Inspiration and Spirituality
From the Nurse to the Shaykh: A Heartfelt Reminder
There are moments in life, unexpected, that unfold before our eyes, leaving us in wonder over the Power of the Almighty, subhanahu wata’ala. Sometimes, Allah sends forth a person who speaks words, few in number, weighty in sincerity, that forever changes our lives.
Shaykh Saleh Al-Meghamsi (may Allah preserve him), Imam of Masjid Quba, went through such a humbling, lesson-laden moment that leaves us with much to reflect on. He relates his story saying:
I was in the intensive care unit, just beginning to regain consciousness after undergoing a 24 hour open-heart surgery, when the nurse in charge of me noticed a change in the blood. He informed a doctor, who informed another. A third doctor was then called, until 14 people, among them doctors and professionals, had gathered to discuss what they should do regarding my case. They were reading the signals from the devices over my head, and although I had no idea what the situation was, I could read fear in their faces. It seemed that the signals were not pleasant. They called Dr. Adam, a successful Sudanese doctor, to come and see. He studied the monitor and concluded that there was congealed blood on the heart and that it had to be removed. The news came down on me like a thunderbolt . The doctor sought my permission, and although fear began to overwhelm me, Allah guided me to utter the shahadah, followed by my head nodding in agreement.
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I was disconnected from the devices around me, and the doctor left to prepare for the operation.
At that same moment, there stood to my left a Lebanese nurse who seemed to feel sorry for me due to the situation I was in. Allah guided her to gently remind me:
‘Listen. Salli ‘ala al-Naby (send blessings on the Prophet), and your Lord will relieve it.”
Instantly, like anyone would respond, I said:
‘Allahumma sallee ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala Aali Muhammad.”
Just like that, I said it.
I said it and all the blood came down.
The signals indicated by the machines differed, and they were unsure as to what had occurred. They called the doctor back. He arrived, looked at the screen and said; ‘Shaykh Saleh, what we wanted to do and rid you of, Allah rid you of it from above the 7 heavens.’
This story is not about Saleh (the shaykh). It is about that woman whom Allah granted tawfeeq (success) to speak these simple words of reminder. And this is based on the teaching of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam), when Ubayy bin Ka’b said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries.”
And Allah saved us from this distress with the sending of peace and blessings on his Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam).
But again, this is not about me personally, it is about the success of this woman, so that we do not think poorly of the Muslim women. If someone were to see her guise and dress, they would not assume that she knew Allah even for the blink of an eye. While I, known as the Imam and khateeb of (masjid) Quba, it did not cross my mind to say those words.
_________________________________________________
The story carries messages that we ought to reflect on for a moment. From the advice of the nurse, we are brought back to the teaching of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) to his companion, Ubayy bin Ka’b (radhiAllahu anhu), when he taught him that sending many salawaat on him is a cause of forgiveness and relief from worries.
Ubayy bin Ka`b relates: I said, “O Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam), I send much blessings on you. What proportion of my prayer should I devote to (sending blessings on) you?” He said, “As much as you like.”
I said, “A quarter?” He said, “As much as you like, and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then a half?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased then it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then two thirds?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries and your sins will be forgiven.”(Jami’ Tirmidhi).
From the Shaykh, there is an example of humbling oneself and accepting the advice of others, regardless of the position we hold. Although he is a person of knowledge, this did not prevent him from heeding the advice of the nurse, responding with immediate action.
Finally, we should never underestimate the value of a simple word of advice. Whatever we know, an effort should be made to teach it to others. Do not belittle a sincere reminder, of appropriate timing, to your Muslim brother and sister. It may have a dramatic effect on their spiritual well-being; on their heart. Perhaps even literally.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i9UggAgS4Y[/youtube]
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Amatullah
July 23, 2010 at 12:06 AM
beautiful reminder and an amazing story. jazaaki Allahu khayran.
Ali Colak
July 23, 2010 at 12:19 AM
Mashallah,
This is a truly beautifl reminder.
