2011-10-07

 

My stay in Somalia has taught me a lot of valuable lessons in life and has given me the privilege of witnessing incidents that I will never forget as long as I live. However once incident that will remain in the memories is an incident that makes the teachings of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam so true…

Everyday we visit different camps where wheat, flour, sugar, oil etc. is distributed  to the poor and needy by the Al Imdaad foundation. The Zakaat that is received however has to be given in cash. On this particular day we went to a camp with literally a packet full of cash in 1000 shilling bills. .it seems like a lot but when when you do the math, it is only equivalent to  about 400 US Dollars. The team decided that the elders of the camp would come forward and in this way it would be distributed amongst the elders. As the team started handing over the money something amazing happened. I felt something touch my face. I thought I was imagining due to the fact that the ‘Something’ had a wet feeling and the last time Somalia experienced productive rain was two years ago. In the confusion iheard someone say “Hey look its raining” and then realised that my feelings are not deceiving me, I am not imagining, it is really tiny drops of water from the sky that’s touching my face. I then remembered the Hadeeth of Nabi Sallallahyu Alaihi Wa Sallam regarding rain being withheld due to people not paying Zakaat. Subhanallah! The rain didn’t last long as those few drops were the first and last of it but it made me think maybe….just maybe the people of Somalia are suffering because Muslims in other parts of the world are holding back their Zakaat. It was a day that I had the privilege of seeing the beauty of Nabi Sallallahu alaihi Wa Sallam’s teachings right in front of me, it was a day I realised that maybe Somalia is facing the consequences of their Muslim brothers and sisters actions in other parts of the world. Locals say that these type of drizzles have occurred a few times in the last two years but nothing productive. I say some of the Ummat is paying their Zakaat but not all of us!!!