An old acquaintance of the Prophet Mohammed was taken ill. Unable to eat, he had lost a great deal of weight and become an invalid. When the Prophet heard about his old friend’s pitiful state, he decided to pay him a visit. As he walked into the sick man’s room, he realized that the old man’s days were numbered and that in fact he was nearing his end quite rapidly. Thus, he paid his friend much attention and tried to soothe his pain with kind words. The old man was so thrilled and grateful to see the prophet sitting beside him that he felt that he’d been gifted a new lease on life.
“My illness has brought me this unbelievable fortune!” he uttered feebly. “The prophet himself has come to pay me a visit! What an auspicious morning! How grateful I am for all my pains and aches, for they have brought the prophet to my side! God has bestowed me my wish in my old age. He has given me such a backache that I can’t sleep at night from the pain, but this is no torture; it’s in fact my treasure! My prayers have been answered before my death.”
The prophet was puzzled when he heard the old man praying for pain. “Old friend, from your words I can tell that you have been praying erroneously. You may have thought that you’re asking God for sweet kindnesses but in fact your wrong words have brought you much misfortune! It sounds like, instead of praying for a long, healthy life you’ve been begging for poisoned meals. Which prayer did you utter?”
“I can hardly remember. I’m in such agony,” moaned the poor man. “But wait, being in your presence, my mind’s beginning to clear a bit,” he said weakly. “I felt guilty for many sins I’d committed and was frightened of God’s punishment. I had no patience and felt unworthy to even begin to repent. Like a drowning man, I reached out to anything I could grab to keep afloat. I prayed that He would inflict all the tortures of hell upon me while I’m still alive so that once I pass into the next world, I can finally find peace. Now I’d riddled with such pain and suffering that I can’t even remember any prayers, let alone what my sins were! Your kind visit has meant a great deal to me, and your words of comfort have brought me much joy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The prophet looked at the man with great sorrow: “Be aware and never again repeat such a prayer! Why would you want to cut off your roots with your own hands? You’re no more than a minuscule, weak ant scurrying across the great scheme of life. Why would you invite the weight of a mountain to crush your back?” retorted the prophet.
“I repent, great prophet. I will never try to outsmart anyone again.”
“When you pray to God, ask for an easier life to endure, not one that’s more difficult than you can bear. Ask God for only goodness in this life, and in the next! Ask that your path cross through gardens lush with flowers guiding your way back to Allah, who should be your ultimate destination.”
The prophet took leave after a few more minutes, knowing that the old man did not have much longer to live and wishing him a departure to a world that would be easier than the one he had conjured himself on earth.
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