Adeel Malik
Imagine someone seriously harmed you physically, because of their foolishness, and it’s leading you to die, what would you want to happen to the person who hit you? Now, read what an elderly Muslim man, conscious of Allah did.
Sheikh Ali Al-Saleh, a 106-year-old man from Saudi passed away after a car accident in Abha. Inna lilahi wa inna elayhi rajeoun. What he did just before his death was incredibly inspiring and heartwarming.
He gallantly asked his companions while transferring him to hospital to forgive the reckless driver who is believed to have caused the accident and insisted they forgive him.
People in the Rijal Alma govern-orate, southwest of Saudi Arabia, announced the death of Sheikh Ali al-Saleh, with many circulating his obituary on social media with words of praise and sorrow as reported by Al-Arabiya.
Al Saleh’s son remembered his father with heartfelt words,
“Since he was young, my father lived to honor the weak and helping the needy.
For 80 years, his house which was in the center of the govern-orate was open to people who came from everywhere on foot.
The restaurant was available, and my father honored the passersby and fed them at his house.”
Al-Saleh had 13 sons and five daughters.
Saleh was well-known for his generosity, selflessness and noble acts to the extent that he was known as Hatim Alma, in reference to the famous Arab poet Hatem al-Tai.
Below are the scenes from his funeral.
https://twitter.com/alma3e/status/1015692044638081024
Author Ali Meghawi spoke of Saleh’s generosity saying:
“Yesterday’s accident was the cause of his death, and he had nothing to give but himself. On his way to the hospital, he told those with them not to demand anything from the party which caused the accident.”
كان حادث الأمس سبباً في وفاته ، ولم يعد لديه ما يقدمه سوى نفسه وهو في طريقه إلى المستشفى قال لمن معه:
(تروكم في وجه الله ما تطالبون الطرف المتسبب بشيء )
الله ما أكرمه رحمه الله .. pic.twitter.com/LxNRi292B3— Ali-moghawi علي مغاوي (@moghawi7) July 7, 2018
Mourning Saleh, poet Ibrahim Taleaa Al-Almi said:
“The symbol of morals and values, the spirit of the land and place Ali al-Saleh has left us today.”
Such awe-inspiring men should a source a of guidance for all of us too for he was putting into action mercy, forgiveness and compassion – all core to the teachings of Islam, as Allah Azzawajal says in the Quran 24:22:
وَلْيَعْفُواوَلْيَصْفَحُواۗأَلَاتُحِبُّونَأَنيَغْفِرَاللَّهُلَكُمْۗوَاللَّهُغَفُورٌرَّحِيمٌ
“Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you? Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
May Allah have mercy upon the Sheikh, widen his grave and reunite him with his loved ones in the highest level of Jannah al-Firdaws.
