DRUNKARD BURNT BY TAP WATER

DRUNKARD BURNT BY TAP WATER

AFTER many years of seeing each other, my old friend, Jamal, came to my office one Thursday evening, November 10. What shocked me was he came to tell me that he was going for Umra with his wife. However, he would be travelling with a different company.

     "My wife keeps harping me to go," he said, partly sighing.

     "That's good. Insya-Allah, we will meet there. I am also going... bringing a congregation of pilgrims with me," I replied.

     Jamal, in his 30s, was a director for several companies. Three of his kids would not be going as they were still quite small. Of course, I was happy with his intention but I was also quite surprised because knowing him, I could never imagine that he would want to go to the Holy Land.

     I knew him so well. Ever since he studied overseas until he got married, he loved to drink liquor. These drinks had become his daily staple, even his refrigerator at home was filled with them. However, he hid them each time his parents dropped by. This was because his father was a very strict and religious man.

     I also knew that during meetings, Jamal would ensure that alcohol was served. And whenever he attended any gathering or dinners, he would drink countless bottle. I had advised him many times to get rid of his bad habit but he paid no heed to me.

     "It's not like God can see," he retorted, purposely ridiculing Allah's power. His behavior continued and he would disregard all the advices thrown to him. Because of that, I prayed that his trip to Mecca would somehow change him.

     When we left for Mecca, Jamal and his wife were following a different package, while I brought with me the pilgrims who had registered with my company. After visited Medina, we proceeded to Mecca. On the second day in Mecca, something happened that left in indelible mark in my life, until today. As I was resting after Asr prayer, a friend came to my room.

     "Jamal is sick," he said. He was also an acquaintance of Jamal.

     "What's wrong with him?" I asked, shocked, as he seemed fine just the day before.

     "I don't know but someone saw him faint. He's in his hotel room now."

     We left immediately for the hotel, which was located nearby. On our way there, my friend elaborated on Jamal's story. According to him, the incident happened during Zuhr when Jamal's wife gone to meet her good friend in another room. At that time, she saw that her husband was getting ready to have a shower.

     Almost an hour later, a commotion was heard outside the room. When his wife poked her head outside, she saw several hotel staff and pilgrims crowding in front of her room. She quickly ran over to see what was happening.

     According to a hotel staff, she was forced to enter Jamal's room because water was flowing out continuously from there. As soon as the door opened, she found Jamal's room was flooded. His bathroom door was shut tight and when it was opened, water gushed out. Jamal was found lying unconscious on the floor.

     "The hotel staff, as well as several other pilgrims, quickly took him to hospital. There, he regained consciousness. But he was allowed to return as the doctor said he was not suffering from anything," added my friend.

     When we reach his room, I saw Jamal leaning against the headboard. His face was sombre and he looked lost in thought. His wife, looking sorrowful, was sitting by the bedside and talking with her friends.

     I asked what had happened, but Jamal would only say: "Nothing." But from the look on his face, I could sense that something was amiss. Jamal appeared to be thinking about something very heavy and was gripped by emotions.

     Half an hour later, I returned to my room. The next night, I went over to visit Jamal. He had just performed 'Isya prayer. His wife was also there. I tried to ask what had happened to him but Jamal continued to reply: "Nothing." After checking that he was fine, I returned to my room.

     However, a couple of hours later, Jamal called me to his room. I did not hesitate.

     "Yazid..." he uttered, slowly. "It's not easy for me to tell you about what's going on but having truly repented from what has happened, I'm now ready to tell you. We are friends after all."

     "Alhamdulillah. Just tell me, Mal. Hopefully we can all learn something from it and put right what is wrong," I replied.

     Taking a deep breath, his eyes red, Jamal began in quivering voice, "Yesterday I was scalded... burnt by tap water."

     I listened with disbelief. How can water burns! So I asked Jamal what he meant. According to him, as soon as he turned on the tap, hot water came gushing out.

     "It felt like I was burnt by a blazing flame. My head, face, neck and body felt like they were being fried. I screamed as loud as I could. I was so shocked because I had just used the water earlier with my wife, and it was cold then. So, I turn on the other tap and the water that came out was also as hot as fire."

     Shock and enraged, he turned off the tap and pulled the pipes above his head as hard as he could, Jamal continued with his recollection. Unable to stand the heat, he tried to open the bathroom door. With Allah's will, the door could not be opened even though it wasn't locked outside. It seemed to be stuck to the frame.

     "I was trapped. The heat from the gushing water felt like it was burning and boiling my body. It was unbearable. I screamed as loud as I could. As I couldn't escape anywhere, I turned off the tap again a few minutes later, hoping that the water would have cooled... but no, hot water still gushing out and onto my body. I can't even describe the pain. Then I passed out."

     "When I came to, I found myself lying on the hospital bed. My friends, who visited me, told that when the door was finally opened by the hotel staff, my room was already flooded. The pipes in the bathroom were bent... maybe from my weight when I hung onto it."

     "But strangely enough, they said the water that came out was cold. The water in their room was also cold. Another thing, the person staying next door said he didn't hear my screams and howls," said Jamal.

     He looked pensive. These were definitely signs of Allah's greatness that Jamal would do well to ponder, I said to myself.

     Wiping the tears from his eyes, Jamal continued, "I truly repent, Yazid. Allah forbids drinking alcohol and has condemned its consumption as a sin and yet, I ignored it all. In fact, I was so proud to fill my stomach with it."

     "But Allah is great, and in Mecca, the very water that I hoped would be able to wash and cool my body, burnt me instead. Because of my fondness for drinking hell's water, Allah brought down to me the curse of the hot water," cried Jamal.

     Alhamdulillah, since that day, Jamal was a changed man. He spent most of his time in prayers. Doing his zikr and in du'a. Meanwhile at night, he never failed to perform Tahajud (voluntary night prayer). And whenever he went to the Holy Mosque at Zuhr, he would only returned after Maghrib.

     "Idah, soon I will be going somewhere very far..." he told his wife, several nights before returning to Malaysia. Upon his returned from the Holy Land, Jamal called for a company meeting. As usual, alcohol was served. As soon as he saw them, his face changed immediately.

     "I have repented. Remember, from this day on, do not serve liquors in front of me," he said in a hard voice. And one by one, he broke the glasses and bottles.

     "Don't talk to me about drinking any more!" he warned his office friends whom he used to socialise and drink with.

     A few days later, I went to visit Jamal whose house was incidentally quite near to where I lived. It was obvious that Jamal had really changed since his return from the Holy Land. He welcomed me with a prayer cap on his head. His face was glowing and his conversation was full of substance. Everything he said was in praise to Allah. Also, there were hardly any bottles of alcohol in his refrigerator.

     "My experience in Mecca has truly made me realise my failings," he said. Whenever the opportunity arose, Jamal would pray in a congregation with his wife and children, something he never did before he went to Mecca. Jamal also advised his family as well as his siblings not to repeat his mistakes, especially drinking.

     Three months later, I received a shocking news that Jamal had passed away due to a heart attack. However, before he died, he made a will, which requested his wife to use his savings to send all his children to religious schools. The balance was to go to a welfare treasury.

N / F : FROM "THE BEST COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM MECCA", BY MASTIKA.