July 7th: Health Brings Us Together
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,
SubhanAllah, today after Asr prayer, Allah showed me how healing can bridge the deepest divides. It began when someone came to my room to download some frustration. As he was leaving, his roommate tapped on the door frame, asking to see me when I was free. A simple wave and nod acknowledged his request.
After the first brother finished his venting session, I found the roommate who immediately started describing his sciatic pain – that sharp, shooting discomfort that travels from hip to leg. Nerve pain that can shoot down your hip through your leg. It’s an “ouchy”. Having dealt with chronic pain myself through years of Crohn’s disease, I understood his suffering.
“Grab your sheet and come back,” I instructed him. When he returned “Feet to the wall and lay on your back.” Though we had seen each other around, this was our first real interaction. HE was in pain clearly evident. Through some guided breathing and gentle adjustments, his neck released, then his upper back responded with some therapeutic pops. Following some Russian twist stretches for his lower back, his face transformed into a smile.
“Less pain?” I asked. “A lot less,” he confirmed as I carefully lowered his legs. As his pant leg shifted, I noticed the artwork on his skin, a mural of tattoos. But in that moment, he wasn’t his tattoos; he was just another of Allah’s creatures in pain.
Then, by Allah’s wisdom, one of the largest members of another group, typically at odds with the first patient’s affiliations, passed by. He paused to see and hear the relief, after a moment, he innocently popped his head in as the first person was getting up to leave. Having heard the expressions of relief, he peered in with an almost childlike vulnerability and asked, “Yo, my back really hurts, could you take a look?”
Still in back alignment bliss,the first patient exclaimed ,maybe without thinking: “This guy is legit.” This seemed to assure the newcomer who said “aright”. As they walked passed each other they acknowledged each other for a second. I thought two folks who would never otherwise speak, shared a moment of humanity over health.
The second gentleman’s adjustment was even more dramatic, his relief evident in the sound of releasing tension. He left with a smile after giving a big hug.
SubhanAllah, in these moments I witnessed how Allah uses the most unexpected means to remind us of our shared humanity. Pain doesn’t discriminate, and neither should mercy. Sometimes the greatest dawah is simply being a source of relief for others, regardless of their background or beliefs.
Be the light. Be the love. Be a safe place. For indeed, Allah’s mercy encompasses all things.
Your brother in faith,
Wisam
