SyeeqahStories

HOW CAN I NOT BE SAD?

Thursday, May 8, 2014 | 8:22 AM | 0 candies

HOW CAN I NOT BE SAD.

THIS IS A TRUE STORY ABOUT A MAN NAMED RASHED. HE TELLS HIS STORY AS FOLLOWS :

'' I WAS NOT MORE THAN 30 YEARS OLD WHEN MY WIFE GAVE BIRTH TO OUR FIRST CHILD, I STILL REMEMBER THAT NIGHT. I STAYED OUT ALL NIGHT LONG WITH MY FRIENDS, AS WAS MY HABIT. IT WAS A NIGHT FILLED WITH USELESS TALK. I REMEMBER I MADE THEM LAUGH A LOT ON THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT, I HAD AN AMAZING ABILITY TO IMITATE OTHERS. I COULD CHANGE THE SOUND OF MY VOICE UNTIL I SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THE PERSON I WAS MOCKING. NO ONE WAS SAFE FROM MY BITING MOCKERY, EVEN MY FRIENDS. SOME PEOPLE STARTED AVOIDING ME JUST TO BE SAFE FROM MY TONGUE! SHE WAS VISIBILY EXHAUSTED AND HOLDING BACK TEARS, SHE SAID : " RASHED, I'M SO TIRED. IT SEEMS THE BABY IS GOING TO COME SOON." A SILENT TEAR FELL ON HER CHEEK.

I REMEMBER ON THAT NIGHT, I HAD MADE FUN OF A BLIND MAN WHO I SAW BEGGING IN THE MARKET. WHAT WAS WORSE, I HAD PUT MY FOOT OUT IN FRONT OF HIM, HE TRIPPED AND FELL . SO I STARTED LAUGHING! I WENT BACK TO MY HOUSE LATE AS USUAL, AND I FOUND MY WIFE WAITING FOR ME. SHE WAS IN A TERRIBLE STATE, AND SAID IN A QUIVERING VOICE " RASHED...WHERE ARE YOU?" " WHERE WOULD I BE, ON MARS ? " I SAID SARCASTICALLY, " WITH MY FRIENDS OF COURSE " .

I FELT THAT I HAD NEGLECTED MY WIFE. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HER AND NOT STAYED OUT ALL THOSE NIGHTS ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE WAS IN HER 9TH MONTH . SHE SUFFERED THROUGH LONG HOURS OF PAIN. UNTIL MY SON SAW LIGHT. I WASN'T IN THE HOSPITAL WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH. I LEFT MY PHONE NUMBER WITH THEM SO THEY COULD CALL WITH NEWS. SO THE CALLED TO CONGRATULATE ME ON THE BIRTH OF SALEM.

WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY ASKED ME TO SEE THE DOCTOR . " WHAT DOCTOR? " I CRIED OUT, '' I JUST WANT TO SEE MY SON SALEM ! '' THEY REPLIED I SHOULD NECESSARILY SEE THE DOCTOR. I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT MY SON HAD A SERIOUS DEFORMITY IN HIS EYES AND IT SEEMED THAT HE HAD NO VISION. I REMEMBERED THAT BLIND MAN BEGGING, I SAID '' SUBHAN'ALLAH, YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE! '' . MY WIFE WASN'T SAD : SHE BELEIVED IN THE DECREE OF ALLAH, SHE WAS CONTENT. HOW OFTEN HAS SHE ADVISED ME TO STOP MOCKING OTHERS! NO SHE DID NOT CALL IT MOCKING BUT BACKBITING, AND SHE HAD ALL THE RIGHT.

