Om_Mohammed
01-11-2008, 13:23
Assalaamu alaikum.
Dr. Khalid ibn Al-Jubair is a local Saudi scholar/lecturer. His first and main training is in medical science, a heart specialist. After his years of experience in treating many critically ill heart patients in his care in Saudi hospitals, he has taken the second road of giving Islamically inspirational lectures based upon his experiences as a heart specialist and relating some of his close interactions and observations of his patients and their families.
One of the stories that he relates is that of a young boy, somewhere under ten years of age. He was brought into the ER of the hospital one day, in virtual comatose condition. His grieving yet patient mother was accompanying him. His first inclination was to send the mother out of the ER and out of the hospital to go home, as he had seen with experience that so many of the mothers are so emotional as to cause more stress upon the patient, thereby making any possible recovery a longer and harder ordeal. But as he observed this young mother, so patient and such an inspiration to all, he allowed her not only to stay that day in the ER, but for the remainder of her son's stay in the hospital, however long that may be.
Upon his first examination of the boy, the Dr. had to tell the mother the bad news that he was in a coma state now, with some sort of mysterious inner fever in his body, the cause of which they could not yet determine. But the appearance of the seriousness of the condition rendered him the need to tell the mother to be prepared for the worst possible: that the boy may very well not make it till morning, and if he does, he will invariably be in this vegetable state most likely for the remainder of his life. Expecting her to scream in cries of denial and opposition to this fate, the Dr. was surprised to be met with the most patient and heart-warming responses. All she could say in response to the Dr. was: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son, if this is best for him. And may Allah grant me patience with whatever may the outcome be." And with that, she turned her back on the Dr. to return to her spot sitting at her son's side, and reading from the Quran at times when she was not actively praying. Every time he or any of the other hospital staff would look in on the boy, they found his mother diligently at his side, simply either reading from the Quran, or praying.
The next day, the fever went down as mysteriously as it had come on, and the boy woke from his coma. Although he was not yet strong enough to get up and walk yet, he was able to look at his surroundings, and recognized all those around him and was able to legibly communicate. This state of wellness went on for a few days, until he had another attack of yet other symptoms, and again went into coma.
This time, after investigations, the doctors found that the boy had gone into a sudden massive kidney failure. He was going to need dialysis immediately, but even then there was no guarantee that he would come out of the coma. The mysterious inner fever had returned, and was refusing to reveal to the doctors its cause.
He was put on dialysis, but as feared by the doctors, the fever remained, and he remained in coma for several days. After much testing, the dr. came back and informed the mother of the dire situation at hand, insisting that she prepare herself for the worst. Again, her only response was: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son if that is best for him. And may He make me patient with whatever comes." And then she would return to her position beside her son, taking up her Quran for reading, while getting up intermittenly only for her prayers.
After a week of this state, the fever again disappeared as mysteriously as it had come, and the boy woke again. And the kidneys seemed to be back in working order, just as mysteriously as they had shut down. Not wanting to let him go home too early after such serious bouts of coma, the team of doctors kept him on for observation. Within several days, he again took another turn for the worst. This time it was the liver. Again, the fever took hold, and the boy went back into coma. The doctor came to the mother with the same reminder as prevously, and her answer was the same as it was previously: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son if it is best for him. And may He make me patient with whatever comes."
This rollercoaster of good health/bad health went on for the boy for nearly a year, until he was completely clear of any ailment for the last two months straight. At this time, the doctors felt that the boy had gained enough strength to return home with his family. They (the team of the hospital and staff) acted merely as more or less a monitoring unit for the boys condition, more so than a healing unit. The boy would take a turn for the worse on no notice, as well as he would take a turn for the better and recovery on no notice and no seeming reason. After the last two months of a clean bill of health, and simply remaining on in the hospital to regain strength, he was finally discharged to go home.
Getting busy with his own schedule in work in the hospital, Dr. Khalid soon forgot about the boy, although not altogether. But several years passed by, and a family was ushered into his clinic at the end of the day, without reservation of appointment. The nurse pleaded their case with him, pointing out that the father of the bunch had insisted that the whole family get in to see the good Dr. at the end of the day.
Thinking that perhaps these people were in position of poor wealth and perhaps needing some attention, he did not want to turn them out. After seeing all his patients on schedule, he asked the nurse to please show this family in. There were the man and his wife, accompanied by a boy of perhaps 12 or so, and a baby of several months. The doctor shook hands with the man, and asked them to please have a seat, and the man began to explain their situation. He first apologized for not having taken an appointment ahead of time, but reassured the doctor that there was no one sick in the family. At this, the dr. raised his eyebrows in question at their attendance and request for audience with him. If no one was sick, then why the need for audience with me? he thought.
Noticing his questioning countenance, the man continued to explain, asking the doctor if he remembered the most mysterious case a couple years ago, that of a young boy who would get sick, then better, then sick again, then better, round and round again for months on end, with no medical explanation nor reason for either his sickness nor his wellness. The doctor's face lit up with understanding, noticing the boy, now 12, sitting across from his desk. He had grown immensely in the past two years since his discharge. And there was a baby now in his mother's arms as well.
The man went on to explain further. He told the doctor of how he and his wife had been married for some seventeen years without having been blessed with any children. Then, they had their first son, but he suddenly became ill with fever, going into coma, at the age of 10 (when they had come to the hospital with him two years ago). During those first seventeen years, they had left no stone unturned, looking for children. Then finally, after so much yearning, they were blessed with this fine son, but he became so seriously ill early on. As the doctor remembered, his mother was ever so patient throughout the ordeal, although she only had the one boy. It was not until after the trial of the boy's illness and her patience throughout that they were blessed with the second baby.
By the end of their meeting, the doctor had tears rolling down his face, exclaiming at the extreme patience expressed by the mother throughout the whole ordeal.
It is interesting to note the supplication that the mother kept consistent with throughout...that of asking Allah to heal her child if it were best for him. Not asking Allah simply to heal him...but to heal him if it were best for him. Such reliance upon Allah! To put faith totally in Allah's explicit and pure knowledge of what is best for us. We are told in the Quran that Allah knows what is best for us, not we ourselves. But how many of us actually put this statement to the test and demonstrate such faith??
Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal our sick loved ones if it is best for them. And may He make us all patient with whatever is to come.
Alhumma Ameen.
Om Mohammed.
Dr. Khalid ibn Al-Jubair is a local Saudi scholar/lecturer. His first and main training is in medical science, a heart specialist. After his years of experience in treating many critically ill heart patients in his care in Saudi hospitals, he has taken the second road of giving Islamically inspirational lectures based upon his experiences as a heart specialist and relating some of his close interactions and observations of his patients and their families.
One of the stories that he relates is that of a young boy, somewhere under ten years of age. He was brought into the ER of the hospital one day, in virtual comatose condition. His grieving yet patient mother was accompanying him. His first inclination was to send the mother out of the ER and out of the hospital to go home, as he had seen with experience that so many of the mothers are so emotional as to cause more stress upon the patient, thereby making any possible recovery a longer and harder ordeal. But as he observed this young mother, so patient and such an inspiration to all, he allowed her not only to stay that day in the ER, but for the remainder of her son's stay in the hospital, however long that may be.
Upon his first examination of the boy, the Dr. had to tell the mother the bad news that he was in a coma state now, with some sort of mysterious inner fever in his body, the cause of which they could not yet determine. But the appearance of the seriousness of the condition rendered him the need to tell the mother to be prepared for the worst possible: that the boy may very well not make it till morning, and if he does, he will invariably be in this vegetable state most likely for the remainder of his life. Expecting her to scream in cries of denial and opposition to this fate, the Dr. was surprised to be met with the most patient and heart-warming responses. All she could say in response to the Dr. was: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son, if this is best for him. And may Allah grant me patience with whatever may the outcome be." And with that, she turned her back on the Dr. to return to her spot sitting at her son's side, and reading from the Quran at times when she was not actively praying. Every time he or any of the other hospital staff would look in on the boy, they found his mother diligently at his side, simply either reading from the Quran, or praying.
The next day, the fever went down as mysteriously as it had come on, and the boy woke from his coma. Although he was not yet strong enough to get up and walk yet, he was able to look at his surroundings, and recognized all those around him and was able to legibly communicate. This state of wellness went on for a few days, until he had another attack of yet other symptoms, and again went into coma.
