There lived a man who was a very good Muslim. He prayed all his five daily prayers, gave to charity and had good relations with his family and friends. The man was very happy and thought that because he was a good Muslim no harm will come to him.
Then one day, when the man returned home from a family outing, he discovered that someone had broken into his home and stolen all his precious belongings including his life's savings which he had safely hidden.
Devastated the man tried to control his disappointment in what had happened to him. With no money, he had become poor in an instant. He looked up at the sky and asked Allah, “Why me?! I pray! I fast! I give in charity! What did I do wrong?!”
Days went by and the man kept questioning why Allah had done this to him. And he couldn't remove his disappointment with Allah from his heart.
Friday came and the man prepared to go for Jumaah prayers. Reluctantly he took a shower and got dressed to leave for the Masjid. He left the house dejected and feeling very low. As he was walking, he decided to take a different route to the Masjid just to clear his mind.
As he strolled the new route, he looked at the new houses that had been built and realised how long it had been since he came this way. He started thinking about his childhood and how he and his friends would come and play at the grounds where now the new houses stood. Then he remembered an old neighbour he called 'uncle' and how kind he was to him and his friends. He started thinking about him and wondered if he still lived in that same house where he had spent his childhood.
He started to look around and there between the brand new luxury apartments was his old neighbour's little home. The house he once remembered as big and beautiful now seemed old, small and batted, its glory days were clearly gone. It needed a paint job and a whole lot of repairs. And there sitting on the front porch was a frail old man. Coming closer he noticed that his old neighbour was blind and seemed to be affected with many diseases all over his body. It was clear that he was wasting away. He was even paralyzed and forced to remain in a seated position. As he came closer he could hear the old man say,
“All praise is for Allah, Who has kept me safe from sickness with which He has tested many among His creation; and He has indeed preferred me over many among those that He created."
Hearing this the man exclaimed, “My dear uncle, how are you able to Praise Allah when you are affected with so many diseases? I don't think there is a disease which you do not have!”
The old neighbour replied,
"From Allah we have come and to Him we are to return. Do I not still have a tongue with which I can pronounce His Oneness, and with which I can remember Him every single moment? And do I not still have a heart with which I can know Him?"
Hearing this, the man fell silent and tears swelled in his eyes as he remembered the bounties that Allah had given him. And how Allah says,
And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient).
Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”
They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) received His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.
~{Al-Baqarah, 2:155-157}
Written By Monah Khan
Editors: Faiyaz Khan & Nina Lestari
[Some lines in this story is from:The Patient Old Man]
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