Devote and Commit

I happened to ‘bump’ into an old friend while waiting for prayer time at the City Centre Mosque. I have not met this friend for a very very long time. We were in the same class for two years in primary school, that was when we were about 10 or 11 years old. I think he moved away from that school after that two years and we did not meet since. I recognized him straightaway, as he is quite a popular figure being a writer and a political critic, most of the time swaying to the opposition side and a pain in the ???? to the ruling party!! I have read some of his books and in a way followed his career, hence I knew and recognized him. What surprised me was that he recognized me too in spite of not having met each other for about half a century!! He remembered my nickname too but took quite sometime before he could recall my full name.

We had many questions for each other and squeezed some pertinent ones for the time being, as prayer time was near, and reserved the others with a promise to meet up again sometime soon. He lives in an area far outside of the city, mountainous and heavily wooded, and where many rich and famous locals have resorts and holiday bungalows. For him though, that is his permanent residence. A very nice place for a writer to be living in, nevertheless. He has not gone back to his childhood home or village as there are no family members there now. When I told him that I do go back quite regularly, almost monthly, and that my mum is still living and active, he was surprised. He said how lucky I was and that I should take the opportunity to ‘devote and commit’. He does not have that same opportunity I have anymore he said. Just then the call for prayers was made and we got ready for prayers. After prayers I tried to look for him but he was gone. Ah well, I thought, I can try to meet up with him again some opportune days later.

Devote and Commit, he said. That saying played in my mind for the rest of the day and the days following. It was said in relation to my mum being still alive. My mum is now 85 years old, 86 come November. She lives in the south, and my sister and her family lives with her. She is still active, although slow in movements but very much active. She still keeps account as treasurer of a cooperative, active in Women Institute, a local gathering of women, and also in the local committee of the women’s wing of the ruling political party. She keeps herself busy while maintaining increased devotion to the Almighty. She is a real wonder for us who are much younger than her, who lament and complain over the slightest pain in our body parts, and the lack of time to do anything and everything. I said these things to my friend and that was when he said that I should devote and commit.

Pondering over the devote and commit comment I took it as a reminder that I should devote more of my time to my mum and that I should commit myself to her wellbeing. In deed it was a sincere advice and comment from a good friend. I begin to recall some of the sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on the virtues of service to one’s own mother, from whose bosom one obtained nourishment as a baby, and from whom one learnt those simple and complex things in life while growing up, like the learning to turnover, surge, crawl, stand up and walk to the everyday problems at home, at school, with relationships, friends, the opposite sex, and so on. Mother provided all the protection and the comfort you needed when you were growing up as a child, as adolescent and beyond. These provisions were immense and unquantifiable. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was once asked by a companion to which living person shall one pay the highest devotion and he replied your mother. He was asked again and he again replied your mother, three times before he said your father. So, I understood the comment of my friend. Heaven, they say is at the feet of your mother. Never say unkind words to your mother, not even the slightest reproach, lest you are considered a traitor betraying her. On the contrary, mother has to be held in high esteem always. Another companion of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), who collects goats’ milk daily from his herd, will not drink the milk, nor gives it to his family, before his mother drinks. Once when he reached his mother’s house on the way home bringing the milk, he waited for his mother to wake up from sleep, and then gave her the milk. He did not wake her, neither did he just left the milk for her. He waited until she woke up on her own and made sure that his mother has had the drink before going home. There are many sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and similar mother stories showing examples of devotion and commitment to ones mother. I began to realize then the value of that simple comment from my friend and was indeed thankful to him.

I do not think I have devoted enough nor committed enough to my mother. Yes, I do visit her once in a while, I do call her on the phone now and then, when I have to travel somewhere I will tell her, when I return I will also tell her. But I do not think they are enough. I have to do more. Call more often, find out her needs and attend to them as best I can. She will wake up each morning wondering how her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren are doing, just as I wonder how my children and grandchildren are doing. She will worry when she hears that one of us is sick just as I worry when I hear any of my children or grandchildren is sick. I may live far away from her but, as they say, no matter how far away one is, one is only a phone call away. If only my mum can operate a laptop or computer…….. hmmmmm…. wishful thinking ……..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya