هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَان

In this real-time story NASEEM GHAZI FALAHI narrates how goodness goes a long way to beget goodness.

Once, a friend of mine who was an engineer by profession visited me. He narrated an amazing incident which had happened to him. One day he went to visit a relative who was sick and admitted in a Government hospital. It was almost evening. He looked around for a person who could help him locate the ward where his relative was admitted. He noticed a person sitting in the corridor with the head buried in the knees. The person looked up when the engineer tapped his shoulder. His eyes were red and swollen. Obviously, he had been crying.

The engineer helped him stand up and asked him what was wrong with him. He pointed towards a corner of the corridor behind him and said that his mother was dead and her body was lying there since her death in the morning. His village was about 35 kms away and a vehicle was required to carry the dead body of his mother to the village. The drivers of the vehicles were demanding the fare in advance but he did not have enough money to pay them. In spite of his repeated assurances that he will pay the balance once they reached the destination, no driver was willing to believe him.

The engineer could see the dead body covered in white cloth placed on the floor in a corner of the corridor. He also verified the relevant papers provided by the hospital authorities. He went to the hospital compound where vehicles were parked along with the person and tried to convince the drivers that the fare will be paid to them once they reach the destination but they would not agree. Finally, the engineer paid the fare from his purse. He also helped the man and placed his mother’s body inside the van. He was so overwhelmed by the compassion and help of the engineer that he fell on his feet and cried uncontrollably. The engineer consoled him and stayed with him till the vehicle departed. Time passed by and only a trace of the memory of that evening remained with the engineer.

Years later, the engineer was completing his routine work in the office. It was late in the evening when a well-built man entered the office. He was wearing a turban and part of it covered his face in such a way that the face could not be seen properly. He resembled a villager. He wanted to meet the engineer, he said.

The engineer told him that he was the person whom the visitor was asking about. The incident aforementioned had happened a long time ago and the engineer could not recognise him but the visitor recognised the person who had helped him. When the engineer addressed him again, the latter was certain that he was meeting the same person who had come to his rescue a long time ago. He fell down on his feet and started apologising profusely. Perplexed and confused, the engineer helped him sit with him and inquired about his identity and why he wanted to meet him.

The visitor removed his turban from his head and placed it on the engineer’s feet. He confessed that he was on a contract and had come there to kill the engineer. He was paid a large amount for the purpose by an enemy of the engineer. But he luckily recognised the person, without whose timely help he could not have taken the body of his dead mother to his village. Now the engineer also recognised him and enquired about his activities and his family.

During the discourse, the person admitted that he had fallen into bad company. He was involved in several criminal activities and even killed people for the sake of money. He always remembered the angel who had helped him, but since he did not possess his address and did not even know his name, he was unable to meet him earlier to show his gratitude. He thanked God for saving him from committing the biggest crime of his life. He started crying and sought his apology again and again. The engineer consoled him and advised him to set himself free from the sinful life he was leading and not to indulge in any criminal activities in the future. He also briefed him about God Almighty and the Life Hereafter. The man promised the engineer that he would lead a pious life, toil hard and support his family. The engineer bade him farewell and gifted him some books for his guidance.

Virtue begets virtue. A good deed is rewarded in this world itself and greater reward is guaranteed in the hereafter. The reward of good cannot be but good.

[Translated from Urdu by MOHAMED HANEEF KATIB]