The
Final Return...
-----------------
A police officer in a Muslim country wrote the following
letter to a Shaykh describing the events that led to his
return to Allah. He recalls: Seeing accidents and crash
victims was a normal part of my day, but one incident was
different. My partner and I had parked on the shoulder of
the highway and began to chat. In a random second, the scene
shattered to the hideous sound of metal bodies becoming
one. We threw our heads back to see what had happened: a
head-on collision, the result of a vehicle slipping into
the lane of the oncoming traffic. You couldn't describe
the carnage. Two young men sprawled in the first car, both
in critical condition. We carried them gently away from
the car and rested them on the ground. Quickly we returned
to assist the owner of the second car. He was dead. Back
we went to the two young men lying side by side on the pavement.
My partner began dictating the Shahadah to them. "Say:
La iIaha illAllah (there is no god but Allah), La iIaha
illAllah..."
...their
tongues wouldn't acknowledge. They started humming the hypnotic
lyrics of some song. I was terrified. My partner had experience
however and he kept repeating his instruction. I stood watching,
no movement, eyes locked. Never in my life had I seen anything
similar to what was going on before me. In fact, I've never
actually seen someone die, and never in such a satanic way.
My partner continued to instruct them to say the Shahadah
but there was no use. The hum of their song came to a slow
silence, slowly. The first one stopped and then the other.
Not a stir. Dead. We carried them to our patrol car, my
partner made no effort to speak. Not a whisper between us
two as we carried the corpses to the nearest hospital...
The
police officer fell back into routine, as he narrates, and
started to drift from Allah. But another event happened
to him that sealed the return. He continues... What an odd
world. After some time, about six months, a strange accident
took place. A young man was moving along the highway normally,
but within one of the tunnels leading to the city, he was
maimed by a flat tire. To the side of the tunnel he parked
and stepped to the back to remove the spare tire. The whistle
of a speeding car from behind. In a second, it collided
with the crippled car, the young man in-between. He fell
to the ground with critical injuries. I rushed to the scene,
myself and another partner other than the first. Together
we carried the young man's body into our patrol car and
phoned the hospital to prepare for his arrival. He was a
young adult in his blossom years. Religious, you could tell
from his appearance. He was mumbling when we carried him,
but in our rush, we had not paid attention to what he was
saying. However, when we placed him on his back in the patrol
car we could make it out. Through the pain his heart was
reciting Quran! He was so immersed in the recitation...
Subhan Allah, you would have never said that this person
was in intense pain.
Blood
had soaked his clothes crimson red, his bones had clearly
snapped in several places. To tell the truth, he looked
like he was staring into the eyes of death. He continued
to read in his unique, tender voice. Reciting each verse
in proper rhythm. In my entire life, I had never heard any
recitation like it. I said to myself, I'm... I'm going to
instruct him to say the Shahadah just like I saw my friend
doing; especially since I had previous experience. My partner
and I listened intently to that soft voice. I felt a shiver
shock my back and up my arm, the hair stood. Suddenly, the
hymn ceased. I watched silently as his hand rose softly.
He had his index finger pointed upward to the heavens, saying
the Shahadah (La ilaha illa Allah/There is no god but Allah).
Then... his head slumpt. Nothing. I jumped to the back seat,
felt his hand, his heart, his breathing. He was dead! I
couldn't stop staring at him. A tear fell but I hid it in
shame. I turned back to my partner and told him that the
boy's life had ceased - he burst out loud crying. Seeing
a man cry like that, I could not control myself and my partner
faded away behind the fall of my own tears. The patrol car
fogged from the emotions.
We
arrived at the hospital. As we rushed through the corridors,
we told all the doctors, nurses, and onlookers what had
happened. So many people were affected by what we said,
some stood there speechless and tearful. No one wanted to
lose sight of the boy until they had been assured of the
time and place he would be buried. One of the hospital staff
phoned the boys home. His brother picked it up and was told
of the accident. His brother told us about him: He used
to go out every Monday to visit his only grandmother outside
of town. Whenever he visited her, he made sure to spend
time with the poor children idling the streets and the orphans.
The town knew him - he was the one that would bring them
the Islamic books and tapes. His dusty Mazda would be filled
with rice and sugar and even candies - couldn't forget the
candies - for those families who were in need.
He
would not stand for anyone to discourage him from the long
journey to that town. He would always politely reply that
the long drive gave him time to review his Quran and listen
to Islamic lectures on his cassette deck. And... And that
with every step to the town he hoped for the reward he would
find with Allah...
It
is true, brothers and sisters, that Allah is Merciful and
forgives and forgives. [Yet I am quite forgiving...] But
to whom? [...towards anyone who turns (in repentance) and
believes and acts honourable; then he will be guided.] -
Surah Taha 20/82. [O our people! Respond to Allah's Caller
(Muhammad - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and believe in
him, Allah will forgive you of your sins and will save your
from a painful torment.] - Surah al-Ahqaf 46/31. Just like
we reply someone's call when they phone us - this is Allah
and His Messenger calling us! Let us answer. There is a
verse in the Quran that when Shaytaan read it he cried and
felt regret. Read this verse, it is the door to our happiness
in this life and the next: [And those who, if they commit
an immorality or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek
forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except
Allah? - and who do not persist in what they have done while
they know.] Allah then continues: [For those - their reward
is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which
rivers flow (in Jannah), wherein they shall abide eternally.
Excellent is the reward of the (righteous) workers.] - Surah
Al-Imraan 3/135,136
Allah
sent the Prophets and the books; He sent the warners and
glad tiders; and He sent the reminders. In addition, Allah
comes down to Samaa' ad-Dunya - in a way befitting of His
Majesty - in the third portion of the night - every night
- calling to every one of His servants: "Is there anyone
who shall make Dua' so that I shall accept His Dua? Is there
anyone who shall ask for pardon so that I may pardon him?"
Dear
brothers and sisters let us make a pledge now to set our
alarm clocks at 2am in the morning. We all know that if
there was some special sports event or someone had
to catch a plane at that time they would be capable of waking
up. Let's set the alarm to pray only 2 raka'at to Allah.
And in Sajdah, recall just one sin - just one - between
us and Allah and ask Allah Ta'ala to forgive us for that
sin, pledging that we shall never return to it.