HIS Subtle Plan

It was sizzling that Friday noon – typical of the gulf summer. I left my house to attend Jumah prayer at the masjid in the next neighborhood. When I started my car, I could see mirage at the end of the road ahead of me. I turned on the AC with desperation. Just as I was about to drive, I saw a man walk pass our lane. He was small, thin and was carrying a couple of grocery bags in both hands. That the bags were very heavy was evident from the stiff and brisk manner of his walk.

He wasn’t from my neighborhood, so I knew he had a long distance to cover to reach his destination on foot. I had a convenient mode of transport. I had shelter from the heat of the blazing sun. I had plenty of space in my car. I wanted to help him; to lighten his load; to shorten his difficult tread; to offer some cool respite from the sweltering air, but, I didn’t. I couldn’t. ‘If only I was a man, or was not alone in my car, ya Allah, I would have assisted your servant,’ I said earnestly in my heart.        

I drove on towards the masjid. My heart still restless and anxious for the man I didn’t help – or couldn’t help – my mind still imagining him walking with his heavy load in the sun. ‘Ya Allah, you know what is in my heart and you know my intention and limitation,’ I conversed with All-Hearer.

The nagging feeling didn’t go away. I reached the neighborhood block where my intended masjid was. About half a km away, I took a turn into the service-lane. Suddenly a black shrouded form caught my side-vision. I don’t know why or what prompted me, but I stopped and reversed till I could see clearly. Dressed from head to toe in a black khimar, was a woman who was walking briskly and purposefully in the direction of the masjid. This was most strange. Women dont usually walk to the masjids here and that too during the middle of the day. Now, I’ve never done this before (i.e. stop or talk to strangers on the streets and offer them a lift), but because I was so conscious about what I was unable to do a couple of minutes ago, I grabbed this opportunity.

I rolled down my tinted window to show her that I’m a female, offered  my salaam and asked if she was heading towards the masjid. She was a bit stunned but replied in the affirmative. I asked her to join me in my car. She readily accepted. In two minutes we were both inside the masjid, alhumdullilah.

She was thankful for the lift. I had another Being to offer gratitude to. So overwhelmed was I that I had to offer the sajda as-shukr (prostration of thankfulness). I was in awe of how Allah listened to the words of my heart that didn’t even reach the tongue. I was touched by how beautifully HE removed my restlessness by providing me with another viable opportunity. Never before have I seen women, in this area, walking to the masjid during the day time. HE created this situation for me.

We are all expertly woven with each other in a complex network, spreading outwards and inwards, merging, entangling, so that the path taken by one, opens the way for another and subsequently opens the heart of yet another. And the intricate chain continues to link our lives according to HIS master plan i.e. destiny.

I realized then, the meaning of His Name – Al-Lateef.  The Most-Subtle, the Most Considerate. One whose knowledge encompasses all the secret and hidden matters and HE understands the most subtle things. The One Who is Kind to his believing servants, guiding them to that which would benefit them and taking care of their interests through means that they are not even aware of.        

That unknown man, that stranger woman and I did not begin our day knowing how we would affect each other. But Al-Lateef knew and planned.

Alhumdullilah.

Thirsty in the UAE

Summer has arrived. Its already sweltering by 10am. The half a minute it takes for me to leave my air-conditioned house & walk to the air-conditioned car is enough to feel swoony. Then i see the laborers working at the construction site infront of my house. How do they withstand the heat? Is their body differnt from mine? Do they feel the heat less than me? How often are they drinking water to replenish their system? Are they content with their work? Are they getting sufficiently paid for their hard labor? Do they feel isolated in this country? Do they have a family back home that they miss? Do they wish their wives & children were with them?

How do they feel when they look at me sitting in my cool car & driving away? Do they begrudge me for what Allah has blessed me with? Do they hate or envy the comforts i have?

Do they know that everytime i see them i do dua for them? Those who are non-muslims, i pray for their guidance. Those who are muslims, i pray that Allah gives barakah in their meager earnings.

In the meantime, lets atleast do a small deed of kindness for our less fortunate brothers. Take a bottle of cold water everytime we step outside our homes & offer it to a thirsty person laboring under the sun.

May Allah protect us from the extreme thirst of the Day of Judgment. Ameen. May Allah make us of those who will drink the wine of Jannah. Ameen. May Allah have mercy on thoes laborers.

Verily, the Abrâr (pious, who fear Allâh and avoid evil), shall drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kâfûr.
A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allâh will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly.
They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading.
And they give food, inspite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive,
(Saying): “We feed you seeking Allâh’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. (Al-Insan 76:5-9)