Ahmad’s Father, Muhammad, sat at the breakfast table staring down, watching the steam from his hot tea rise up into the air. Ahmad’s mother, ‘Aliya, approached Muhammad and sat next to him.
“My beloved husband, what makes you sad?”
“It is Ahmad. I weep for him. I have had a hard life and never had the life of a proper child. I was brought up in sin and I wasted so many years of my life in which I could have spent my timing worshipping Allah. All I ever wanted is to bring up a son worshipping Allah so that I can replace what I have lost and look towards my Lord Allah on The Day of Judgment with my son in my hand and smile towards Allah showing Him, Most High, my pious son whom I have brought into this World with the permission of Allah. Look what we have done! We have only turned towards Allah now in our lives and our son is lagging behind! What if he died now and goes to Hell? How can I live with that guilt…My son, my son!” Ahmad’s father suddenly burst into tears. Ahmad’s mother could not herself hold back the tears and both husband and wife comforted each other.
Two more days have already passed and Ahmad has only seven days to live.
Ahmad lay on his bed, ear phones in his ears listening to music, magazine in his hand, eyes and mind focusing on sinful star signs.
Hours pass. The sun begins to set. Ahmad jumps off the bed and prepares himself for the night out with his friends. He runs downstairs and is immediately confronted by his mother who is blocking the front door.
“Mum! What are you doing?!”
“I am stopping you from leaving the house! It is almost 9:00PM and we are about to eat dinner together!”
“What! I made a promise to Mo that I will meet up with him tonight!” Ahmad screamed.
“It is late and we need to eat dinner. Why is it your brothers and sister are so obedient and not you?”
“Because I have a life and they don’t!”
“How dare you? They worship Allah; they are doing well in their life…Look at you Ahmad! Cant you see what you are doing to yourself?!”
“Move!” Ahmad screamed as he moved forward towards his mother.
With his elbow, he knocked into his mother pushing her over. She fell to the side knocking her shoulder against the wall.
“Ya Allah forgive my son, forgive me son!” ‘Aliya burst into tears holding her shoulder. Ahmad’s father ran towards the front door to comfort his wife. Before he could say anything to Ahmad, he had already run down the street towards his friends. Ahmad’s father sat down holding his wife in his arms, who had already collapsed from the pain and sadness of what her own son had done to her.
‘Aliya stared straight into Muhammad’s eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, eyes red with pain.
“Why? Why? I will die to save my son for the sake of Allah. He is a part of me and a son whom I love. What he has done to me is like removing my heart from me. I love him ya Allah! Guide him and protect him…” ‘Aliya again burst into tears.
Ahmad’s father could not listen to those words without feeling his heart break into two.
Little did Ahmad know that in Islam whoever harms their mother, Allah sends punishment straight away upon them…
