The Boy & The Sage
For many days now, a tornado was building within, Abdullah felt an inexorable sorrow taking root, digging its tentacles deep into his heart. Each passing day fueled his isolation and misery. He had everything money could buy: the best and the most advanced gadgets, yet nothing stirred his heart to happiness. He longed to be seen, to be heard.
He looked around, family friends, everyone glued to the screen; even his baby sister didn’t respond to his playful gestures anymore, preferring the TV to his silly attempts of peekaboo. How could life be running at such a fast pace that no one noticed anyone anymore? While walking the pavements he could never meet the eye of the homeless- how could such human destitution go unnoticed by so many? He felt like the main lead in a zombie movie, listless, devoid of human warmth and contact, living in a cold, barren world. The only comfort he found was once when he stumbled on a Quranic recitation. The words brought peace, to his heart, in his soul, lifting some of the burdens and giving him hope. Even the memory of that moment brought tears to his eyes.
Ashamed, embarrassed – he quickly wiped them away.
Abdullah often took refuge under a lone tree a few miles away from the city. The tree was beautiful, green, lush, vibrant, full of life, and he always felt the branches had more warmth in them than most of his family and friends back home. Away from the clamor, he hoped to find some peace and refuge and perhaps a few answers.
He walked, somberly towards the wise tree, head bowed eager to rest against its comforting trunk. He sighed as he finally reached it, “Ah! dear friend, how I’ve missed you? Leaning his head against a low hanging branch, he closed his eyes to drink in the familiarity. A million questions had set camp in his heart, fighting for attention. He yearned for the peace he had experienced momentarily.
He felt a presence behind him - a strange calmness nestled in his heart. Tranquility descended.
“What brings you here son”?
Abdullah turned…
An old, benevolent man stood before him, holding a wooden stick, clad in layers of weather-beaten fabric. His pearl white beard lent a serenity to the deep creases in his face, soft, mellow, and welcoming. Abdullah was instantly captivated ….
They exchanged a silent greeting.
“Why do I feel so lost?”
The man smiles, “what burdens do you carry son?”
Abdullah’s heart falters, he wasn’t to tell him of innate loneliness and sadness buried within him, growing stronger with every passing minute, nor share his incessant crying bouts, that leave him desolate and forlorn.
“My heart is empty,” Abdullah murmurs.
The man looks at him intensely and responds,
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (Quran 41:53)
Hope kindles anew, his voice sends shivers up Abdullah’s spine. “I cry inconsolably at night, I cry out to Allah for help.”
“Tears are a mark of intimacy between honest friends. Allah is the most intimate friend we have. You’re not the only one who cries when nobody is watching, under the blanket, in the dead of night. Most of us experience such moments of intimacy with Him, if not all of us. It happens because of an innate longing to finally acknowledge His friendship and connect with His light which is the soul and essence of our lives.”
“And why was I comforted by those verses?” Abdullah whispers.
“Our souls crave His Light T, and the Quran is His Nūr. Everybody who listens to it whether a believer or a nonbeliever, will be soothed and comforted. His Nūr permeates all hearts.
Abdullah in a trance carries on…
“How can we remain connected?”
The man smiles, “But you are already connected.” He recites a verse of the Quran:
“Have you not considered how Allah presents an example? Making a good word like a good tree whose roots are firmly fixed and its branches high in the sky. It produces its fruit all the time with the permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for His people that perhaps they will be reminded.” (Quran 14:24-25)
“The Kalima we recite are the “good words” this verse refers to… “That there is no God but Allah and Prophet Muhammad x is His Messenger”. It is the tree whose branches are high in the sky, casting the great shade of His mercy; wherein the lost find guidance, the wary find rest and comfort, the confused find clarity, and the faithful find consistency. Its roots are firmly fixed in the depth of the Quran and Sunnah. Its fruits are abundant and nourish all lives. Whether your worldly or spiritual pursuits, all needs are satiated. And above all, it inspires you to believe that we are never alone but together; bound by its roots found in our submission to His Will”
“I too would like to live under the shade of this tree. Will you help me oh wise sage?
“Allah is the One who helps and guides us all, but He sends Prophets to mankind, and His friends to the believers as a means to His Light.”
“Come… there is much to learn.”