Harakah Barakah

Sometimes we never know that an encounter with some strangers might give us a beautiful outlook of the reality of life. Seeing a person with an unkempt look and a dishevelled appearance, your thought has probably preoccupied with some improper and to a certain extent negative prejudgments. After all, that’s human.
When I first saw this white uncle walking alone slowly on the road in my hometown , he really caught my attention . Wearing a brown coloured hat and a grey coloured short pant, the simplicity of this lone ranger really amazed me. My later sightings of this uncle gave me the same impression of the same person. Wearing almost the same coloured garment and walking alone in a slow paced movement, still the same simplicity amazed me !

My first encounter with this uncle happened when I met my friends who came to my hometown for a visit. It’s around 10 of them and they chose to stay at a garden like villa which they rent for several days. Knowing that my friends came for a visit was truly a delight. What more, to be able to meet friends whom you have not seen for months. Subhanallah !

Back to the uncle, I was totally surprised to meet him at the same villa which my friends are staying at. I really did not expect to meet him there. Anyway, I did. I was told that this uncle knows the owner of the villa and that generous person welcomes him to stay there in the beautiful garden like villa. I was also told that this uncle is coming from the land of the Maoris and the Old Blacks-New Zealand.

Right after performing our prayers at the mosque, me and my friends went to the villa as we have so many things to talk about. We chat about this and that and shared many stories that made us smiled all the way. Then, while preparing for the food, that uncle came and stood before us, smiling and then left to the beautiful garden nearby. I asked my friend Halil whether he knows that person. It turned out to be that he knows him as they have talked earlier. I told Halil, when I saw that uncle, I wanted to say hi and talk to him, but I was a bit hesitant. I really didn’t know why, but I guessed it was due to his appearance( though I am not that type of person who likes to judge people based on their appearance only). Halil affirmed me that it is ok and I don’t have to worry anything.

Later, after we have done with our business of preparing the meal, Halil and me went to that uncle to say hi and finding out what is he doing at the garden. You would be so shocked if I tell you that this uncle does not even wear slippers at that time. He’s walking barefoot while observing the beautiful garden. He said, he’s waiting for the golden fish to appear from the pond. At first, I didn’t really believe it, but when I saw this yellowed creature moving on the surface, I knew I was wrong. Astaghfirullah!

Halil started the conversation with that uncle and then came my turn. I was taken aback to know that this uncle is very friendly and knowledgeable too. He told me, he looks at himself as a traveler and not as a tourist. A traveler of mind in his life journey as what I understood from so many things he told me. He’s been travelling to so many places because he wants to lead his life that way. I was mesmerized listening to him, knowing that he appreciates the value of brotherhood, and differences of cultures and also not to forget he is very much into nature and arts. I guess, that explains why he didn’t wear slippers in the garden =P

I like people like him,. Very low profile and quiet yet knowledgeable and very responsive to surrounding. I can sense that he has some sort of Sufistic understanding and thought. Yes, he is not a Muslim and based on my observation, he has less knowledge on Islam too. He started to tell me that he makes paintings and also calligraphy. I was really curious about something and to confirm what’s been clouding in my head, I asked him.

“So, is it you that made those khats on the vases out there?”

He said. “Yes, I made them and I made them based on books only". Subhanallah. I couldn’t believe it. Those khats are really beautiful and I told him I also used to learn the calligraphy back then in Uni, but I was not really artistic. I didn’t have that aptitude I believe. After that, we continued our lovely chat and discussed about so many things about arts, nature and life itself. Then, meal time !

Yasiin, a friend form Madinah and a couple of other friends also came to join the visit with Halil. We made a circle and then had our lunch –a Turkish food made by Mohammed Abi from Turkey. Nice experience though honestly, I could hardly eat the food =)

That uncle also joined us and later our discussion centred on that uncle. It seemed like everyone was so eager to know about this uncle. Again, he shared about his travels though he didn’t say exactly what triggered him to travel that much. Nonetheless, he just told us that he wants to lead his life that way. Until when? I really don’t know. Then Yasiin blurted out the words ‘Harakah Barakah’ which means ‘moving is blessing’. Then he shared something about Hijrah of the prophet, the underlying significant behind it and so on. It was truly a beautiful chat. So interesting until at one point, I noticed that the uncle has started to use the phrase- ‘Travelling is blessing’. I just smiled when he said that as I remembered Yasiin had used the phrase earlier though in Arabic =)

Listening to this uncle, he made me think that this life is indeed a journey. Not necessarily a physical one, rather it includes our spiritual journey. I’m sure that uncle is having an extensive journey of his soul. When I look at him, I can see that he’s looking for something in his life. He kept telling us that we are in the ‘University of Life’ where he can be the ‘professor’ of what he believes in’. We all smiled when he said that.

It’s a bit ludicrous but I am yet to know the real name of this uncle. Since everybody called him uncle, I also did the same thing. Later, that uncle shared something beautiful. He said:

“The most beautiful language in the world is the language without word”

Excited to hear such words, Yasiin quickly asked Defrim for a piece of paper and pen so that he may jot it down. Noticing Yasiin doing that, the uncle swiftly said:
“Oh no!. I just told you that the most beautiful language in the world is the language without word and right there you are asking for a piece of paper to write it?.Oh Common!” We all then looked at Yasiin and his his mudlled face. We all burst into laughter !
Subhanallah, with the spirit of Harakah Barakah, we all met that day and shared something about life . Alhamdullilah !

Allahu A’lam.

>images credit to: pixdaus and
life___by_ekbs-d23ityf of deviant art