This time, after investigations, the doctors found that the boy had gone into a sudden massive kidney failure. He was going to need dialysis immediately, but even then there was no guarantee that he would come out of the coma. The mysterious inner fever had returned, and was refusing to reveal to the doctors its cause.
He was put on dialysis, but as feared by the doctors, the fever remained, and he remained in coma for several days. After much testing, the dr. came back and informed the mother of the dire situation at hand, insisting that she prepare herself for the worst. Again, her only response was: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son if that is best for him. And may He make me patient with whatever comes." And then she would return to her position beside her son, taking up her Quran for reading, while getting up intermittenly only for her prayers.
After a week of this state, the fever again disappeared as mysteriously as it had come, and the boy woke again. And the kidneys seemed to be back in working order, just as mysteriously as they had shut down. Not wanting to let him go home too early after such serious bouts of coma, the team of doctors kept him on for observation. Within several days, he again took another turn for the worst. This time it was the liver. Again, the fever took hold, and the boy went back into coma. The doctor came to the mother with the same reminder as prevously, and her answer was the same as it was previously: "Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal my son if it is best for him. And may He make me patient with whatever comes."
This rollercoaster of good health/bad health went on for the boy for nearly a year, until he was completely clear of any ailment for the last two months straight. At this time, the doctors felt that the boy had gained enough strength to return home with his family. They (the team of the hospital and staff) acted merely as more or less a monitoring unit for the boys condition, more so than a healing unit. The boy would take a turn for the worse on no notice, as well as he would take a turn for the better and recovery on no notice and no seeming reason. After the last two months of a clean bill of health, and simply remaining on in the hospital to regain strength, he was finally discharged to go home.
Getting busy with his own schedule in work in the hospital, Dr. Khalid soon forgot about the boy, although not altogether. But several years passed by, and a family was ushered into his clinic at the end of the day, without reservation of appointment. The nurse pleaded their case with him, pointing out that the father of the bunch had insisted that the whole family get in to see the good Dr. at the end of the day.
Thinking that perhaps these people were in position of poor wealth and perhaps needing some attention, he did not want to turn them out. After seeing all his patients on schedule, he asked the nurse to please show this family in. There were the man and his wife, accompanied by a boy of perhaps 12 or so, and a baby of several months. The doctor shook hands with the man, and asked them to please have a seat, and the man began to explain their situation. He first apologized for not having taken an appointment ahead of time, but reassured the doctor that there was no one sick in the family. At this, the dr. raised his eyebrows in question at their attendance and request for audience with him. If no one was sick, then why the need for audience with me? he thought.
Noticing his questioning countenance, the man continued to explain, asking the doctor if he remembered the most mysterious case a couple years ago, that of a young boy who would get sick, then better, then sick again, then better, round and round again for months on end, with no medical explanation nor reason for either his sickness nor his wellness. The doctor's face lit up with understanding, noticing the boy, now 12, sitting across from his desk. He had grown immensely in the past two years since his discharge. And there was a baby now in his mother's arms as well.
The man went on to explain further. He told the doctor of how he and his wife had been married for some seventeen years without having been blessed with any children. Then, they had their first son, but he suddenly became ill with fever, going into coma, at the age of 10 (when they had come to the hospital with him two years ago). During those first seventeen years, they had left no stone unturned, looking for children. Then finally, after so much yearning, they were blessed with this fine son, but he became so seriously ill early on. As the doctor remembered, his mother was ever so patient throughout the ordeal, although she only had the one boy. It was not until after the trial of the boy's illness and her patience throughout that they were blessed with the second baby.
By the end of their meeting, the doctor had tears rolling down his face, exclaiming at the extreme patience expressed by the mother throughout the whole ordeal.
It is interesting to note the supplication that the mother kept consistent with throughout...that of asking Allah to heal her child if it were best for him. Not asking Allah simply to heal him...but to heal him if it were best for him. Such reliance upon Allah! To put faith totally in Allah's explicit and pure knowledge of what is best for us. We are told in the Quran that Allah knows what is best for us, not we ourselves. But how many of us actually put this statement to the test and demonstrate such faith??
Alhamdulillah. May Allah heal our sick loved ones if it is best for them. And may He make us all patient with whatever is to come.
Alhumma Ameen.
Om Mohammed.