IN REALITY, I DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO SALEM. I PRETENDED THAT HE WASN'T HOME WITH US. WHEN HE STARTED CRYING LOUDLY, I'D LEAVE TO THE LIVING ROOM TO SLEEP THERE. MY WIFE TOOK GOOD CARE OF HIM AND LOVED HIM DEARLY, WAIT, DON'T THINK I HATE HIM, I DONT! BUT I JUST COULDN'T LOVE HIM. MY WIFE CELEBRATED WHEN HE TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS. BUT WHEN HE WAS TWO YEARS OLD, WE DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS ALSO CRIPPLED! . THE MORE I'D STAY AWAY FROM HIM, THE MORE MY WIFE WOULD LOVE AND CARE FOR HIM. EVEN AFTER THE BIRTH OF UMAR BIN KHALID, YEARS PASSED. I WAS COMPLETELY WAYWARD, WORLDLY LIFE HAS DECEIVED ME, I WAS LIKE A TOY AT MY FRIENDS DISPOSAL . AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

MY WIFE NEVER GAVE UP ON MY RETURN, SHE ALWAYS MADE DUA FOR MY GUIDANCE. SHE NEVER GOT ANGRY WITH MY RECKLESS BEHAVIOR... NOR WITH MY NEGLETION TOWARDS SALEM, AS OPPOSED TO HIS BROTHERS . SALEM GREW, I DIDN'T MIND WHEN MY WIFE ASKED TO ENROLL HIM TO A SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR THE HANDICAPPED. I DIDN'T REALLY FEEL THE PASSING OF YEARS. MY DAYS WERE ALL THE SAME. WORKING, SLEEPING, EATING AND HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIENDS. UNTIL THAT DAY... IT WAS A FRIDAY, I WOKE UP AT 11 AM. THIS WAS EARLY FOR ME, I TOOK A SHOWER, I GOT DRESSED AND PERFUMED AND WAS ABOUT TO GO OUT. AS I PASSED BY, I WAS STARTLED BY THE SIGHT OF SALEM... HE WAS SOBBING! THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD NOTICED SALEM CRYING SINCE HE WAS A BABY. SHOULD I GO OUT OR SHOULD I SEE WHAT IS BOTHERING HIM? I SAID "NO!'' HOW CAN I LEAVE HIM IN THIS POSITION? WAS IT FOR CURIOSITY OR PITY? IT DOESN'T MATTER.

"SALEM! WHY ARE YOU CRYING? '' I ASKED. WHEN HE HEARED MY VOICE, HE STOPPED CRYING. HE STARTED FEELING AROUND HIM, " WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM? '' I WAS THINKING. I DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM ME! NOW, YOU'VE DECIDED TO NOTICE HIM? WHERE WERE YOU FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS ? " I FOLLOWED HIM. HE WENT TO HIS ROOM. AT FIRST HE REFUSED TO TELL ME WHY HE HAD BEEN CRYING. I INSISTED ON HIM, THEN I KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG. HIS BROTHER UMAR, THE ONE WHO USED TO TAKE HIM TO THE MASJID WAS LATE. AND BECAUSE IT WAS JUMUAH PRAYER, SALEM WAS AFRAID HE WOULDN'T FIND A PLACE IN THE FIRST ROW. HE CALLED OUT HIS MOTHER, BUT NOBODY ANSWERED.

I PUT MY HAND OVER HIS MOUTH AS IF I WAS SAYING " IS THIS WHY YOU WERE CRYING, SALEM? " THEN I CRIED '' O SALEM... I DONT KNOW WHAT MADE ME SAY THIS, "SALEM, DONT BE SAD... DO YOU KNOW WHO'S GOING TO TAKE YOU TO THE MASJID TODAY? '' UMAR OF COURSE'' HE SAID. '' I WISH I KNEW WHERE HE WENT'' : '' NO SALEM'' I SAID. '' I AM GOING TO TAKE YOU '' SALEM WAS SHOCKED, HE COULDN'T BELEIVE IT. HE THOUGHT I WAS MOCKING HIM. HE STARTED CRYING AGAIN . I WIPED HIS TEARS WITH MY HAND THEN TOOK HOLD OF HIS HAND. I WANTED TO TAKE HIM TO THE MASJID BY CAR, HE REFUSED AND SAID, " FATHER, THE MASJID IS NEAR, I WANT TO WALK THERE FOR EVERY STEP I TAKE IS ACCOUNTTED "

