I have just come back from my friday prayers.
Mosque was full to its capacity and as usual i found place for myself outside the mosque in the street where carpets were laid out for the late comers. Maulana Sahib was about to start khutba.
I sat down and in front of me ,at a decent distance though,stood a home with door half opened where a boy was seated. But he was no ordinary boy and it is because of him that i am writing these lines.
The boy was harldy 7 years old, seated on the wheel chair, his hands were little bent and his mouth dribbled saliva as he looked out at the people who had assembled right outside his home for friday prayers.
I kept looking at him and at last succeeded in getting his attention. Now we were both looking at eachother. I smiled at him, he smiled back. I winked at him with my both eyes, he winked back. I winked again and he winked back.I shook my head and he did the same.He was trying to talk to me in his own language which although i could hear but not decipher. We seemed to enjoy each other's company but just then he was wheeled back into home and the door was shut.
This brief interaction with the young lad left a deep impression on me. I realized my eyes were moist. And a host of ideas crossed my mind.
-Why is God so unjust with the boy?
-And more importantly, why does the boy not realize this?
Such children have come to be known as 'special', 'disabled', 'specially abled' and with many such names but to me the boy only looked HAPPY. He was happy, carefree and was enjoying the moment. He was not complaining and neither was he sad or agitated at his state of life. He was just happy about it and very very peaceful.
On the contrary, we ,the so-called 'normal people' , fret all the time and continously remain in a state of anxiety and discomfort not appreciating what we have and always sulking over what we dont have. Thanklessness has marked our lives which have become increasingly automaton and the basic human attributes are very conspicuous by their absence.
I think we can all learn a great deal from that 7 years old boy who is bound to wheel chair with hands that are bent and mouth that dribbles saliva but he knows how to smile and be happy.
Mosque was full to its capacity and as usual i found place for myself outside the mosque in the street where carpets were laid out for the late comers. Maulana Sahib was about to start khutba.
I sat down and in front of me ,at a decent distance though,stood a home with door half opened where a boy was seated. But he was no ordinary boy and it is because of him that i am writing these lines.
The boy was harldy 7 years old, seated on the wheel chair, his hands were little bent and his mouth dribbled saliva as he looked out at the people who had assembled right outside his home for friday prayers.
I kept looking at him and at last succeeded in getting his attention. Now we were both looking at eachother. I smiled at him, he smiled back. I winked at him with my both eyes, he winked back. I winked again and he winked back.I shook my head and he did the same.He was trying to talk to me in his own language which although i could hear but not decipher. We seemed to enjoy each other's company but just then he was wheeled back into home and the door was shut.
This brief interaction with the young lad left a deep impression on me. I realized my eyes were moist. And a host of ideas crossed my mind.
-Why is God so unjust with the boy?
-And more importantly, why does the boy not realize this?
Such children have come to be known as 'special', 'disabled', 'specially abled' and with many such names but to me the boy only looked HAPPY. He was happy, carefree and was enjoying the moment. He was not complaining and neither was he sad or agitated at his state of life. He was just happy about it and very very peaceful.
On the contrary, we ,the so-called 'normal people' , fret all the time and continously remain in a state of anxiety and discomfort not appreciating what we have and always sulking over what we dont have. Thanklessness has marked our lives which have become increasingly automaton and the basic human attributes are very conspicuous by their absence.
I think we can all learn a great deal from that 7 years old boy who is bound to wheel chair with hands that are bent and mouth that dribbles saliva but he knows how to smile and be happy.
