Atall man came through the door, his features denoting a certain seriousness and a strong-willed character. He was remarkable not only for his demeanour but for his impressive military uniform with four stars affixed to the shoulders. This striking man is Officer M. A. Sheikho. He walked towards his office with determination, every regular step sounding like a tick being marked off firmly on the floor. Then, he stopped by the phone which was ringing as he came in.
It is the high commander and he wants to talk to Officer Sheikho!
With a firm, commanding voice our officer greeted the commander who returned his greeting and said to him directly, ‘I want to live next to you in the district where you live, so try to find a suitable house for me.’
Our officer, Mohammad Amin, was taken aback for he would never have expected to receive such an odd request from his commanding officer.
It was quite a surprise and he foresaw a real problem behind the request. He had visions of all the excellent results of his recent efforts dissolving before his eyes! A quick comparison came to his mind of the way the area used to be and the way it was now. He remembered how it was once overrun with corruption, crime and vice, whereas security and peace now prevailed throughout the entire district.
Previously, no-one would have felt safe after sunset, for it was likely that he would be either killed or robbed. As for the present time, even if a woman were to walk alone at midnight carrying a purse filled with gold, no-one would bother her at all. What a wonderful change for the better!
Yet that current state of affairs was not achieved easily. It cost him effort and hard work, and many sleepless nights; how many difficult situations had he resolved, defying their dangers boldly and fearlessly? He was always ready to sacrifice himself in order to fight villains and the ringleaders of crime; and finally he had reaped the reward for all his efforts.
So, when his commander told him what he wanted, Officer Sheikho, through his agile mind and clarity of thought, soon realised that the district would quickly revert to its former situation if the commander were to live there. Therefore he boiled with anger and felt as if the earth shook beneath his feet as he understood that the house would be a centre for prostitution and debauchery.
Would his efforts have been in vain? Would it all come tumbling down around him?
For a few moments he was quite unsettled as he saw disaster looming before his eyes!
All of these thoughts flitted through Mohammad Amin’s mind, and yet he remained as steadfast as the mountain which shrugs off even the strongest winds. So after he feigned his delight at the prospect of having his commander as his neighbour he answered him saying, ‘Oh, Commander! But you know that most of the people who live in the area where my duties take me are poor and needy; and they hardly earn enough to feed themselves. So it’s highly unlikely that they would be able to build a house for rent; and even if there is one, I don’t think it would be fit for your high position.’
But the commander insisted that Amin should comply with his request despite all that he had been told. Therefore our officer had no choice but to reply, ‘I am at your disposal Sir and will do everything possible to carry out your request.’
A few days later, the commander asked him whether he had found the house as asked, but he replied in a considerate tone that so far he had had no success.
But one morning the commander rang him, and as soon as our officer picked up the receiver he heard an angry voice quivering with fury, saying, without the formality of a greeting, ‘I have been told that there is an unoccupied house in your district that fulfills my requirements and it is for rent. So, I want you to meet the owner and rent it at once.’
The commander had heard of this house through the gossip of people who were envious of Officer Sheikho’s position of trust with the commander. They had seized the opportunity to unsettle the confidence and the regard between the officer and his commander who was extremely pleased with Mohammad Amin and his marvelous achievements.
As for our officer, he soon hurried to the address given to him by the commander, and there he found the description to be true and the house waiting for its new occupier.
Without any delay, Officer Sheikho quickly set about finding a tenant for the house until, with the help of the mayor and some letting agents, he was successful. Within a few hours, our dedicated man himself was taking part in carrying the belongings and luggage of the new tenant and arranging it throughout the house; and when he finished hanging the curtains everything was finally in its proper place.
After that, he returned quickly to headquarters and telephoned his commander to advise him that somebody had already leased the house, and he had seen for himself that people were living there. The commander thanked him for his efforts and asked him to continue the search.
Yet Mohammad Amin’s ill-wishers, having been thwarted in their plans, were not happy to leave matters as they were. They told the commander how the officer himself had brought a tenant for the house in question and had even lent a helping hand to hang the curtains as quickly as possible so that it would not be available for the commander.
The commander was shocked at what he was told and was quick to speak to Officer Sheikho. He asked him,
‘Don’t you want me to live in your area?’
Then Mohammad Amin stood up, drawing himself up to his full height and answered him proudly, ‘Sir, if your Excellency is determined on such a request, I ask that you give the order for me to be transferred to work in another region.’
The commander opened his eyes wide in surprise as the single word, ‘Why?’ burst out of his mouth.
The wary officer answered, ‘Your Excellency! You know how, since the first moment this district was put under my control, the massive mountains have heard the hoof-fall of the mounted police, and the vast valleys have resounded to their tramping feet, so that we have crossed and criss-crossed even the smallest area of the land. You know, Sir, how our nights turned into days because we went without sleep in pursuit of our duty. How many times did we face death and defy all difficulties until corruption and crime in this area were finally cast out and the law began to be applied strictly! Justice was reinstated and security prevailed everywhere; people could now sleep peacefully in their beds, free from any fear.
‘So, if your Excellency came to live in our area, surely you would receive the highest echelons of society at receptions in your home. Some of those people are immoral and given to disturbing the peace and breaking the law. In that case, I would be placed in a very difficult situation, for I would have to enforce the law and could not turn a blind eye to their illicit actions… even as a special favour to you, Sir. On the other hand, if I overlooked their misdemeanours, I would lose my position of high standing with the people of this area as a representative of justice and law. They would see me as a hypocrite, for I would be, as it is said, a brave lion before them but an ostrich with its head in the sand, before others. Consequently, everything would become topsy-turvy. Order would be replaced by confusion, and corruption and crime would soon spread. So, it would be as if we had achieved nothing, and the area would return to its previous lawless situation. But if I am transferred away from this district, I would not have performed my duty.’
Before such astounding logic, amazing courage, and great consideration for morality, the high commander found nothing to support his personal request. He found himself thinking aloud, ‘I have changed my mind and no longer want to live in your district. So stay where you are and enjoy your achievements. Continue with your successful efforts to maintain security and honour, and attending to the affairs of the nation.’
He then felt compelled to express his heart-felt appreciation of the glorious deeds and the noble intents of this man and his admiration for the sublimity of his spirit and self-esteem. God says, “Among the Believers there are men who have been true to their covenant with Al’lah, and in establishing the truth they have never been afraid of the censure of those who find fault.”[65]