A Guide Named Dhiyab - Part 2

Although there were only two Palestinians and one Yemeni together with with eight local brothers, our jamaat attracted special attention of the locals wherever we went to during the ten days period (as usually is the case with foreign jamaat). Dhiyab and the two Palestinian brothers were always occupied attending to the locals that flocked them, though most of the time he merely listened to, observed and learned from the more experience and elderly Palestinian brothers' conversation, speeches and actions.

In the first ten days that we were together, my relationship with Dhiyab was more on ta'aruf basis (getting to know each other). I, sometimes would teased him, telling him that his American accent make me sick. He enjoyed talking about Yemen, its people, culture and heritage. He especially cherished the topic on historical Yemen and he was excellent explaining every single detail about it. I must say he is superb and exceptional as a tourist guide. You could feel the years and hard work that he had put in his work. It was hilarious when he once told me that he was fascinated by the "Malaysian method of dakwah" as he did not find it in America or Yemen. I have to explain to him that this particular work and effort of dakwah is very much in existence all over the world including America and Yemen except perhaps he was at a wrong place or at a wrong time.

At the end of the ten days khuruuj in the path of Allah, Dhiyab decided to use remaining time of his three months tourist visa in Malaysia to join us for another 30 days of dakwah and tabligh mission to Penanti, Bukit Mertajam in northern Malaysia, thus, completing the 40 days period. The two Palestinian brothers tearfully bid us farewell before continuing their blessed journey for another two months in Bangladesh.

It was during the later 30 days khuruuj in the path of Allah that Dhiyab and I were frequently paired together. And it was during this period that our relationship grew into a special bondship between us. Often when we visited the locals living in the surrounding area of the masjid that we stopped by, he would tell the people about the importance of making effort to acquire imaan (faith) and knowledge of Deen to practice. He would relate to them his own shortcomings before Allah gave him taufeeq and show him the way to struggle for Deen. As if I could still hear him said, "Come to the right environment of Deen in the masjid and spend some time for it. If I can give three months of my visa time for dakwah and tabligh, surely you can give just three days of your time. If you cannot give three days, then give two. If you cannot give two days, then give one. If you cannot even give one day, then give one hour of your time for dakwah and tabligh."

I realised that when a common person like me learns and reads the Holy Quran, the focus is directed more on perfecting the tajweed and makhraj in the recitation, deriving very little progress on tadabbur (reflecting on the meanings of the aayah). On the contrary, Dhiyab read the Holy Quran and ahadith deriving and gaining what he called "signals" from Allah Ta'ala that its entire content is based on dakwah. Verses that he read all could be related to dakwah. Once he developed an unbearable concern within himself resulting in him not being able to sleep for two nights and two days and losing appetite for food. As soon as we realised it, we urged and practically forced him to get plenty of sleep and rest and take plenty of food. Not only he developed deep concern for his parents and brothers who are living in America, he also has frenzied concern for the Arab Muslims - for he saw the blatant neglect of the effort of dakwah and tabligh as the cause of the Arab and Ajam (non-Arab) Muslims and the entire world to suffer as the consequences.

Hadhrat Maulana Inamul Hassan rahmatullah alayhi said, "A person's death puts and end to all his sentiments. It is therefore, better that he gives a right direction to his sentiments in his life time so that they may be useful after his death." Once he said, "One's life is spent in accordance with his sentiments. Whose sentiments are aligned towards deen will follow deen and he, whose sentiments are aligned towards material world, will run after the world. But all the sentiments come to an end with death. The death is inevitable and all the sentiments will be left behind. Whatever work of Deen is done it will be useful after death and it is to be done only with this intention. No worldly thing will accompany a person after his death. The only accompanists are his deeds."

The last night that were together as one jamaat before returning back to the Kuala Lumpur markaz, Dhiyab cried uncontrollably. The thought of parting company, going our own separate ways, were too much for him to bear. And all of us shared his sadness. But whilst we were glad and eager to return back to our family, wives and children, Dhiyab decided that it was just the beginning for his quest for the work of Deen. When we returned hugging our wives and children and family, he immediately continued his struggle in the path of Allah to Bangladesh.

He sought to be at the grave of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam

Instead Almighty Allah gives him the effort and work of nubuwwah

For it befit not the tiny Yemeni just as a tourist guide

The entire world is open for him for the effort on guidance and hidayah

May Allah accept our effort and his continuous effort and struggle and make it as a source of hidayah to the entire humanity. Aameen.