One day, I had to visit one of my relative whose husband’s source of income is ‘suspicious’. Once or twice I had made up that I was fasting or given any other excuse so I would not have to eat at their home but once I had to go and could not refuse. This time I had given an excuse that I was on a ‘precautionary diet’. When I reached there, it was almost time for lunch. As per plan, I opened up my box and started eating food that I had brought from home. All the hosting family members started staring at me with questionable looks. My sister knew the real reason but the rest (mother in law and sisters in law) asked me if it was a joke. They said that if I was on ‘precautionary diet’ then my desired food could have been made there instead of me taking the trouble to bring it myself. When I insisted on having my own food, they all got more suspicious. By now they had an idea that I did not like to eat at their house. It was a suitable time to say some important words of wisdom. I said: Actually, when there is a possibility for an ailment to become worse and the doctor has also advised for a specific sort of diet then seemingly delicious food becomes a source of pain rather than enjoyment. That is why one should make arrangements before leaving the house. At this moment, the real conversations had emerged and I had the opportunity to present my implied meaning in the form of an example. When a doctor prescribes us a distasteful medicine or warns us from consuming our favourite food, we do so with complete faith and regularity in order to maintain our health. We also push ourselves to walk or exercise at early morning if it is advised by our doctor but unfortunately we do not pay any attention to our ‘spiritual diseases’. Not just that but we also do not seek any spiritual doctor (righteous people of Allah Subhanawo Taa’la) to heal our spiritual ailments. The most learned and experienced doctor, the biggest surgeon of the world, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that we should stop disobeying Allah Subhanawo Taa’la, abstain from evil and sin otherwise we will get into terrible disease of the heart and if we do not listen to Allah Subhanawo Taa’la’s word then Astaghfirullah, we will have to bear the agony of Hell fire.
