The path of Islam ✨

Salem - The blind kid (2)

All praise is due to Allah, The Most Beneficent and The Most Merciful. We praise Him, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and the mischief of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides cannot be misguided and whomsoever Allah misguides cannot be guided. Peace and blessings be upon the final messenger, Muhammad (SAW), upon his family and his noble companions

- Ameen.

Until that day...

Friday morning I woke up at 11am and it's very early for me. I was invited to a gathering, so I quickly got dressed and was ready in less than ten minutes. As I was about to go out, I walked past Salem's room when I heard him sobbing. I was shocked because Salem had stopped crying since he's a baby.

I asked myself if I should check up on him or if I should just ignore him?

I listened to my inner voice and went into his room.

'Salem why are you crying?' I asked him.

As soon as he heard my voice, he stopped crying and attempted to move. I did not understand and wondered what's wrong with him until I realized that he's been trying to move away from me!

As if he's saying to me, "oh, so now you've decided to notice me? Where were you for the past 10 years"?  Subhan'Allah

He tried to escape from me but I just kept following him. At first, he refused to tell me the reason why he'd been crying until I figured it out by myself.

His brother Umar, the one who used to take him to the Masjid was late today and since it is Jumuah prayer, Salem was afraid he wouldn't find a place in the first row. He called out to his mother, but nobody answered.

I covered my mouth in shock as if I was saying, "is this why you were crying Salem"?

Then I cried out to him.  "O Salem..."

And I didn't  know what made me say this, " O Salem don't be sad ... Do you know who's going to take you to the Masjid today?"

"Umar of course," Salem responded, "I wish I knew where he went .."

"No, Salem" I said, "I'm going to take you."

Salem was shocked, he couldn't believe it. He thought I was mocking him. Tears came out of his eyes and he started crying. I wiped his tears with my hand then took hold of his hand. I wanted to take him to the Masjid by car but he refused and said to me,

"Father, the Masjid is near. I want to walk there for every step I take is accounted."

I couldn't remember the last time I had entered the Masjid and the last time I made sujood, it had been the first time that I ever felt fear and regret! Regret for what I had neglected during these past years. The Masjid was filled with worshippers, but I still found a place for Salem in the first row.

We listened to the Jumuah Khutbah together, and I prayed next to him. After the prayer, Salem asked me for a Qu'ran and I was surprised. How was he going to read when he was blind?

I almost ignored his request, but I quickly hastened myself out of fear of hurting his feelings. He asked me to open the Qu'ran to Surah al-Khaf, which I did before he took the Qu'ran from me, put it in front of him and started reading the Surah ...

Ya Allah! He had memorized the whole Surah. I was so ashamed of myself.

I picked up the Qu'ran and as I tried to read, I felt my lips trembling.

I asked Allah to forgive me and to guide me.

This time, I was the one who cried.

I cried out of regret for all the times I wasted.

I felt a small hand reaching out to my face and wiping the tears away and it was Salem wiping away my tears ...