It reminds us both of the vertues of bringing salawat on an-nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the fact that good advice could often come from the most unlikely of sources; a lesson that I have had to learn and relearn several times.
muslimah
July 23, 2010 at 12:48 AM
that was so beautiful..jazakAllah khayr..sometimes i wonder why didn’t Allah with all His power stopped x,y,z from happening..perhaps it’s because He wants to test us. I pray that Allah grant us patience and faith in Him. ameen.
muslimah
July 23, 2010 at 12:58 AM
a few yrs back i subscribed to a website that gave out poetic reminders and reading this post made me remember one of them – if you are at the edge of a cliff, have faith in God. Either he’ll catch you or teach you how to fly.
I know most of us will probably be too freaked out to think straight in the abv situaion but that proverb puts things in perspective..at least for me.
Uthman
July 23, 2010 at 3:18 AM
mashAllah! beautiful!
اللهم صلي على Ù…Øمد وعلى آل Ù…Øمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك Øميد مجيد اللهم بارك على Ù…Øمد وعلى آل Ù…Øمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك Øميد مجيد
Remember today is Friday. This is the day in which you must make as much Salawat on the Prophet(ï·º). May Allah accept from us!
muslimah
July 23, 2010 at 3:23 AM
and also read surat al kahaf and make du’aa btw asr and maghrib.
mubasshir
July 23, 2010 at 6:04 AM
beautiful..we need more of these beautiful reminders 2 charge our imaan batteries frm time 2 time
hayat
July 23, 2010 at 6:43 AM
machallah what a good thing to hear in friday may allah reward you.
i admire muslims who write such thing it is another way of doing dawa.
ya allah forgive our sin and give us jenna.
Abdullah
July 23, 2010 at 6:57 AM
I was wondering if someone could give me a good explanation of the hadith that has been mentioned in the article. What does it mean:
What proportion of my prayer should I devote to (sending blessings on) you?
What prayer is being referred to? Du’aa?
Does it mean that when we make du’aa we only read salawat in our du’aa to Allah?
Ayesha
July 23, 2010 at 9:30 AM
barakAllahufeeki sister …jazakAllahukhairan for translating it for us..
people who can understand arabic should listen to Sheikh Maghamsi’s lectures…he instills fear of Allah in our hearts..Allahu yahfidh hu
Sister
July 23, 2010 at 10:53 AM
subahanallah…Jazakumallahu khairaan sister..inshaallah I will read and pass this on to others.
sabirah
July 24, 2010 at 5:17 AM
wallahi when i read the title and saw the picture I thought that sounds like a hospital romance…
beautiful article, mashaAllah
Naureen
July 24, 2010 at 7:43 PM
that was awesome. can we get stuff like that for Ramadan?
Sadaf Farooqi
July 26, 2010 at 11:36 PM
What a beautiful post! May Allah reward you for sharing this, Mariam.
Love your articles and the lessons that can be derived from them.
Barak Allahu feeki. :)
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Huddi
July 27, 2010 at 4:27 AM
I don’t understand that hadith. The wording seems strange. Isn’t prayer for Allah?
Huddi
July 27, 2010 at 4:29 AM
I mean done for the sake of Allah. How could you devote your whole prayer towards sendings salaams to the prophet?
abuabdirahman
July 28, 2010 at 12:45 AM
salah can refer to praying or making dua.
its refering to dua in this hadith.
Huddi
July 28, 2010 at 11:07 AM
yea, makes sense, JK. yea i searched google and found this, dont know if its authentic or not, but it goes with what you said.
About the above hadith, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Jala’ al-Afhaam (79): Our Shaykh Abu ‘Abbaas (i.e., Ibn Taymiyah) was asked about the meaning of this hadeeth. He said: Ubayy ibn Ka’b had a dua that he used to say for himself, and he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whether he should make one-quarter of it sending blessings on him, and he said … because whoever sends blessings on the Prophet, Allah will send blessings on him tenfold, and if Allah sends blessings on a person He will take care of his concerns and forgive him his sins.
Wael - IslamicAnswers.com
July 31, 2010 at 6:31 PM
What a beautiful, touching story, all the more so because it is true. The Imam is knowledgeable AND humble, and I believe that’s why Allah blessed him in this way. He recognized that a reminder of truth can come from anywhere. He learned some good lessons and I appreciate him sharing this story with us.
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