Traffic Stop

[Blessed]

Traffic Stop

The tired-looking man in well-worn clothes stood at the intersection wearing a large sign that read, "Have family, will work for food." I had passed him many times as I made my way around town, yet somehow I never got around to offering help to this fellow traveler as I went about my work.

 

One day as I was going past the same intersection, I saw him once again steadfastly standing there. The traffic had stopped for a red light, and in the lane to my left a woman quickly got out of her car with two full bags of groceries, which she promptly handed to the man. They exchanged a few words before the light changed, and she jumped back in her car and drove away.

 

The man's face lit up, his weariness lifted by this unknown woman's kindness. Carefully hugging the groceries, he slowly walked away from the crossroad; his radiant smile said it all.

 

In a fraction of a moment's time, his day had changed -- and hers, and mine, and everyone else who sat in their cars and witnessed the exchange. The traffic still flowed, everything was the same, yet it was so very different.

Author: Anonymous

 

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The Messenger(sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) of Allah said: "Whoever relieves a believer of distress in this world, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes things easy for those who are in difficulty, Allah will make things easy for him in this world and in the next. Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim in this world, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah will help the slave so long as the slave helps his brother." [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 1/71, hadith no. 204.]

 

Abdullah ibn 'Umar(R.A.) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The Muslim is the brother of his fellow-Muslim; he should not mistreat him or let him down. Whoever meets the needs of his brother, Allah will meet his needs, and whoever relieves a Muslim of some distress, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and the next." [bukhari]

Courtesy: AL-ISLAAH PUBLICATIONS

[Nur]

Jazaakellahu Kheiran Zenobia for a great contribution, we are living in a time when few bother to stop to help the needy, from individuals to governments, everyone is on their own and a matrialist "what is in for me" is the only incentive, but as Muslims, we have a different incentive for doing good on earth, and that was well illustrated by the Hadith you have posted. Below is an old eNuri article on the same subject:

 

 

e- Nuri Softwaano Series

 

 

Presnets and Eye Opener

 

 

The Blind Old Man Who Showed Me The Way .

 

 

I measure my life in terms of how useful I am to others, as a tax I pay to Allah SWT for granting me health, wealth and wisdom to appreciate and thank Allah for it. Being useful to others could mean hardships, but if one can see past the present life, and yearn for the next, happiness can be found in unlikely places.

 

One foggy rainy day, I got out of a long busines meeting with my business associates, I was tired, but fulfilled, I wanted to reward myself with a nice evening, to relax at home and my one wish in my mind was just to go home to rest. As I emerged from the office building and strolled down the street to a rather far parking lot ahead, I came under a heavy down pour, it was raining and cars were splashing water around, so I carefully tiptoed to avoid plunging my Italian leather shoes in the water filled potholes, I rushed toward my car, after a few minutes of walking just when I thought I was about to get to my car, an old man approached me, "excuse me" he whispered, " can you take me to the XYZ airline office?" asked the old blind man.

 

Interstingly, the airline office was in the same building that I've just left few block down the road, a rather long way back in a messy rainy day. I patiently took his hand and walked back with him, this time around I walked slowly to the opposite direction to where I was going, it just dawned on me that going back was actually going foreward in real terms, here I am helping a fellow man who is deprived of his eyesight, how many people realize the value of this gift? and do we contemplate the wisdom that going slowly with others toward their direction is sometimes going fast foreward toward your right direction? two great lessons that I learned from the old blind man that day which were well worth my trouble that day, lessons that were so insightful, it took a blind man to show me the way, the way to please Allah SWT, just like how Our Prophet Muhammad SAWS was criticized for turning away his attention from a poor blind man seeking knowledge who approached him while meeting with notables of the town.

 

As I walked with the old man toward the airlines office, I kept thinking of his condition, his inability to go where he pleases when he pleases, his dependence on assistance of others, his slowness, and the fact that not many people were willing to stop and help such a needy person. The few minutes that I walked with the old blind man, were blessed minutes in which he taught me countless lessons of the value of sharing of our health and wealth with those less fortunate than us, I walked with him, and every step was a step toward Allah SWT as the prophet SAWS taught that the most loved to Allah SWT is the most helpful to his fellow man, I walked slowly with him as he could not walk as fast as i could, but the speed of thoughts that were crossing my mind were faster than the traffic around us, my sight was no longer set on taking him to the airline office and going back to my car afterwards, I found a purpose waiting for me in this slow walk, and my inner sight took off to the the hidden meaning of life, that our happiness should be measured with the positive difference we make in the lives of other disadvantaged fellow humans, and if we are unable, at least, we should seize our evil intentions of inflicting pain and misery on people.

 

The moral of the story

 

1. Show The way to others to find yours

 

2. Go the opposite way, to find hidden treasures

 

3. To go fastforward in life, go slow for others

 

Nur

 

2005 i-Nuri Softawaano Series

Making Difference, is The Purpose For Existence.