The Light

One night, as usually, after my father had returned from the mosque and performed his Magrib (sunset) prayer, he asked my mother:

Is dinner ready?

Yes, - she replied – Now I will lay the table.

My sisters and I helped mother and together we lay the table fast. Our family of five members was sitting around the dinning table. Mother had cooked the dinner and for us it was the best cook in the world, so we were eating with great pleasure. When we were eating and talking, the lights went off. We remained in darkness. We couldn’t see a thing. My father – May Allah have mercy on him – had the will to make use of such occasions. He had not continued the studies in school, but life had taught him a lot. Even in this occasion, as he usually did, he put the stone in its place. After a light coughing, in order to gain attention, he said:

- O my children! Do you see how the light went off! We cannot even see each other. Can you tell me when it was better, with the lights on or after the lights went off? Altogether we said:

- When the lights were on was better, o our father.

Then the continued:

- Similarly to this, is the Right Way, the way of Allah. Al of it is light, and for that it takes you to light, in Paradise that is all light. The darkness, o my children, is the way of Satan that sends you in darkness, in Hell that is dark. If you want the light, don’t forget Allah and follow His way.

Our father made use of this occasion too, and gave us a wonderful advice. We always remember what he said to us that night.

And we added:

- We want the light and the way with light. We want the Paradise that is with light. O Allah, we are afraid of darkness, and save us from it.

In the mean time, when we were having the conversation with the father, our mother had lighted a kerosene lamp and hung it on the wall. We continued to have our supper with light.