A good person in life - part 1

"One beautiful person with a beautiful heart and mind is worth more than a thousand put together"

One of the beauty of studying abroad and living in or around university campus is the different types of people around you and the different cultures you are exposed to. I was blessed to study in a University with a health number of foreign students and as such was introduced to a variety of cultures and beliefs. In such an atmosphere, you learn some times by interacting with the people around and some times just by observing them. Such an education by the outside world is more worth and character building than any inside classroom lesson. And there is always atleast one or two guys you will never forget, however few days you had seen them or been with them. And though decades pass, you still  remember them. For me, one such person is Yousef.

Yousef, is a curly haired, well-built Libyan Arab who was ten years older than me. At the time I got introduced to him, he was struggling with a family of his wife and three kids (all below 9 years of age that time), managing with the small stipend he is getting from his sponsor. He was also struggling to finish his thesis on time, with deadline fast approaching. Since he is a senior student in same Faculty of Studies as I am, we had come to know each other. But my Nigerian housemate introduced me to Yousef and asked me to correct the typo mistakes and proofread his thesis - that's how our friendship started.

One reason I remember him is one unforgettable conversation I had with him.

The day before that, I saw Yousef literally running out of faculty to car park, the heavily built person all perspiring and upset. I asked him what was wrong and he replied, "I have to hurry, my youngest son is very sick, have to go hospital.Can't talk now". And he rushed past me.

The next day morning as I was waiting in the bus stop I saw him in his car signalling me to come in. He said he is going to Faculty and so he can drop me to there too. I looked at his eyes and knew he hadn't slept much that night. 

So I asked, " Yousef, how are you?"

He replied,  "Al-hamdhLillahi"

I asked, "So your son is well now?"

He shook his head and said, "No, still fever very high.He has caught dengue fever.He's critical.Admitted in hospital. Doctor says he may go to a coma... But Al-hamdLillahi"

I quizzed, "Al-hamdLillahi??"

He must have seen the puzzled look on my face and said, "Yes Akhee(brother), Al-HamdLillahi. Al-HamdLillahi because he is getting a good treatment in hospital. Al-HamdLillahi because I have this phone and my wife can call me if anything needed. Al-HamdLillahi because i have this car and i can rush if needed. Al-HamdLillahi because my stipend arrived and also my family has sent some money so I can pay fees inSha Allah. Al-HamdLillahi for all the niumah (favours) by Al-HamdLillahi"

Also he added, " don't stop saying Al-HamdLillahi when a bad thing happen. Think of all the good. If you fall, Al-HamdLillahi, if you dont break a leg or arm. If you break a bone, Al-HamdLillahi because you are alive and you can pray or repent.Always AlhamdLillahi and always have Sabr (patience)"

This made me to think. Here is a man, with his 10 months old son with dengue fever critical in hospital,with worries of money and worries of studies. But here is a man who has his Faith and is fast in Praising Allah. Here is a man who could have easily gone into depression or decadency. But here he is looking at every goodness in his life, being optimistic.

What he had just said and his behaviour (being optimistic and courageously facing all obstacle with Faith) had profound affect on me. He was in my life for three months only, but he had helped my character to build. I realised, Life could be lived in two ways ; looking down concentrating in all negativities and going down that pessimistic drain, or looking up at all the positivities and reaching up to heavens with Faith. I resolved, I would chose the latter.