On Poverty.
It's today, Oct. 15th. Read up about it from Stranger in this Dunya.
*Loads of gratitude for sharing. :)*
*Loads of gratitude for sharing. :)*
One Issue, Thousands of Voices
Global issues like poverty are extremely complex. There is no simple, clear answer. By asking thousands of different people to give their viewpoints and opinions, Blog Action Day creates an extraordinary lens through which to view these issues. Each blogger brings their own perspective and ideas. Each blogger posts relating to their own blog topic. And each blogger engages their audience differently.
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My first encounter with extreme poverty was during Umrah. The three of us, comprising of my sister, cousin and I made our way up Jabal Rahmah. As we made our way down, several destitute children between the age of 5 to 12 were begging for alms. It was an awfully devastating sight, as some of them have detached limbs, wore tattered clothing in addition to being tremendously undernourished. Considering that I had a few riyals with me, I decided to donate whereas my sister and cousin went ahead. From a handful of children, others started to appear. By then, I had ran out of riyals, hence I told the children that I had none left. It was the start of the most heart wrenching and disturbing moment I had ever encountered. They screamed, cried and pleaded. Some even tugged at my telekung *prayer clothes* and held tight onto me. Frantically, I called out to my sister. Pleaded to her and my cousin to offer alms. Alas, they didn't bring any with them. Consequently, my sister and cousin had to forcefully pull me away from the grasps. Up to now, I still remember that moment and I shudder every time.
Sure enough, there were beggars during Hajj. Except that the conditions weren't anything comparable to the Umrah experience. Even so, I believe that by offering charity be it in the form of provisions, supplications and so forth; we are achieving solidarity whilst alleviating the sufferings among our brothers and sisters. Insya'Allah.
Let's do our part. ^
Let's do our part. ^
10.02pm Malaysian Time
1 comment:
As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu my dearest sister,
I think a lot of us have been through a similiar experience, when we go for Umrah. It's very, very sad.. I still remember the children I saw and came to me for money. May Allah make it easy for them.
Jazaki'Allahu khair for sharing.
Wa'alaykum as-salaam
Love Farhana
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