Oblivious Blessings

He fidgeted uncomfortably on his seat as he nudged his elbow to discreetly push back the loop of a plastic tube that was sticking out from the side of his wheel-chair. I lowered my head and pretended to recheck my audio-recorder in order to give him time to adjust himself, without the embarrassment of being observed.

 Salim was a paraplegic i.e. he is paralyzed from waist down. I was meeting him for an interview to write about life on a wheel-chair, for a local newspaper. Before our scheduled interview, he had kindly sent me books & videos describing all the nitty-gritty details of this physical condition and the everyday challenges faced by people with paraplegia and quadriplegia. Therefore, I was aware of the purpose of that plastic tube that had accidentally showed up. That tube was part of a urinary catheter.

 The interview went fine but I returned home a changed person. His story kept resonating in my mind. A sea diving accident turned his life around: from energetic air traffic controller to a sedate office worker, from newly married to a divorcee & from a physically fit athlete to a wheel-chair bound invalid.

“Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” [Quran 2:156]

Our Creator tests all of us in different ways. I prayed to Allah (Subbhanawataala) to grant him patience & lighten his burden. And, I also supplicated Him to keep me protected from such trials.

But, that meeting had awoken another sensation inside me – a feeling that, perhaps, began as a faint quiver in my core, on first seeing him, then grew to an intense throbbing with the blood flowing in every vein, till it reached a point that rattled and shook my very soul – a humbling sense of gratitude.

Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men) deny? (Quran 55:13)

  My mind was crowded with questions – for myself. Have I ever consciously expressed gratitude to Allah (Subbhanawataala) for my ability to move? Have I truly appreciated my Creator for giving me a perfect body? Have I ever realized that even when I’m sitting, my legs continue to work for me by providing balance? Have I ever thanked my Lord for the ability to effortlessly relieve myself?

 Yes, to be able to answer the call of nature in privacy and with dignity is a great blessing of Allah (Subbhanawataala) – something I had never realized before. Brother Salim, due to his condition, caused by damage to the spinal cord, is unable to feel when he needs to go to the bathroom. That is why he has to wear a catheter. And when he does go to the toilet, he requires the help of a nurse to clean him.

 I remembered a saying of one of our pious predecessor, “If a man is able to drink, and expel a sip of water with ease, gratitude becomes due on him.” Putting all other infinite attributes aside, I pondered & focused over just this one aspect of my body’s blessings and it left me in awe.

“And in your creation, and what He scattered (through the earth) of moving (living) creatures are signs for people who have Faith with certainty.” (Quran 45:4)

 As a child I had been taught to utter the words of dhikr before and after going to the bathroom. I knew their meanings, but over the years, the remembrance had become a mindless reflex action. That is, until that day.

Today, when I utter the word, “Ghufranaka” as I leave the washroom, my mind is attentive and aware of the meaning, and my heart is humbled and filled with gratitude at the realization that many have to suffer the pain of indignity and shame for this natural function of human body.   

 Realization is the first step towards true thankfulness. “No blessing is bestowed on a slave and he realizes that it is from Allah, but the reward of giving gratitude for it is written for him…” [Patience & Gratitude by Ibn Al-Qayyim]

 I owe my Creator the highest gratitude, so I aim to busy myself with ways of expressing it. Messenger of Allah (Salulahualahiwasallum) said: “There is a (compulsory) Sadaqa to be given for every joint of the human body (as a sign of gratitude to Allah) everyday the sun rises. To judge justly between two persons is regarded as Sadaqa, and to help a man concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage on to it, is also regarded as Sadaqa, and (saying) a good word is also Sadaqa, and every step taken on one’s way to offer the compulsory prayer (in the mosque) is also Sadaqa and to remove a harmful thing from the way is also Sadaqa.”  [Sahih Bukhari-2790]

The Raising Fall… a story

“Sometimes, Allah breaks our spirit to save our soul.

Sometimes, HE breaks our heart to make us whole.

Sometimes, HE allows pain so we can be stronger.

Sometimes, HE sends us failure so we can be humble.

Sometimes, HE allows illness so we can take better care of ourselves.

Sometimes, Allah takes everything away from us so we can learn the value of everything HE gave us.

Make plans but understand that we live by Allah’s grace.”

*****

We’ve read this before, right.

I’ll add another example to it:

“Sometimes Allah lets us fall so we can rise higher.”

LITERALLY!

The following is a true account of an inspirational episode narrated by a sister:

“I had some purchase to make at my local utility store. I completed my shopping, which fitted in two very light bags, and left the store to get to my car. I have no idea how, but in a fraction of a second I tripped and landed on the hard ground with a painful thud! It was like a second ago I was walking and the next second I found myself sitting with my legs straight in front of me. It was a moment of shock, embarrassment and physical pain.

I said, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raajioon”. I didn’t look right or left, just pulled myself together, got up and walked towards my parked car with my shopping bag. Once seated, I looked back through the front and side mirrors to see who or how many people must have witnessed my fall. And subhanallah, there were none! The entire parking lot was empty of people. Relieved, I then became sensitive to the hard pain that emanated from the tail-end of my spine.

I had read of people who had become paralyzed due to minor accidents which caused damage to their spinal cord. I knew of several people who suffer from debilitating chronic pain from a slipped disc caused by injury to their spine. I was a little worried. 

I got back home and rested for the rest of the day to gain relief from the pain. I decided to visit a doctor if the pain persisted the following day. That night when I lay in bed, I thought about the whole episode again and again.

The next day, alhumdullilah the pain had almost disappeared. It was right in the middle of my Zuhr prayer that a realization dawned on me – a deep sense of gratitude. When I completed my prayer, I bowed down again for Sajjdah as-Shukr*.

I was utterly grateful to Allah for protecting me from any serious physical injury.

I was profoundly grateful to Allah for shielding me from the awkwardness of being watched.

And most importantly….

I was overwhelmed with gratitude towards Allah for guiding me to say the words of the Istirja* at the critical moment.”

*****

Prophet Muhammad (Sallullahualahiwasullum) said: “There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will record a hasanah (good deed) for him thereby, or erase from him a sin.” [Muslim 2572]

The mishaps that befall a believer in this world ‘raise’ him in status and expiate for his sins.    

Perhaps, then, it wasn’t a ‘fall’ at all!

——–      

* Sujdah as Shukr is the prostration of gratitude. It is a sunnah to prostrate when a new obvious blessing comes or when an obvious adversity is warded off.  [An-Nawawi 'Al-Majmoo 3/56]

* Istirja is the term for uttering the dikhr, “Inna lillahi wainna ilahi rajioon” with patience, at the moment some tragedy hits you. It is the cause for receiving Allah’s blessings, forgiveness, mercy and guidance. [Quran 2:155-157]