No one was safe from my mockery…

This is the  true story about a man named Rashid. He very emotionally tells his story as follows…

I was not more than thirty years old when my wife gave birth to our first child. I still remember that night…

I stayed out all night 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 backbiting and mockery, even my friends; some people started avoiding me just to be safe from my tongue! I remember on that night I had made fun of a blind man who I seen begging in the market – what was worse, I had put my foot out in front of him… he tripped, fell, and started turning his head around not knowing what to say.

I went back to my house late as usual, and found my wife waiting for me… she was in a terrible state, and said in a quivering voice, “Rashid…where were you?”

“Where would I be, on mars?” I said sarcastically… ‘With my friends of course.’

She was visibly exhausted and holding back tears, she said: “Rashid, I’m so tired. It seems that the baby is going to come soon.” A silent tear fell on her cheek.

I felt that I had neglected my wife. I should have taken care of her and not stayed out all these nights especially since she was in her 9^th month.

I quickly took her to the hospital; she went into the delivery room and suffered through the long hours of pain. I waited patiently for her to give birth, but her delivery was difficult, I waited a long time until I got tired, so I went home and left my number with the hospital so that they could call with the good news. So they called to congratulate me on the birth of Salem. As soon as they saw me at the hospital, they asked me to go see the doctor who had overlooked my wife’s delivery.

“What doctor?” I cried out, “I just want to see my son Salem!”

First go and see the doctor, they said. So I went and she (the doctor) started talking to me with sadness. 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 in the market, which I tripped over and made others laugh at. SubhanAllah, you get what you give!

My wife wasn’t sad. She believed in the decree of ALLAH, she was content.

How often she advised me to stop mocking others! No, she did not call it mocking… she called it backbiting and she had all the right.

In reality I didn’t pay much attention to Salem. I pretended that he wasn’t in the home with us. When he started crying loudly, I’d leave to the living room to sleep there.

My wife took care of him and loved him dearly. As for myself, I didn’t hate him but I couldn’t love him either. My wife celebrated when he started to crawl. When he was almost two years old, he started trying to walk and we discovered that he was (also) crippled.

The more I would stay away from him, the more my wife would love and care for him – even after the birth of Umar and Khalid.

The years passed…….

With the group of friends I had, I was like a toy at their disposal (entertaining them whenever they wanted). In reality I thought the other way around.

My wife never gave up hope on me reforming; she always made dua for my guidance. She never got angry at my reckless behavior… but would become really sad if she saw me neglecting Salem and paying attention to his brothers! 

Salem grew. And I didn’t mind when my wife asked to enroll to a special school for the handicapped. I didn’t really feel the passing of the years. My days were all the same – working, sleeping, eating and hanging out with my friends

Until that day…. Friday, I woke up at 11am. This was early for me. I was invited to a gathering, so I got dressed, perfumed and was ready to go out. As I passed by on my way out, 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 see what’s bothering him?     

I said No, how can I leave him in this condition? So I asked:  “Salem! Why are you crying?” when he heard my voice, he stopped crying and he started feeling around him. “What is wrong with him?” I thought… I discovered that he was trying to move away from me!!! It was like as if he was saying, ‘now, you’ve decided to notice me? Where were you for the past ten years?”

I followed him – He went into his room. At first he refused to tell me why he had been crying. I tried to be gentle with him but I knew what was wrong…

His brother Umar, the one who used to take him to the masjid was late and because it was jum’ah prayer Salem was afraid he wouldn’t find a place in the first row – He called for his mother, but nobody answered. I put my hand over his mouth to say, ‘is this why you were crying, Salem?” oh Salem!

I don’t know what made me say this, “Salem don’t 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’m going to take you.” Salem was shocked he couldn’t believe it. He thought I was mocking him, his tears came and he started crying again. I wiped his tears with my hand then took hold of his hand; I wanted to take him by car. He refused and said, “father, the masjid is near. I want to walk there for every step I take is rewarded!” I couldn’t remember the last time I had entered the masjid… or the last time I made Sajdah. I was the first time that I ever felt fear and regret! Regret for what I’d neglected in the long years that had passed. The masjid was filled with worshippers but I still found place for Salem in the first row. We listened to the jum’ah khutbah together and, and I prayed next to him. After the prayer Salem asked me for a Qur’an. I was surprised, how was he going to read the Qur’an when He was blind? I almost ignored his request, but I decided to humor him out of fear of hurting his feeling. So I did it. He asked me to open the Qur’an to surah al-kahf. I did what he wanted; he took the Quran from me, put it 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 Qur’an and I felt my limbs tremble…I read and I read, and I asked Allah to forgive and guide me. This time I was the one crying. I cried out of sadness and regret for what I had wasted. The only thing I felt was a small hand reaching out to my face and wiping the tears away. It was Salem wiping away my tears!

Later we went back home. My wife was extremely worried about Salem, but her worry turned into tears of joy when she found out that I had prayed jum’ah with Salem. From that day on, I never missed the congregational prayer in the masjid. I left my bad friends and made righteous friends among the people I met in the masjid. I tasted the sweetness of imaan with them and I learned from them things which distracted me from the world. I never missed out on gatherings of remembrance (halqah’s)… or the witr prayer. I would recite the entire Quran several times in one month. And I was the same person that left it (the Quran) for years! I moistened my tongue with the remembrance of Allah, so that He might forgive my backbiting and mocking of people.

I felt closer to my family. The looks of fear and pity that had occupied my wife’s eyes disappeared. And a smile now never parted from the face of my son Salem, anyone who saw him would think that he owned the world and everything in it! I praised and thanked Allah a lot for his blessings.

One day, my righteous friends decided to travel far for da’wah. I hesitated about going with so I prayed istikhaarah and consulted with my wife, I thought she would refuse, but the opposite happened! She was extremely happy, and even encouraged me… I went to Salem and told him I would be travelling. He wrapped me up in his small arms and wallahi, if he could’ve he would’ve kissed my head. After that I put my trust in Allah, began with the process and Alhamdulillah everything went well. I was away from home for three and a half months. In that period, whenever I got 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 the masjid whenever I called home. Whenever I spoke to my wife, I would tell her to kiss him and give him my salaams… she would laugh happily, joyfully, except for the last time I called her… I didn’t hear her expected laugh and her voice changed. I said to her, “Give my salaams to Salem,” and she just replied “Insha-Allah”.

At last I went back home. I knocked on the door and hoped it was Salem who would open for me but I was surprised to find my son Khalid, who was not more than four years old. 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. I approached my wife; there was something that had changed in her. I inspected her closely then noticed it was the look of sadness which she had 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 and didn’t answer. At that moment I heard the sound of my son Khalid… a sound that still rings in my ears to this day. He said: “Baba, Salem went to paradise with Allah.” Salem went to paradise with Allah! My wife couldn’t take it; she broke down crying and left the room.

Later on 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 were trials and tests from Allah, The glorified and exalted.

I still feel his hand wiping my tears and his hand wrapped around me. How sad did I become for Salem, the blind, crippled one. He was not blind! But I was the blind one, when I befriended a company of bad friends… 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 once abstained from – now I discovered that I loved him even more than his brothers! I cried a lot… and to this day I am still sad! How can I not be sad? For my guidance was through his hands! [Allah guided Rashid through Salem]. HOW CAN I NOT BE SAD? My guidance was through his hands! “O Allah accept from Salem through your mercy!” “O Allah accept Salem through your mercy!”

Source: Unknown
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.co.za