As usual there were some forward emails in my inbox today. One among those was powerful enough to catch my attention. The news header was “Blind old man uses rope to reach mosque”. After reading it,
I felt for sure that it has got a message for all of us, and that too it was simple.
An ageing blind Saudi man insists on walking all the way to mosque five times every day although he was deprived of his sight many years ago
His guide is just a rope, which he tied to the power pole next to the mosque entrance
The unidentified man was asked by village residents to pray at home, but he insists on going to the mosque every day, using the rope to find his way
A YouTube film showed the man, wearing the traditional Saudi gown and headgear, walking slowly, but with confident steps, until he reaches the mosque door, where another man happening to be going to pray led him inside the mosque
“God has deprived this old man from his eye sight but not from his perception and faith,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Al-Saudeh said
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/blind-old-man-uses-rope-to-reach-mosque-2013-01-06-1.489946
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In my humble opinion, this man is a classic example of the person narrated in the following hadith.
Abu Hurayrah said: A blind man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I do not have anyone to lead me to the mosque,” and he asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to grant him a concession allowing him to pray in his house. He granted him that concession, then when he turned to leave he called him back and said, “Can you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, ‘Then answer it.” (Muslim 653)
With the blessings of Allah SWT all our organs and limbs are healthy. Those who live in the western world like me are further blessed with climate-controlled automobiles. Almost all of us are living within the reachable distance of the masjid. (If it is otherwise, that by itself requires a serious consideration and is another topic). Are our priorities in correct order? Where does our daily congregational prayer visits to the masjid stand in that list? – are the questions that we need to pose ourselves before it is too late
I pray Allah SWT that He guides us in the straight path and bless us the right understanding of His Deen.
-Nooruddin
