It seems that as the sands of time flow life can only get busier with family and loved ones being replaced by work, coursework and dissertations. I mean, it’s any wonder that I manage to pray my prayers! Subhan’Allah, how familiar does this cry seem! And to make it worse other problems seem to mount and add to those we already have-right? Most, if not all of those reading this will have at some point thought that life can’t get any worse, whether the problems we face are academia related or otherwise, but STOP! I know we’re always told to think about those less fortunate than us, but how many times have we switched off and stopped listening because we feel guilty? I’m sure we all feel bad, but we’re not in that situation, our lives are different and what we’re going through is tough for us-right?
There’s advert upon advert on television about those suffering from famine and drought, but we change the channel because we’d rather not think about it; let’s donate to charity and that way we’ll have done our part. You’re probably thinking this article’s a bit harsh, but I’m merely stating what most people think. I mean, it’s good to donate to charity, after all “..charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire..” (at-Tirmidhi), but is that enough? How many of us have truly put ourselves in the situation of those less fortunate?
Why don’t we all put ourselves in little Fatima’s shoes, except that she doesn’t have any. She wears a tattered rag, layered in holes and dirt and her unkempt hair weighs heavy on her small body. She’s become pretty used to travelling long distances; it’s the only way she can find any water to survive. She’s been through a lot for an 11 year old-no exam stress or worries about missing an episode of Eastenders though; instead, she nursed her mother on her death bed the year before, and has lived by herself ever since-no state benefits or social services to take care of her. Her dreams of becoming a teacher were swept away long ago, and now she is content just to get by each day.
So, you ask, what is it that keeps her going in a situation where the rest of us would have crumbled? Well, you see, Fatima is a very bright girl, and has seen more of life in these 11 years than most of us probably ever will, but that has not failed to arouse curiousity within her. As she watches the birds that fly in the sky above her, she notices that they too live in the same barren lands as her, yet
“…they go out in the morning with empty stomachs and come back in the evenings with full stomachs”. (at-Tirmidhi).
Acknowledging that it is Allah that provides for these birds, and it is Allah that provides for her, Fatima feels blessed that she has been given the opportunity to reside on this earth-her existence is for a reason.
“Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear”,
and this 11 year old girl feels privileged to know that her she possesses a strong soul which can carry much hardship. A GCSE student would not sit an A Level exam unless his teachers thought he was intellectually capable. Likewise, Allah does not test us except according to our level of eeman (faith). Rather than complain about the hand that life has dealt her, Fatima skips along with a happy countenance for
” Wondrous are the believer’s affairs. For him there is good in all his affairs, and this is so only for the believer. When something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and when something displeasing happens to him, he is enduring (sabar), and that is good for him “ (Muslim)
So respected brothers and sisters in Islam, I ask you, and more importantly, Fatima asks you, the next time you wish to consider those less fortunate in the world, alongside donating to charity, consider them as an inspiration when facing times of difficulty and maintain your patience. Let their suffering not be in vain!
By Haneesa Latif
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