Can I eat a tree bark for Suhoor?
By
Umm Amal – Freelance writer
Recently a colleague cum friend of mine shared an experience.
She works for an online Dawah company that facilitates new Muslims globally by answering their basic queries about Islam. The objective is to grant them moral support, spiritual guidance and practical solutions, now that they have become part of the Ummah.
Taking the Shahadah is only the first pivotal step in a believer’s life. Living that Shahadah is what matters, and hence my friend and many more caring souls help these new Muslim brothers and sisters in Islam.
An African brother asked her: “Can I eat tree bark for Suhoor?” Naturally my friend asked him why he would opt for such a strange choice of food. He simply replied: “Because I am poor and I don’t have food to eat.”
How does he break his fast then? He responded: “The local Masjid feeds the poor at Iftar time.” Hence he is able to eat.
Appalling!
This made me think over many things, as my mind went reeling with countless thoughts.
What I felt grateful for?
- The role of our Masajid
Allah (swt), our Caring Rabb (swt), enabled our places of worship to take care of the needy. It is common sight for us to drive by mosques offering food to the destitute, even in our own cities, more so in Ramadan. Hence this is a good place to invest Sadaqah to further the cause of feeding the hungry.
- Interactive online Dawah initiatives
Imagine calling up a reliable source to gain beneficial knowledge, piece of wisdom or solutions for a desperate situation you are in. The best part is that you need not reveal your name or other identifying factors. You are free to ask in a non-threatening environment. You never get judged by the counsellor on the other side. The entire Ummah should have access to such helplines.
- My friend with a purpose
I know that our beloved Prophet (sa) stated that a person is upon the Deen (religion) of his or her friend. Hence I felt elated to be friends with someone who gave me a different and deeper perspective of life. Ramadan was not just about Rooh Afza, Pakoras, Food Panda and the likes. It was a time to be mindful of what were we doing with our life. Was it worthy of being presented before Allah (swt) upon our imminent meeting?
- The table laden with responsibilities
For once I realized what a table laden with Iftar and Suhoor goodies meant. I was grateful to Allah (swt) for the easy access to scrumptious delicacies. I felt scared of the bounties staring at me and wondered how I will account for them. I felt pained to know how many hungry people were suffering in this world where the greed of a few has tilted the scales of resources that Allah (swt) granted justly otherwise.
- Allah’s (swt) path is mine
I was ultimately grateful for Allah (swt) being our Rabb, for Prophet (sa) being our leader, for Quran being our divine guidance and for Islam being our source of salvation and an eternal delightful life ahead.
I pray that Allah (swt) connects the influential and educated Muslimeen with the true purpose of their life. Let them fix the unjust tilt of resources in this world causing suffering. Finally I pray that Allah (swt) grants my brother in Islam from His endless treasures so he does not have to eat a bark of a tree for Suhoor next time. Ameen.
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