Editor:
t_ahsanul_uloom
Views:
3,369
Author:
Allama Iqbal
Category:
Conversion Stories
Lady Barns was a newly converted muslim, a wife of an english army officer. Both husband and wife were stcuk in a case which was nothing but absurd lies, in due time the case was cleared and they were now free of all the blames.
As I was their lawyer, once lady Barns came to thank me in Lahore.
I found this a great opportunity to ask her what consequences led her to accept islam.
she replied "The firmness of muslims in their believe doctor." and then she narrated her story.
"Doctor! Indeed I have never seen any nation whose believe is as firm as muslims! This is the only reason I embraced Islam!" she paused for a minute and then continued again " Doctor! I was an owner of a restaurant, and there I had a muslim employe who was 70 years old. His son was a very beautiful young man, but his son died because of a serious illness. I felt very sad for him. I went to his house to pay my condolence. I told him I can feel his pain, I was trying to pull him up. He was listening to me as my words were not even affecting him, when finally I had stopped speaking, he raised his finger towards the sky and said in a very grateful manner " Madam! this was what Allah had in plan, Allah owned him, he was given to me just to be taken care of. Now Allah took what was His, why should I be sad about it? We are supposed to thank Allah the Almighty in every state"
Doctor! I couldn't forget the old man's way of raising his finger towards the sky. I kept on recalling his words and pondered on them. Everytime I came to the result that in this world such a nation exists who are so grateful and so patient!
I was quite surprised by his patience so I inquired about his son's family, and soon I was informed his son had a wife and a son. Hence I rationalised that the old man was not sad becuase he still had his grandson who will be the supporter and the center of his love.
Unfortunately after sometime I came to know that his daughter in law had died as well. I decided that now he must be very sad and alone. I reached his village and found him sitting amongst people with his head bowed down. I started to pay my condolence to him, but to my utter surprise he was in the same state of calmness as before. When I had stopped speaking he raised his finger again towards the sky and said " Madam! She was owned by Allah, He took what was His. Nobody can go againts His will. We shoul be thanking Him in every state!"
Doctor! All the time that I stayed there observing him, I never saw a sigh escaping his lips nor a tear dropping from his eye, he kept meeting people with calmess, as if he didn't buried his only son and daughter in law but he did what was compulsory. I returned home after a while, yet this notion kept on disturbing me; how can one be so patient and calm under so much stress and pain?
Yet again after few days unfortunately his grandson died as well. After this news, I gathered up all my thoughts again, thinking this time the old man must be broken, after all there is no one left in this world for him. I reached him as soon as I can, expecting to find him distressed and broken. But I was stunned and bewildered, my brain couldnt apprehend what my eyes were looking onto. This 70 years old man sat as calm as ever amongst lots of people condoling him. I paid my condolence with deep feelings for his grandson's death, and he kept listening to me with his head bowed down. Sometimes a sigh would escape his lips. He was very sad I could see it , but when I stopped speaking he replied with the same calmness that I had witnessed twice before " Madam this all is what Allah had planned. Whatever He had given to me for some time He took it back, they were all His. Nothing was ours. Then why sould we let our heart break on returning other's things? Every person should be thankful to his Allah in all state. We muslims are asked to be patient on our Allah's will.""
Lady Barns was very emotional by now, she raised her right hand and spoke in an emotional voice "Doctor, the reply of this old man killed me, his finger was raised towards the sky but it proved to be an arrow tearing my heart. I surrendered infornt of his firm believe. I knew for sure that this calmness was not an act but it was true in all aspects. He was now alone in this village, so I offered him to come with me to the restaraunt. He thanked and returned with me. He would work in the day and spent his night ifront of his Lord.
After a few days he decided to visit the graveyard. I was curious to see what he would do there, what would be is feelings when he will look at the graves of his family. When he reached the graveyard, he started to correct the graves which were deterioting, he would dig up fresh sand and pile them up on the graves then he would bring some water and sprinkle it on the graves. Then he performed abulution and raised his hands in order to supplicate. Finally we returned.
All this time I observed each ad every act of his. I started to realize that feeling of calmness and light of his faith surrounded him and his every work. The fire that was being nursed in my heart suddenly aflamed and I decided there and then to embrace Islam. I now knew that this calmness was not the quality of this old man but it indeed was the quality of his religion.
I requested him to bring a muslim lady to teach me the teachings of Islam. He complied immediately and brought a lady with him who taught me all the fundamentals and gave me lessons of LA ILAHA ILLALLAH.
"Doctor!" she spoke in a heart wrenching voice "now due to my Allahs love I am a Muslim too and I find the same calmness in my heart that used to reside in the old man's heart!"