PRAYER’S ECHO
Philanthropy is not only the province of the wealthy. Anyone can be an altruist. Praying for them is one sure way to benefit others without expending your wealth.
However, the benefits of philanthropy and prayer diminish for their benefactors if insincere.
But like Prophet Abraham (as), we, too, can extend sincere prayers for others that echo in eternity.
If we do, its benefits compound into everlasting goodness for both the recipient and benefactor of the prayer: ‘Lord, grant that I and my offspring may keep up the prayer. Our Lord, accept my request. Our Lord, forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day of Reckoning’ [14:40-41].
AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP
Pain, we flee from it like it’s the plague and seek all sorts of distractions to mask it.
When I became serious about running, I recognised that pain and discomfort would become my companions and that I could either use them to elevate my running or cheat myself of vital data by trying to escape them. My running mantra became: ‘Stay with the gait,’ which meant I remain present and open to every moment’s feedback instead of wishing for the finish line.
Eckhard Tolle, the internationally acclaimed spiritual author, calls the moment the ‘Power of Now’. But I don’t think he knows exactly how powerful the now is. I call the moment ‘The Door to God’ because it is the only point in time that provides the potential to connect with God.
Step by painful step, if observed with patience and trust in Allah, inches us closer to our goals, including paradise, the finale.
The Prophet (s) said: ‘No Muslim suffers difficulty, continuous pain, anxiety, grief, injury, or care, or even by a thorn with which he is pierced, without God thereby making an atonement for his sins’ [Bukhariy and Muslim].
I’ve completed many testing runs, but there’s one etched in my memory. I was out for an early 10 km run on a route I was intimately familiar with. Early into the run, only after the second km, I was already looking for exit strategies. My body was not firing, my legs were heavy, my breathing was laboured, my muscles were screaming, my head was doubting, and I wanted out.
To succeed, the mind must remain in the game. But on this early, cold, dark and wet morning, mine no longer wanted to play. And when that happens, it’s game over. That’s pretty much true for everything in life.
For some reason, I didn’t turn back. However, my internal GPS was frantically searching for a shorter route. The best reroute had cut the run back by 2 km. As I closed in on 4 km, I was fully committed, even with the pain. I accepted the new 8 km route but was now suffering even more. After 5 km, my desperation for the finish line bordered on delirium and getting to 6 km felt like an awful eternity.
I’ve learned that to succeed at anything, I must be willing to show up, especially when life gets tough, even when I’m not at my best. One cannot close when not present, and the way to put yourself in striking distance is to stay in it moment by moment. Most times, you’ll finish ugly. Sometimes, you’ll hit a wall. And on occasions, a shift happens, and you get to finish strongly, which, thankfully, was this run’s plot.
A makeshift dwelling loomed at the 6km mark, which prompted an extraordinary memory of the day before. I was out running and saw a pedestrian on his way to work stop next to a temporary shelter and offer benedictions for its sleeping occupants. The beauty and profundity of the anonymous Samaritan’s action reduced me to tears.
After my brief but timely reminiscences, I stepped outside my pain, stopped at the sidewalk dwelling, followed the good Samaritan’s example, and offered prayers to the destitute.
The depth of the prayer surged through me. It sent my spirit soaring and powered my newfound legs as I thundered home via my original 10 km route.
This experience taught me that I can elevate and work beautifully through my pain when I assist others with theirs.
What you get is what you get. Your attitude to what you get, therein lies the rub.
Until next week, InshaAllah
Zaahied Sallie
Author of The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme
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