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This reply encompassed all my assessments, hopes, and fears. I
further added:
“He was very fond of posh cars, big houses, and getting rich. If
someone is hooked on these things, he can end up with any ill fate.
Such people often lose the ability to differentiate between right and
wrong as well as permissible and un-permissible means of earning one’s
livelihood. Even if they manage to avoid the illegitimate sources of
income, they often fall prey to afflictions like extravagance, negligence,
pomp and show, miserliness, arrogance, and lack of awareness of rights
of other people etc. All these habits can take them to that tough spot of
accountability in the Court of the Almighty from where, it is very
difficult to escape unscathed.”
Unexpectedly, Aasmah replied in response to my statement:
“Leila used to say all this to me after listening to you. She also gave
me some of your books to read but I could not understand them, as I
did not know how to read Urdu. It is my ill fortune that I wasted my
entire life in negligence, love of the world, following latest fashions,
pomp and show, extravagance, and arrogance. I was obsessed about
looking beautiful. I wasted millions on jewellery, clothes, and cosmetics
but I never spent anything on the poor. If I ever did anything for them, I
considered it a big favour to them although God had endowed us with a
lot of wealth and prosperity. Not only this, when I was angry, I used to
take it out on my subordinates and servants. I was of the opinion that
modest clothes were actually a symbol of poverty. Bad habits like
backbiting, badmouthing, and spitefulness did not bother me and I
considered them as trivial. I did not know that these trivial misdeeds
would come back to haunt me in this manner today. I just did not
know…”
As Aasmah said this, she broke down in tears again. Leila
commented in a very sad tone:
“We met Aasmah’s parents. They were in bad shape! I wonder what
will happen to them.” Then she looked at me and said:
“Papa, what will happen to me?” As Leila said this, tears began to
roll down her cheeks.
“You just have to wait, my baby. It looks like it will not be long
before the accountability begins. I have pinned my hopes on God's
mercy. Considering that you have endured so much hardship today, he
will forgive those sins that you committed just because you took them
to be trivial.”
“Alas, Papa! I wish I had followed your advice! You repeatedly tried
to make me understand that Faith does not mean reciting a statement
only. It means making God the prime focus of one’s life. You used to say
that God does not need rituals of our worship; he wants to see our
hearts laden with true faith. I remember you saying that he does not
care for a few half-hearted prostrations, rather he desires a servant who
is truly dedicated to him. Faith was a part of my life but I did not allow it
to engulf my personality. I did pray to God at your insistence but his
remembrance did not become the focus of my life. I used to fast during
the month of Ramadan but I could not nurture true piety in my heart. I
had to do all what was ordained by God for only fifty or sixty years in
the world, but over here centuries have passed roaming around
helplessly in this heat and hardship.”
On hearing Leila, Aasmah put her hand on her shoulder and said
whilst sobbing, “At least, you are better than I am. In my life, I did not
even pray or fast. Moral depravities, showing off, extravagant spending,
arrogance, violation of other peoples’ rights, etc. are all in addition to
them. What will happen to me? I can see no other outcome for me
apart from Hell!”
Aasmah started to weep bitterly. It looked like my heart would give
up. I did not have any strength left in me to stay with them any longer.
Saleh appreciated my state and said to them:
“Abdullah has to leave now. Both of you should wait for the
decision of the Almighty. It would not be long before the accountability
starts.”
After saying so, he moved ahead, taking me along, holding my hand.
I wanted to say a few words of consolation to Leila but when I turned
back, I was shocked to see that the scene had changed completely. We
were now standing somewhere else.
“I had to take you out of there rather quickly Abdullah, or else you
would have been hurt even more. Would you like to meet your son
now”? Saleh asked.
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