A LIGHT IN DARKNESS
In a small town called Vadugapatti in South India, Dr. Thangam and his wife Mrs. Behum , a nurse, ran a private clinic. Dr. Thangam belonged to a wealthy and well-honored Muslim family for many generations. One of his ancestors was a royal poet in Ettayapuram's kings court and composed excellent poetic literature called Seerapuranam. Seerapuranam is still Islamic poem text for primary and secondary school pupils in Tamil Nadu. He was great grandfather of Thangam eight generations ago. Behum also grew up in a wealthy family. Thangam had four children named Omar, Fathima, Mytheen, and Shahjahan who were going to school.
One morning when Omar went to buy grocery for breakfast, he saw a small group of people standing in the corner of a street. Drawn by the sweet melody, Omar went in front to see what's happening. He saw few people playing music instruments and singing songs. Then one of them said, "I had stomach pain and dysentery and suffered lot of pain. Then I prayed to Jesus Christ to heal me and Jesus Christ healed me. Sir....Jesus Christ is the true God!" To eight year old Omar it was incomprehensible. Omar thought, "If a person is sick he should go to hospital and take some medicine in order to be healed. This man says that he prayed and got healed...if he went to a witch doctor he might get healed, but he says he doesn't know any witchcraft, how could he get healed". With so many questions popping out his little mind he rushed to shop and bought sugar, coffee powder, peanut, coconut and some incense sticks and returned home. As he entered house, he heard his dad talking to some of his friends. In his authoritative voice he was criticizing the Christians, "the Christian religion is very cheap....that's why they stand in street corners as if selling some cheap tooth powder; whereas Muslim religion is like a precious diamond and people seek after it. These Christian priests secretly commit adultery with nuns, but outside they talk as if they are very pious and holy; so we should not believe what they say". Omar's mind was swaying like a cat in the wall. Omar's dad took the incense stick from him and lit it in front of Mecca and Medina pictures and said a silent prayer closing his eyes. This is his daily prayer...other than this he didn't perform daily religious rituals.
Many months rolled by. Dad and his friends spent time daily talking about many issues. One day when they were talking about religious matters, dad said, "During the Second World War II, I was in military..... at that time I had gone to England in the west, to Arabia, Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan in the east. I also visited Mecca and Jerusalem and both of them are close by. On one side Islam was established in Mecca and on the other side Christianity was established in Jerusalem, so there's not much difference between the two. Omar heard this conversation lying on his bed and thought both religions are same.
Once paternal grand mom Fathumuthu Beevi from Melur visited them. She is very pious and zealous for Islam. She used to pray five times a day and fast forty days once a year. Even in her old age, she never goes out without putting thuppatti - a beautiful white cloth cover for body and head. She always used to cover her head. One can see Muslim customs in all her words and deeds. She said, "Thangam! you are living in a city where there are no Muslims and the children didn't attend any Arabic school. So soon buy them some Muslim religious books...we can get them in near by city Thindugal". She left for Melur with this concern. When she went to Thindugal she got some Muslim religious books and sent them through dad to her grandchildren. Dad gave the books to Omar and said, "Your grandma bought you these books; read them and pray daily". He started to memorize the scriptures and prayers eagerly. Omar by nature had a thirst for Islam and faith in Allah. Daily he used to think about Allah in his heart and pray to him for many things. One day as he was praying while going to buy grocery, he found a twenty-five paise coin on the road; he took the coin and was very happy, because he believed that Allah gave him the coin. The next day morning he saw another coin in the same spot and was so much surprised. For few days he found coin in the same place. He believed without any doubt that it was the act of Allah.
Some months passed by. Omar was hurrying to school. On the way few people sold books in front of a Hindu temple and lot more books in a car trunk. Since Omar was interested in reading storybooks; he bought one for one ana - about six paise, thinking it will have lots of interesting stories. It was gospel of St. Matthew with beautiful cover picture. As soon as he went to school, he opened the book and started reading it. The first chapter contained the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it read, "Abraham beget Isaac...and Isaac beget Jacob...and so on.." then the first chapter ended by saying , "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet". All these things appeared like a puzzle and he didn't understand anything. Poor thing! for a Muslim boy studying in fifth grade, this religious book was a boring stuff. So he stopped reading, took it home and hid it at the bottom of a trunk box, because he will be beaten if parents know about it. Years rolled by, Omar didn't take it out. (.....Cont')