Lesson Twenty five
A real story:
Kindness to animals
Don’t wrong any ‘Spirit’ even if it were an ant!
We have seen in the last lesson the dangers of killing animals or hurting them with no legal constitutional right, and we have seen God’s and His Prophet’s warning against that. In this lesson, we shall see the great facts of M. A. Sheikho, and the real example of another man who didn’t listen to him and being proud of himself, thinking that, all animals were created for no purpose except to serve him and need no sympathy no kind no rights. Meanwhile the persistence punishment is waiting for him according to his deeds.
One day, one of the Turkish great authorities (Al-Bashawaat), invited Scholar M. A. Sheikho, for a ceremony in his Palace in an area called ‘Al-Zabdani’ far away from Damascus town. He was a Turkish born nationality occupying a high position in the government. He knew more about M. A. Sheikho, his braveness and perfection in good deeds and other services. He (M. A. Sheikho) became serving in the Turkish government as one of the Security officers. He was neck-named ‘Aslan’ i.e. Lion owing to his braveness, hard work and faithfulness and was not afraid to be censured by any censurer in his job, for that reason, everyone became amazed of his work. He loved working in the security service because that was his field of specialisation through which he can do the right and good deeds.
The Turkish military General ‘Commander’ loved him too as one of the nearest person to him and later appointed him a military officer despite the fact that, he was a born nationality Arab. He continued serving in this post of honour till God promoted him to a better post due to his perfection, goodness and hard work.
After he received the invitation he left Damascus one morning riding to the Bashaa’s who was already retired from the service.
His journey to that area –‘Az-Zabdani’ covered half day i.e. from the morning till the afternoon period and was warmly welcomed and honoured by him when arrived there. After a delicious reception, they started their discussion till midnight when Bashaa commanded his servant to choose the best place and well prepared for him to sleep. When they were about to sleep, Bashaa held his hand leading him to his chosen place of sleep. He kindly stopped for a while and said ‘I want to inspect my horse’, Bashaa replied, ‘Please leave it to my servant, he will take care of it’. He said, ‘there is no problem, I have to do it myself in order to satisfy my mind and be able to sleep’ Bashaa was so surprised of him insisting to go himself and stabilise his horse before sleeping. Then he held his hand pulling him to the sleeping room, our scholar turned to him and said: ‘If you don’t allow me to do what I want, permit me to go to Damascus now’!
It was already above midnight and Bashaa said to him: you mean to go now?! Or because of the danger to your horse!, he said: yes...I swear by God if you don’t leave me I will go now to Damascus. The man became more surprised and let him do what he wanted. He took a torch from the servant and descended where the horse was and found the area very uncomfortable with the aligned rocks of different sizes and some of them had sharpened ends that hinder the horses to sleep with ease on the ground, and had to stand throughout the night which is also strenuous or difficult. Mr M. Amin saw that, and felt very sad with a lot of sorrow and sympathy. Then he immediately demanded for a bag of chaff from the servant to spread on the rocks, for the horse to lay or sleep comfortably. When it was brought to him and he started spreading it, Bashaa held his hand preventing him from doing that for the servant to take over i.e. neglecting the act but he insisted to finish it before anything else. He said to him: ‘Are you suffering like this because of a horse’? Leave it if it dies I will give you one that is better than it in everything or I’ll show you to take any one of your choice. But due to M. Amin’s great sympathy and mercy to creatures, he rejected Bashaa’s ideas.
When he prepared the horse place very well in a way that the horse can lie on very comfortably, he turned and requested for animal’s feed and a sieve to sieve out un expected materials like small stones and all the like. That act wondered Bashaa a great, honoured and responsible man as such serving an animal, such had never happened with people as such or of minor position. While Bashaa was having numbers of horses and had never behaved like that to them. He sieved out a great quantity of small stones from the food, which would have been worrying the horse during mastication. Bashaa used to feed his animals with it not sieved and they were chewing it with difficulties especially when the small stone contacted with the teeth molars. When he finished setting the horse with food and water, he said: ‘I have to sleep now with peace of mind’, he felt overwhelming blessing, calmness, happiness and peace in his mind, heart and spirit. Then he kindly gave sublime words of advice to Bashaa, to take an example from him how to care for his own animals as far as their food, drink and place of living, they must be concerned. He assured him never to go against his advice by maltreating his horses or God who is aware and is seeing everything shall send a treatment of calamities and catastrophes to such people in this world and in the hereafter. If he respects the animals’ rights and becomes sympathetic to all animals, he will be highly rewarded in this world and in the hereafter. It charged him nothing in respecting their rights and Allah’s commands, those animals will request for their right from God against the hurter on the day of judgement if he remains unjust to them.
Al-Bashaa has great advantage in the presence of his servants to only give them an order that the work must be well done, but he was careless and said: ‘It is sensible that, God would punish me just because of animal (horse)’? Which is an animal of no value and if any of them died; it would be replaced by another better than it forgetting that God created them for our service both directly and indirectly.
The following day in the morning, Mr Sheikho gave farewell with a sorrowful heart to Bashaa for rejecting his blessing advice that exalted human being in happiness in this world and in the hereafter.
Then after sometime, Bashaa became very sick and the illness lasted for long and Mr M. Amin was informed of that. This illness didn’t permit him to sleep on any side of his body. He was very worried, having sleepless nights and days due to general pains all over the body and worst of all, the tooth and the jaw were all paining in a way that, he could not eat. When a little food is forcedly put in his mouth, it takes a long time to be swallowed with difficulties. And he continued in that ill health till death took his life
away. Thus his bad work returned to him, the bad treatment that he gave to his horses concerning their food, water and living place all returned to him to taste the pains in this world before the hereafter. Finally whatever act man does shall get its reward suitable to it no matter how long it stays.
Bashaa finally died and was buried in Az-Zabdani region at the entrance of the town. This region was named after ‘Al-jurjaniya’ his grave is still there in front of the Palace (Al-jjurjaniya Palace). All these are great advice and a lesson to every normal person who thinks of his life and respects good advice.