Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 290
! ! 290 Hence, God softened Hazrat ‘Umar ’s ra heart because of her steadfastness. After becoming Muslim, he became a devotee of Islam. If his sister had not shown such courage, the e ffect on Haz rat ‘Umar ra would not have been so great , nor would brother and sister have been so closely united forever. Understand that t his fruit was solely rewarded due to her sacrifice. Thus , if you wish your relatives to join you, then make the sacrifice. God’s lancet is for your own benefit and His punishment is for the sake of having mercy. He never punishes anyone unjustly. His Mercy is boundless. He Himself says : َو ِﺳ َﻌ ۡﺖ َر ۡﺣ َﻤ ¤ِۡ َو [ “My mercy encompass es all things. ” ] (Holy Qur’ān, Ch. 7: V. 157) My mercy is vast. Thus, how can you expect cruelty from H im , who has abundant mercy? No single action of His depicts any cruelty. Hell is only a hospital for reprimand and correction, where some stay for a few days, others a few weeks, a few months, and still others stay for years. Just as no one remains admitted in a worldly hospital for all time, similarly that hospital (Hell) is not forever. Paradise is home and Hell is a hospital. God would never force his servants to suffer eternally. One Hadith narrates that ultimately, the doors of Hell will swing open with the breeze of Paradise , thus cooling it. This is evidence of abundant m ercy. Therefore, the separa tion from your relatives is for the sake of admonition and progress, not as an act of cruelty and harshness. In the same way, a baby’s separation from its mother’s womb is beneficial and essential for its growth. Does any mother dislike the parting of her baby f rom her womb [at birth] ? Does she ever lament, “Oh why ha s my baby been removed from my womb?” She will never say this, for she understands that this separation will open the avenues for the baby’s gr owth and development. It could not make much progress by remaining in the womb. Thus , God Almighty cuts you off from your relatives , so that you may be reunited with them after having made lasting progress.