Monday, July 7, 2025
Raza and I were friends in school. He was a quiet and gentle soul. We lost touch when he moved abroad, may Allah make his journey ahead pleasant.
I remember we were young and had recently started driving to drive on our own. Raza and I were passing through the main liberty market road (for those who are familiar with lahore). As we passed Shoppe, a young man fainted (it was really hot during summer holidays) on the road, and the traffic kept passing by. I also thought that this would be another begging stunt, but Raza got really upset with me. "How could you simply ignore this?", he asked me. In fact, he got so upset with me that he made me turn back. And we went to the man on the road. I pulled over, he went to him, and I followed. He helped him up and asked me to find water. A small crowd gathered. Realizing the man was not critical, the crowd dispersed but Raza was still there convincing the young man that we would take him to the hospital. I was getting annoyed at that point but followed his lead. He convinced him and made him sit in the car and we dropped him to a small hospital adjacent to variety books.
Years passed and I was with my son. Maybe 6 or 7 years old at the time. And I faced a similar situation. I didn't stop at first but this memory with Raza flashed before my eyes. I wanted my son to have empathy like Raza did. So, I turned back. I told my son that my friend inspired me to do this. I told him Raza's story. May he rest in Allah's blessings
