Lessons learned from a ‘trustworthy friend’

******************* In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Reflection ******************** "Anyone who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God..." (Nisaa 4:80) ****************** I was in ITM (now UiTM) in the eighties (1982-85). As a student, it was a dream for me to own a motorcycle. Since hostels of male students were far away from dining halls and lectures rooms, owning motorcyles would certainly of much help and thankful to Allah SWT for His blessing. ************* Alas during Year One, with only a ‘Fama sponsorship’ (father’s and mother’s small allowance), I was only day dreaming but during Semester Three in early 1984, I was awarded an education loan amounting to a thousand ringgit per year. Oh, how could I forget the thrill of having lots of money in my hands! *************** The first pay was RM1,000. After settling various bills (at that time college fee was only RM90 per semester), I was left with RM800 in my pocket. Could I fulfill by dream of owning a motorcycle with that amount of money? ****************** As I knew that amount was not enough even to buy a second hand Yamaha Cup, I gave the ‘trust’ to my father whose monthly salary at that time I thought was not more that RM500. ******************* I remembered how ‘naughty and selfish’ I was then when I persuaded and pressured my parents to buy a bike for me. It worked, one day my father asked me to go his friend’s house, a Chinese man who was willing to part off his Yamaha Cup, with the registration number MM9XXX at RM1,200. ***************** My money was RM400 short, but being ignorant at that time I didn’t even asked my father how he topped it up. Perhaps he had sacrified by borrowing money from friends or worst still from ‘ah longs’ (illegal money lenders). ******************* I started owning that bike in January 1984, and believe me it was my ‘trustworthly friend’ until it ‘died’ on the 29th February 2012 when I was on my way to a masjid for ‘zuhur’prayers. I had used the bike for more than two decades; the years it serviced me has been more than my married life of 23 years. ****************** I had lost a ‘true friend’ but that didn’t stop me from deposing it. One day in March this year after a few weeks being left idle in the garage, I took the almost broken into two bike to a friend’s motocycle shop and had it sold as old metal scrap at only RM40! ******************* My bike reflected my life. When I first had my hands on it, I was not even 22 years old. Those early years I had a robust life. Once, with that bike, I raced illegally with a few friends in Shah Alam. I lost control at a roundabout and was flung into a drain; the bike crashed on the pavement. ****************** With my best friend, Zek, sometimes we would sneek from our homes and hostels and with our motocycles went to watch movies in small cinemas which were history today such as Kammah, New Oriental and Capitol in Melaka and Klang that screened steamy movies not shown at respected ones such as Cathay and Rex. ********************* One Saturday in 1984, Zek and I went to Port Klang jetty with my bike, and then we took a ferry ride to Pulau Lumut (nowadays known as Pulau Indah). We roamed the island with the bike, eat a lot of durians and by night time landed in a ‘surau’ (small masjid). A kind villager took us to his house and during our stay there, we were feasted with more durians; even cakes served were made from that fruit! My ‘beloved’ MM9XXX became my ‘spare vehicle’ after I bought a second hand car in 1989. It was left rusty in the sun and rain but fortunately my youngest brother who was studying in UiTM ‘rescued’ and used it for a few years before returning it back to me. ********************* How time had slipped pass and people has change; if during my younger days, I used the bike for ‘silly purposes’ such as involving in illegal racing, going to cinemas and roaming the country, alhamdulillah (Praise to the Almighty) when that vehicle had become old (just like the writer) with ‘a little power’ left, I only ride it to nearby places such as attending prayers and classes in masjids and suraus or buying simple groceries such as bread and newspapers. ************************ If that ‘trustworthy bike’ which had given me an excellent service for more than two decades, had ‘passed away’ and I had it abandoned, I too was on my way to say goodbye to this ‘untrustworthy’ world. It was because all life ends in death. ************************* Scholars had warned men; let us remember that a certain time is fixed for us when we too will be abandoned to the darkness in our graves. We should, therefore, consider the passing life of this world as a means towards out ultimate goals. ******************** Yes, this material world is not the main object of our life but a means towards a higher goal. The purpose of man’s life is ‘Servie to Allah’ and nothing else. This life is a preparation of what Allah has in store for us. ******************** The life in the Hereafter is eternal, and it is that which the believer should strive for. Hence let us not be deceived by the glamor and spendour aroud us. ******************** This life should never be wasted by merely seeking a comfortable and rich life of worldly happiness because Allah SWT tells us: “And surely the Hereafter is indeed better than this world.” ********************** Again says the Qur’an, “Every soul shall taste of death” – none shall be made to wander this world for ever. ******************** And when their time to depart has come, none shall be given a respite for even an hour, neither shall death be hastened by an hour. On the other hand the righteous and pious will be glad to leave. ******************** For them death will be easy and the greatest object of their lives. “Death is a bridge, whereby the loved ones reach their beloved.” These are the ones who made Allah the object of their devotion, adoration and obedience and Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. the model examplar of their lives. Thus success awaits them. ****************** Yes, these are those who will be successful in the Hereafter to enjoy the pleasure of their Lord. Then Allah will grant them Paradise. (Pearls of the Prophet) ****************** It is very necessary that we take a lesson from the coming and going of men and things around as. One day we too will be no more. Even my trustworthy MM 9XXX Yamaha Cup has ‘passed away’. So what are we waiting for? Let us now prepare ourselves for that fateful day; it may be after a few years, it may be tomorrow or even today. So beware! ****************** Let us, therefore, endeavour to become His loyal and humble servants who will unfailingly strive to improve our lives to live a better, fuller and richer life goodness so that death will be to us a brige joining the loved one with the beloved. ****************** Allah SWT says in the Qur;an: “Only those who believe in Our revelations when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and they are not scornful; who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what We have bestowed on them. No soul knows what is hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” (Qur’an 32: 15-17)