An Encounter with Allah

A true story of witnessing magnificent signs of God in petty little daily life incidents

God does not shy away from citing the example of a mosquito, or anything above it. As for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. As for the rejecters, they Say: “What does God want with this example” He lets many stray by it, and He guides many, but He only lets stray the evildoers. Quran 2:26

Wednesday 22 Dec. 7:51 a.m.

Outside Reema’s House

6 minutes late than our usual time, I messaged Reema to tell her that I am waiting outside. She messaged me back that she will come down in 3 minutes. I remember wondering what a peculiar thing to say. Not a more rounded off 5 minutes, not even another more commonly used 2 minutes but exact 3 minutes. But then I wasn’t surprised as I am familiar with how particular and specific Reema can be with time. A strange but mysteriously soothing habit of hers. As I waited in the car rubbing my palms for warmth, I was startled by a knock on my side window. Through the foggy mirror I made out a hazy shape of an aged man in a camel-colored long coat smiling at me. Getting my attention, he stepped back, walked a few steps forward so I could see him through my windshield. Looking over his shoulder he motioned at me to pull in my coat strap which had got caught in the door and was hanging out on the road. I put my right hand over my heart as a thank-you gesture and marveled at the random acts of kindness strangers sometimes do. I opened the door to pull my strap in while Reema came and took her usual place on the passenger seat. Following the same pattern as the past 8 months I put the car in first gear, we slowly made a right turn on the next street that lead to the main road.

As we neared the end of the street, I saw a white Suzuki Loader parked perpendicular at the mouth of the street to my left. I slowed my car behind the loader and turned my head to the right to look for any oncoming traffic on the main road. I waited for the white Cultus to pass. As I straightened my head to start moving my car forward, something completely unanticipated happened. I watched in horror as I saw the loader reverse and ram right into the side of my car before I even had time to hit the horn! The white Cultus sped away straight. My car rocked slightly but left us a bit shaken at what had just happened.

And this is where the story of my foolishness begins. The first stupid thing I did was to move my car from behind the loader to park it ahead on the side of the main road. I am not sure if the driver thought that I had already moved from behind him or whether he did not see me at all but I was pretty sure it wasn’t my mistake and in my still-astonished state faintly heard Reema confirm the same. Despite the collision, I quickly got out of my car hoping against hope that just like other times I had again gotten away without a scratch. However, this time I was greeted with a massive dent all the way at the bottom of the passenger door and a little on the back door as well. With an aching heart, I looked up at the driver who had come out of his car and was waiting patiently for me to complete my examination. I was about to rummage through my memory for the protocol that Baba had taught me to follow in case of a road accident when I heard the first words that came out of the driver’s mouth.

‘It is your fault. You should have looked out when I was reversing my car,’ He began confidently.

This came as even a bigger surprise than the actual accident and also as the first seed of doubt that was planted by him. I began to lose my temper at his audacity of blaming me before I could even utter a word.

‘What kind of a place is this to reverse a car?!’ I heard myself shouting. ‘I saw you. You were standing there. You reversed abruptly. How was I supposed to know you would do this?!’

‘Madam, you must admit your mistake. You were driving behind me and you should have been more aware.’ He persisted calmly.

‘What?! I should have been more aware? I was looking for the car on the main road. It was your job to see behind you before reversing.’ At this point my avoid-conflict-at-any-cost personality was becoming aware and slightly irritated of the drama all this was turning into. And I started thinking of ways to get rid of the situation quickly.

The man continued with some incomprehensible gibberish that left me confused and convinced at the same time. It was either part of his strategy or again my foolishness. Probably the latter.

‘Madam, I have kids your age. My hair has turned white driving this loader.’ He removed his wool cap to reveal an almost bald head with a single tuft of perfectly jet black hair that now stood up like an icecream on a cone.

I fought the urge to get distracted for a while and argue, ‘But they are black.’ But instead I frowned trying to make out how all this was related to the accident.

‘We also could have lost our lives. You should be grateful that we are all safe,’ he stated as matter-of-factly.

Like I mentioned earlier, the collision was soft enough to only have rocked the car a little but his words started working on me. I started thinking of what could have happened to Reema and quickly thanked God for our safety.

With a very slight gentleness in my voice I retorted ‘If you hadn’t started by blaming me, we wouldn’t be screaming at each other right now.’

He looked at me confused probably thinking to himself, ‘But isn’t blaming the other person the obvious thing to do in such situations? Duh, woman!’

And this is how I walked away from him back to my car and drove away thinking that it was a situation that simply could not have been avoided. So, yes. Without calling the police. Without reporting anything. And yup. Without even noting the vehicle registration number, I drove away from the site of accident.

Wednesday 22 December. 8:54 a.m.

Office

But it wasn’t until I reached office and called Baba to narrate the whole incident that I awakened to what I had just done.

