An interesting
event happened to me earlier today. I was on my way to a wedding when a
rather scruffy looking man greeted my party at the door of the hotel. He
had a bouquet of red roses, bright vivid ones and he was selling each
rose for $6.00 each, asking the people entering the hotel to buy one to
help out the homeless. He didn't plead or beg but seemed to be happy
being a little industrious so as to help himself get by than to merely
rely on the sympathy of strangers and do nothing. He said it with what I
felt was a genuine sincerity and enthusiasm.
My party moved inside the building without purchasing any roses and made our way to the convention area. It struck me as incredibly heartbreaking that there was a man, poorly dressed, who was forced to sell single roses in front of a hotel where several rich people who probably thought very little of him strolled by. Had it not been for the fact that the people entering the hotel were dressed in formal suits and lavish dresses and this man standing out front was dressed in worn out clothes, there was no other difference. At the end of the day, that man was just as human as you and I, and in his own small way, he was trying to meet his needs in probably the only way he knew how or could given these difficult times. I went downstairs again to look for him again but he was nowhere to be seen. I truly regret not stopping at the entrance and doing something right then and there. I regret not helping him and treating him with dignity and decency. Except for my fancy clothes, there was no difference between he or I in the eyes of God.
This experience helped me appreciate once more something I already knew: the importance of never losing our humility. Our wealth, just as our hard times, are both tests for us. I have always felt that the mark of a person's character was revealed in how he/she treated someone who didn't need to be treated well and this meant all the poor people, the elderly, the children, everyone who in society's hierarchy would be considered below you. If the Prophet (PBUH) who is the greatest of all men could have a meal with his servants, who are we to treat anyone poorly, no matter what their situation in life?
My advice to everyone and a rule that I too shall strive to follow: treat every person who is down on his luck with dignity. Talk to them, listen to their story. At the end of the day, if the roles were reversed, you and I would wish that someone would treat us in this way too. These souls are oftentimes braver and have been tested far more than many of us who have been blessed by Allah (SWT). Never be harsh or condescending in either your words or the way you say your words and your actions and the manner in which you do them. After all, they are also your brothers and sisters in humanity and it is our duty to look after them.
My party moved inside the building without purchasing any roses and made our way to the convention area. It struck me as incredibly heartbreaking that there was a man, poorly dressed, who was forced to sell single roses in front of a hotel where several rich people who probably thought very little of him strolled by. Had it not been for the fact that the people entering the hotel were dressed in formal suits and lavish dresses and this man standing out front was dressed in worn out clothes, there was no other difference. At the end of the day, that man was just as human as you and I, and in his own small way, he was trying to meet his needs in probably the only way he knew how or could given these difficult times. I went downstairs again to look for him again but he was nowhere to be seen. I truly regret not stopping at the entrance and doing something right then and there. I regret not helping him and treating him with dignity and decency. Except for my fancy clothes, there was no difference between he or I in the eyes of God.
This experience helped me appreciate once more something I already knew: the importance of never losing our humility. Our wealth, just as our hard times, are both tests for us. I have always felt that the mark of a person's character was revealed in how he/she treated someone who didn't need to be treated well and this meant all the poor people, the elderly, the children, everyone who in society's hierarchy would be considered below you. If the Prophet (PBUH) who is the greatest of all men could have a meal with his servants, who are we to treat anyone poorly, no matter what their situation in life?
My advice to everyone and a rule that I too shall strive to follow: treat every person who is down on his luck with dignity. Talk to them, listen to their story. At the end of the day, if the roles were reversed, you and I would wish that someone would treat us in this way too. These souls are oftentimes braver and have been tested far more than many of us who have been blessed by Allah (SWT). Never be harsh or condescending in either your words or the way you say your words and your actions and the manner in which you do them. After all, they are also your brothers and sisters in humanity and it is our duty to look after them.
