great blessing. One day my pious friends decided to go to a far away place
to make dawah. I hesitated about going, I made istikharah and asked my wife, to
my surprise she encouraged me to go. She was so happy, for before I used to
travel w/o asking her. I told Salem that I would be traveling, he hugged me
with his tiny arms, bidding me farewell.I was away for 3 months and I would
call my family and I missed them greatly, especially Salem. Whenever, I called
I would ask for him but he was either at school or the mosque.
Everytime I told my wife how much I missed him, she would laugh
cheerfully. Except for the last call, she did not laugh but her voice had
changed. I told her to say salam to Salem and she said “Insha Allah” and was
quiet.
I finally came back home and hoped Salem would open the door for
me, but Khaled did. Then I saw my wife, her face had changed. I asked her
“what’s wrong?” she replied “nothing.” Then I remembered Salem, and asked
“where is he?” My wife lowered her head and did not answer. A tear dropped down
her cheek. I screamed at her, “where’s Salem, where is he?’”
My son Khaled (4 yrs old), said “Daddy, Thalem went to Jannah,
he is with Allah.” My wife could not handle it and she broke down in tears and
left the room. I found out later that Salem had got sick with a fever and went
to hospital 2 weeks before I arrived. The fever worsened and his mother stayed
by his side and until his soul departed his body.”
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