My heart sank as Baba asked, ‘So you called the police, right?’ When I answered in a negative he jumped to the obvious conclusion. ‘Oh so you have the plate number then?’. When I answered with a no again he started consoling me as he must have realized by then that there was not much else left to do. Mama also called me later inquiring if we were okay comforting with words such as it was my first time and how in the frenzy of it all one is not able to think clearly. But it was too late. I was consumed with regret and for the rest of the day became too hard on myself with self-scolding on how the situation could have been handled in a better manner.

A little later than mid-day, my husband called me to ask if I was okay. After comforting me, he couldn’t help but be amused and make a little fun of the blunders that I had made.

‘You know the position you were in was so strong that all you had to do was to just step out of the car, take a picture of his number plate and call the police. You did not even have to engage in any sort of conversation with the guy.’ He told me laughing, thoroughly enjoying the whole situation.

But this also made me sad as this was also exactly another thing that I regretted. Shouting at the driver when all could have been settled without even uttering a word. Had I not let my anger consume me, it all could have been dealt with in a more dignified manner.

Wednesday 22 December. 6:30 p.m.

Home

I got home still brooding over the whole situation and was greeted by Diya at the door. I told her the whole story and she added to my embarrassment saying, ‘You did not call the police? How can you do that, Mama? I have noticed many times how you let people go so easily. You must not do that, Mama. If someone does damage to you or your things you should not let them go so easily. It is but only your right to claim that damage.’

I smiled at my 11 year old daughter, half irritated and half impressed at how smart and how so very different she was than her mother.

Thursday 23 December. Around 2 a.m.

Home

I had dozed off reading a good book but with the same sinking feeling in my stomach that was lingering in my subconscious somewhere. I woke up to a fully lit room when Sheyr Khan (my cat) toppled something over the kitchen counter. I got out of the comforter switched off the lights and tried to go back to sleep.

Thursday 23 December. 7:15 a.m.

Home

I was supposed to leave for Gujrat in the afternoon after a half day at office and wanted to clear the kitchen before leaving. I washed the dishes from last night while I found myself unconsciously arguing with Allah Tala.

‘Why did You make my brain stop working? Calling the police or noting the number was the most obvious and the easiest thing to do. Why did You let it completely slip my mind? How can I make this regret go away now? Its petty, I know. It doesn’t even matter to You or anyone, I know. But it is making me feel bad. Plus, with all the other weird worries you have assigned for me, why have You given me this ridiculously worldly, uncomfortable feeling. Didn’t you say to your most beloved nation, Bani Israel, that if they started worrying about You only and the hereafter you will take away some of their worldly struggles. Isnt this why You gave them the blessing of Man-o-Salwa? So that their basic physical need was taken care of and they could focus more on their spiritual wellbeing. I know it is not possible to go back in time and amend things and absolutely impossible to track the driver so could You please reassure me in some way and make this feeling go away? Am I not beloved enough to You?’

With this dramatic dialogue that I did not even consciously realize saying to Allah Tala, I let out an even more dramatic sigh and wiped my hands on the kitchen towel hoping to get ready in time. But when I checked the time I was already 15 minutes late. I quickly messaged Reema that I will be late not 6 minutes like yesterday but a full 15 minutes.

At 7:59a.m I parked my car in front of Reema’s gate and messaged her. Leaving the engine running to warm up, I got out of the car to clear the fog on the side mirrors and windows with a cloth for better visibility. I greeted Reema as she got into the passenger seat and I wiped off the last few dew droplets from the side mirror on my side. But as I was about to get into the car, my eye caught sight of two aged men walking in the direction I was standing enjoying their morning walk and chatting happily as little puffy white clouds came out of their smiling lips. One of them was looking directly at me and smiling. He was wearing a camel-colored overcoat. I waited for them to reach me and when they did, I couldn’t help blurting out excitedly,

‘Assalamualaikum, Uncle!’

Walaikumsalam, Beyti. How are you?’ he inquired with a fatherly kindness in his eye and the same smile that seemed to be placed permanently on his face.

‘You know how yesterday you were trying to save my little coat strap from dust only?’ I asked him enjoying the glisten of curiosity and excitement in his eyes for what I was about to say next. Also, he seemed slightly amused at being talked to as if we were old friends. He nodded encouraging me to go on.

‘I got hit by a car right after that!’ I added, laughing.

Without saying anything he took a step back as a gesture of disappointment but I could see in his kind smiling eyes that he had the sense of humor to understand the joke. But as if remembering something immediately he sobered up and asked me with what seemed like genuine concern,

‘Are you okay, Beyta? I hope you did not get hurt?’

