Inspiration Series – Story #1 – Leave Your Mark On This World

“I’d like to share an inspiring story to all of you about a man who has changed my life. Who has inspired me and changed my life for the better. Now, we all have these types of people but this man, was strong and committed no matter the circumstances. He is my grandfather.

My grandfather an Egyptian man. He wasn’t your typical aged man, who ends up sitting around after working his life away, he was different. He was active and always was committed to keeping ties of kinship, by visiting family members in the middle east. Many of us, when our relatives move away to different countries or even down the street, we hesitate to visit them, making excuses but my grandfather, loved to travel and meet relatives. One of the ways he would embrace them and greet them was to paint portraits and give them as gifts. He may have been old but to me, he was strong and always had time for the sake of Allah subhana wata’ala, praying salaah in his old age and reading the Qur’an daily. He wasn’t lazy and he didn’t rely on his wife to do everything for him. Men, whether young or old, rely on either their mother or wives to do things for them but grandfather did not. He would make fresh meals all the time, without the help of others. He was neat, well mannered and loved to stay in shape. He would walk daily for salaah or even in his spare time just to stay healthy. If you ever met him, you wouldn’t know he was a middle aged man by the way he conducted himself and carried himself through out day.

Eventually, time passes and father time as people like to say, catches up to you and things begin to get taken away. In his 70’s he began to lose his hearing but that still didn’t make him stop from doing what he did all those years. People think, the elderly like to depend on others but not my grandfather, he was still independent after things starting being taken away by the permission of Allah subhana wata’ala. In his 80’s he was diagnosed with alzheimers and began forgetting things. He wouldn’t know when suhoor started and when iftar started, and he had to be reminded by his children and his wife. Even then, he stayed strong holding onto the rope of Allah subhana wata’ala. He wouldn’t use a chair to pray salaah as many elderly do but he would insist on praying standing as if he was still young. As time went by, his alzheimers got worse and he was forgetting everyone around him, except the Qur’an and the duaa’s which he learned. My grandfather would pass away a few years later at 92 years old and he has taught me a lot of things through out his life.

Many people in their old age waste their years getting fat, sitting in front of the TV or having someone do everything for them but by the permission of Allah subhana wata’ala, my grandfather was able to do everything for himself, without much help from his children and his wife. My grandfather would spend a lot of time learning and educating himself about this world and about Islam. He didn’t waste opportunities that were given to him, nor did he use his age as an excuse to not do things. Instead, he would pretend as if, he was still young and still did things like any ordinary person. He exercised, he cleaned, he cooked, read Qur’an daily and would pray his salaah.

We all have a limited time on this earth and my grandfather taught me, no matter your age, you use the opportunities given to you in the present moment and you don’t use your age or health as an excuse to give up in life. You work in this dunya (world) and you build for your akhira (hereafter) by being a slave of Allah subhana wat’ala, reading Qur’an, keeping ties of kinship, looking after yourself as your body has a right over you. Having hobbies and never limiting yourself because of your age or because things start being taken away by the permission of Allah subhana wata’ala. You work with what you have and you make the most of it because many others don’t have what you have today.

How will you leave your mark on this world? My grandfather has a left a permanent impression of my life for the better. Showing, no matter his age, his alzheimer’s, he would strive for the sake of Allah subhana wata’ala because he knew, it was all that ever mattered in the end. He would spend his time wisely and once again, his age was never used an excuse to stop doing things. You can to be that type of individual too. It is not your disabilities that matter nor your skin colour or race but it is the person you want to become and how you want to leave your mark in this world.

Thank you for reading and letting me share it with you. Insha’Allah, it has inspired you to spend your time wisely.” – L.K

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Leave Your Mark on the World” is a story which was shared with Malik Shabaz. and was first published on his blog Here as “Muslim Inspired – Leave your mark on the world”. He has put in a lot of effort in coming up with this project May Allah bless his efforts. Please remeber him in your dua.

He recently Published an amazing book “The Strongest Version of Yourself” Click Here to read its reviews and decide if you would like to purchase it only for CAD $1.

Here is a Preview of the Book. Read the sample.

If you have an inspiring story to share, please submit it here : http://imaancentral.org/submit-post/ and choose Islamic Stories as Category.

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