We left Quba Mosque having gotten free with supererogatory prayers and supplications. Several vendors selling various stuff were standing outside the mosque. Veiled Bedouin women, elderly and some kids were calling out for dates, prayer rugs and beads. Our companion brother Rizwan purchased a dozen of beads worth seven riyals from a kid. Just then, another kid started persisting for a dozen to be bought from him too. Rizwan brother asked to excuse but the kid wouldn't let go. In the utmost respect for Madina Munawwara, Rizwan purchased a dozen from the other kid as well and handed out a 10 riyal and a 5 riyal note to one of the kids and told him to divide the amount equally. Two dozen beads cost 14 riyals. Thus, in order to halt any quarrel, he asked the kids about how they would distribute the money. Both of them replied at once that each of them will take seven riyal while the left one riyal will be donated for charity purpose. Their reply left my heart in a strange condition and whenever this conversation strikes in the mind, I feel a sense of attrition and embarrassment owing to our condition.
This holy city is a homestead to Ruler of Medina ﷺ, who taught such bounty, sacrifice and self-sufficiency to world that even after 14 centuries these attributes are found in the two kids. Such is our condition that we never let go any opportunity to exercise selfishness, greed or miserliness. Many years have passed but whenever imagination travels me through this lovely city, this incident clicks in my mind and the desire to hide my face out of shame grows strong. We are also the followers of same teacher of sacrifice and self-sufficiency, the king of all prophets ﷺ, who had diverted the hearts and minds and the direction of this world from worldly profit and loss to remembrance of hereafter and real profit and loss, and had converted the darkness of this world into the light of Islamic principles. A thought got widespread that among Muslims, not even the sane one but also the mental one throws his stuff in other's house while an insane one flies his stuff into his own house among non-Muslims, the reason being the essence of profit and loss of the hereafter in the eyes of a Muslim. The profit of this world holds no other meaning than illusion to the Muslim; he prefers the life of hereafter than that of this mortal world. While this delusion filled world is a heaven of non-Muslims.
“They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware.”
The belief in frailty and arrogance of this world's life and everlasting life of hereafter is the real asset. It is a gem that shapes heart and mind and enabled these uneducated Bedouin kids to possess the traits of sacrifice and self-sufficiency, and for this reason Holy Prophet Muhammadﷺ was sent.
I wish we could protect the sanctity of our affiliation with the prophet of mercy Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