I reassured him and told him that only the car got a dent and both of us were safe by Allah’s grace. This encounter must have taken about half a minute or maybe 20 seconds after which I got into the car drove to the next street that led to the main road. At the mouth of the street I took a left turn and then as I approached the U-turn I stopped to let a white Suzuki Loader pass. But the loader was also taking a U-turn so I began to move my car forward. As the loader took a right turn it halted right beside us. This is when I heard Reema say,

‘Isnt this the same guy from yesterday?’ she said ever so faintly. But my head jerked so fast to the left that I could have sprained my neck. I could only see a silhouette of a man in the early glow of dawn sitting inside wrapped in a cap and a shawl. But strangely it was enough for me to recognize him. I looked in astonishment and saw him grinning from ear to ear.

‘It is him…,’ I whispered flabbergasted, my voice trailing off. I quickly told Reema to note the number plate in case he ran away. But he did not run away. I motioned for him to wait which he did. And there and then at the U-turn with both our cars side by side I talked to the driver with much more civility as compared to our previous encounter and told him how I had gotten scolded by everyone at my stupidity. He smiled at the situation and allowed me to take the picture of his number plate. As I sat back in my car I could not believe it and became fully aware that what had just happened was no less than a miracle.

I turned to Reema still in shock, ‘But how did you recognize him in such a brief moment?’

With her familiar aloofness for petty things in life she laughed and responded, ‘I don’t know. It was just an instinct.’

Thursday 23 December. 8:40 a.m.

At a Signal Near Office

I did not process the whole situation until after dropping Reema at her office. While waiting at the signal, I suddenly remembered my conversation with Allah Tala earlier this morning. Slowly my brain started processing the whole series of events. How I got late from office, how Reema got a little late and then how my little chat with the Uncle in camel coat just timed everything so meticulously for me to have crossed that U-turn at exactly the same time with that Suzuki Loader. Not a second early. Not a second late. Had I gotten ready on time I would have made that U-turn a few minutes earlier. Had I not stood there to chat with Uncle in camel colored coat, the driver would have made the turn earlier. And then when I remembered my little complaints to Allah Tala I suddenly felt hot tears welling up as this ayah hit me like a massive truck with much more force than my humble little accident the day before.

He was listening to me. He was actually listening to my mindless complaints! And not only that, He responded to those complaints. He dint have to but He did. Why? If He listens and caters to such petty issues of ours, then that is enough validation that He also hears all other bigger things that we ask of Him. In that moment I also realized that he wanted me to brood over this temporary worldly loss for 24 hours. He wanted me to go through the process and feel it. And then He wanted me to complain to Him so he could prove to me that He does listen to us and our little problems. And that is eventually a proof of a much bigger fact that He does exist. It is a process. Whether for 24 hours or several years, it has to be a process one must go through feeling each and every emotion because our unevolved brains require validation in physical form to start with. One must find the courage to pursue the process till the very end because the result is rewarding. Maybe this is why God does not permit suicide. This incident was like a crash course just to make me realize that for the processes that are not this short and take years and years to complete, all that is required of you is to have trust and to surrender to His plan admitting with full faith that He has got you and is the best of planners.

And with this shower of realizations, the whole purpose of acquiring the number plate evaporated under the blazing, scorching presence of Allah. Whether I would report the guy or not did not matter anymore. I felt myself floating in euphoria as the dent no longer mattered and neither did the damage claim. All that mattered was that there is a God who listens to you when you talk to Him. And it wasn’t because I was very special to Him because He loves all his creation equally. It was this feeling of being considered important enough to have revealed to me the wisdom behind it all. He did not have to. But He did and made my ungrateful, forgetful self realize once again that whatever is happening is happening for the overall good and one day the wisdom behind every hardship you go through will be either revealed or rewarded. All you have to do is to not lose patience. What a beautifully rewarding moment it would be for the believers who would have borne everything with patience to have eventually revealed to them that it was all for their own good. I suddenly felt ashamed of my wavering faith in Allah and ungratefulness for all His blessings on me. I realized that the whole purpose of this small incident was not to prove whose mistake it was or to see how present-minded I acted in a rough situation. Because I have come to believe that it is in His hands to make you smart in a situation or to let things slip through your mind.

Say (O Mu’hammad ﷺ): “O ALLAH! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things. Quran 26:27

But each time it has a purpose behind. We think that it is us doing every good thing to us, or it is the people doing bad things to us but in reality it is Him and every time there is a well-intended meaning behind it.

Eventually the purpose of all these seemingly insignificant and significant incidents in our lives comes down to one thing. Strengthening our belief in Allah. Not only did I become a first hand witness to this unbelievable incident that had my regrets cleared and had me blessed with the peace of mind but also provided with a chance to make up (hopefully) for my harsh words with another human being. However, with all these little signs the most important thing of all was that He provided me with yet another proof to consolidate my belief in His existence which is probably the most rewarding and moving experience in this human existence.