I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAD ENTERED THE MASJID, NOR THE LAST TIME I MADE PROSTRATION TO ALLAH! IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER FELT FEAR AND REGRET! REGRET OVER WHAT I NEGLECTED IN THE LONG YEARS THAT HAD PASSED. THE MASJID WAS FILLED WITH WORSHIPPERS, BUT I STILL FOUND A PLACE FOR SALEM IN THE FIRST ROW. WE LISTENED TO THE JUMUAH KHUTBAH TOGETHER, AND I PRAYED NEXT TO HIM. AFTER THE PRAYER, SALEM ASKED ME FOR A QURAN, I WAS SURPRISED. HOW IS HE GOING TO READ WHEN HE'S BLIND? THIS IS WAHT WAS IN MY MIND, BUT I COULDN'T TELL HIM OUT OF FEAR OF HURTING HIS FEELINGS. HE ASKED ME TO OPEN THE QURAN TO SURAT AL KAHF, I DID WHAT HE WANTED, HE PUT THE QURAN IN FRONT OF HIM AND STARTED READING THE SURAH!

YA ALLAH! HE HAD MEMORIZED THE WHOLE SURAH. I WAS ASHAMED OF MYSELF, I PICKED UP A QURAN. I FLET MY LIMBS TREMBLE... I READ AND I READ. AND I ASKED ALLAH TO FORGIVE ME AND GUIDE ME. THIS TIME I WAS THE ONE WHO CRIED. I CRIED OUT OF SADNESS AND REGRET OF WHAT I HAD WASTED. I FELT A SMALL HAND REACHING OUT TO MY FACE AND THEN WIPING MY TEARS AWAY. IT WAS SALEM. WIPING AWAY MY TEARS, AND TRYING TO EASE MY MIND! WE WENT BACK HOME. MY WIFE WAS EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT SALEM, BUT HER WORRY TURNED INTO TEARS OF JOY WHEN SHE FOUND OUT I HAD PRAYED JUMUAH WITH SALEM. FROM THAT DAY ON, I NEVER MISSED THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER IN THE MASJID. I LEFT MY BAD FRIENDS.. AND I MADE RIGHTEOUS FRIENDS AMONG PEOPLE I MET AT THE MASJID.

I TASTED THE SWEETNESS OF IMAN WITH THEM, I LEARNED THINGS FROM THEM THAT DISTRACTED ME FROM THIS WORLD. I NEVER MISSED OUT GATHERINGS OF REMEMBRANCE.. OR ON NIGHT PRAYER, I WOULD RECITE THE ENTIRE QURAN SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE MONTH. AND I WAS THE SAME PERSON THAT LEFT IT FOR YEARS. I MOISTENED MY TONGUE WITH THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH, THAT HE MIGHT FORGIVE MY BACKBITING AND MOCKING PEOPLE. I FELT CLOSER TO MY FAMILY, THE LOOKS OF FEAR AND PITY THAT HAD OCCUPIED MY WIFE'S EYES DISAPPEARED. A SMILE NOW NEVER LEAVES THE FACE OF MY SON, SALEM. ANYONE WHO SEES HIM WOULD FEEL, THAT HE OWNS THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT. I PRAISED AND THANKED ALLAH A LOT FOR HIS BLESSINGS.

ONE DAY, I DECIDED TO TRAVEL WITH MY RIGHTEOUS FRIENDS FOR DAWAH. I HESITATED ABOUT GOING. I PRAYED ISTIKHARAH, AND CONSULTED WITH MY WIFE. I THOUGHT SHE WOULD REFUSE, BUT THE OPPOSITE HAPPEND! SHE WAS EXTEMELY HAPPY, AND EVEN ENCOURAGED ME. WHEN I TOLD SALEM, HE WRAPPED ME UP IN HIS SMALL ARMS. AND BY ALLAH IF HE WAS TALL ENOUGH HE WOULD HAVE KISSED MY HEAD. AFTER THAT, I PUT MY TRUST IN ALLAH : BEGAN WITH THE PROCESS AND ALHAMDULI'ALLAH EVERYTHING WENT WELL . I WAS AWAY FROM HOME FOR THREE MONTHS, IN THAT PERIOD, WHENEVER I GOT A CHANCE I WOULD CALL MY WIFE AND SPEAK TO MY KIDS.

