The End

 

I barely knew him, I have seen him in the mosque for some days at different times and for many others I have not.

I warmly greeted him and I was keen to know him. Until one day after Al-‘Asr
(noon prayer), I stood chatting with a colleague outside the mosque while he was coming.
He greeted him and they seemed to know each other; they were schoolmates. We all engaged
in the conversation and I invited them to visit me in my house. They agreed to come the
next day after Al-‘Asr.

I asked my
friend about him, he told me that he was a good character. I wondered why he did not come
to the mosque for days although he was living next door. My friend told me that this guy
had some bad companions in work and when one of them called him, he did not come to the
mosque or attend the prayers and his travels increased.

I prayed
to Allah to make me a cause in his guidance and keep him away from his bad companions. I
agreed with my friends to try to be his new friends and to go out with him as much as
possible in order to keep him back from the bad companionship. The man loved us and our
intimacy increased. Our friendship lasted for a long time; we used to go out together in
the weekends without any previous plans. I have even frequently canceled a lot of my
family’s dates for his sake, as to be a cause in the guidance of one man is better
than the whole world.

The time
passed and I had to move to a new house on the outskirts of the town. I could not call him
for a while, as I did not have a phone there so we were separated for some time. Whenever
I tried to call him in his house from any place, the answer was always, “he is not
here”. I was informed later that he had returned to his bad companions, he deviated
from Allah’s path and went astray after he had tasted the sweet taste of faith. He
ignored his family and returned back to his bad behavior; leaving the congregational
prayers, recitation of Qur’an, valuable books and good company. He listened to songs
and he totally fell behind.

I repented
his state and prayed to Allah for both of us. I have even asked some of the brothers to
return back and go out with him, but after some time a received a sad call from a friend
telling me that the guy was dead. I could not help but saying, “To Allah we belong,
and to Him is our return”.

I wanted
to know what has happened to him as I have tried to contact him many times but I failed to
find him. My friend told me that he has traveled to the East of Asia with his bad
companions and he has taken an over dose! “Over dose of what?” I asked. “Of
DRUGS”, he replied. “ He died there and was put in a bier on the returned flight
with a report stating the cause of his death”, he added.

I was
filled with grief for his bad sad end and I realized that hearts are between the fingers
of Allah, the most Merciful, He changes it as He likes. The man was not sincere in his
repentance (tuba) so he could not proceed, he has even returned to his previous
state. “ To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return”.

I raise my
hands to the sky and supplicate from my entire heart saying: (Oh Allah, the Changer of
hearts, makes my heart steadfast to Your religion).

Quoted from “Al-Zamn
Al-Kadem” (The next period) written by Abd Al-Malik Al-Kasem (amended).

Have you
seen dear brothers how the man may leave the right path after he tasted the sweet taste of
faith and felt the love of Allah Almighty Who is true when He says, “And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and
evening, seeking His face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and
glitter of this Life; nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the
remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds”.(Al-Kahf:
28).

Life is a test that leads either to
Paradise or to Hell.