I MISSED THEM SO MUCH, AND OH HOW I MISSED SALEM! I WANTED TO HEAR HIS VOICE, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HADN'T TALKED TO ME SINCE I LEFT. HE WAS EITHER AT SCHOOL OR AT THE MASJID WHENEVER I CALLED HIM. WHENEVER I CALLED MY WIFE, I WOULD TELL HER TO KISS HIM AND TO GIVE HIM MY SALAM. SHE WOULD LAUGH HAPPILY. EXCEPT FOR THE LAST TIME I CALLED HER. I DIDN'T HEAR HER EXPECTED LAUGH, HER VOICE CHANGED. AND SHE SAID , " INSYA'ALLAH " . AT LAST I WENT BACK HOME. I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. I HOPED THAT IT WAS SALEM WHO WOULD OPEN UP FOR ME. BUT I WAS SUPRISED TO FIND MY SON KHALID, WHO WAS NOT MORE THAN 4 YEARS . I PICKED HIM UP IN MY ARMS WHILE HE SQUEALED, " BABA! BABA! " I DON'T KNOW WHY MY HEART TENSED WHEN I ENTERED HOME. I SOUGHT REFUGE IN ALLAH FROM THE ACCURSED SATAN. MY WIFE WAS HAPPY TO SEE ME, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING HAD CHANGED IN HER.

I INSPECTED HER CLOSELY THEN NOTICED IT WAS THE LOOK OF SADNESS SHE HAD ON YEARS AGO, IT WAS BACK ON HER FACE. '' WHAT'S BOTHERING YOU?'' ''NOTHING'' SHE REPLIED. SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED SALEM. ''WHERE'S SALEM?'' I ASKED. SHE LOWERED HER HEAD, SHE DIDN'T ANSWER. AT THAT MOMENT, I ONLY HEARED THE SOUND OF MY SON KHALID MADE... A SOUND THAT STILL RINGS IN MY EARS TILL THIS DAY. HE SAID : "BABA, SALEM WENT TO PARADISE WITH ALLAH'' MY WIFE COULDN'T TAKE IT, SHE BROKE DOWN CRYING AND LEFT THE ROOM. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT SALEM HAD CONTRACTED A FEVER TWO WEEKS BEFORE I RETURNED. SO MY WIFE TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL . THE FEVER BECAME MORE AND MORE SEVERE AND DIDN'T LEAVE HIM UNTIL HIS SOUL LEFT HIS BODY...

I FELT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WAS A TRIAL AND A TEST FROM ALLAH , THE GLORIFIED AND EXALTED. I STILL FEEL HIS HAND WIPING MY TEARS, AND HIS ARM WRAPPED AROUND ME. HOW SAD DID I BECOME FOR SALEM, THE BLIND CRIPPLED ONE. HE WAS NOT BLIND! I WAS THE BLIND ONE! AND SALEM WASN'T CRIPPLED FOR HE STOOD ON THE RIGHT PATH! I STILL REMEMBER WHAT HE USED TO SAY.. " VERILY ALLAH POSSESSES INFINITE MERCY " SALEM.. THE ONE WHOSE LOVE I WAS ONCE ABSTAINED FROM NOW I FOUND OUT I LOVE HIM EVEN MORE THAN HIS BROTHERS. I CRIED A LOT... AND I'M STILL SAD. HOW CAN I NOT BE SAD? FOR MY GUIDANCE WAS UPON HIS HANDS!

Labels: dawah

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