As has been said: “the root of all evil is the abuse of power”. Indeed, mean politics spoil our lives and confiscate our little dreams to live in harmony, peace, and dignity.
This is the story of a man who, by holding God’s values deep in his heart, manifested a great capacity to tolerate, love and cherish others.
Dr. Hassan Hathout was a man of principle, who spent his life spreading peace, wisdom and God’s values. He was a magnificent scholar and writer. In one of his books, he unfolded a true story that touched my heart. It took place in 1948, during a war between the emerging Jewish state and some Arab countries. At that time, he was a newly graduated doctor and was stationed in a hospital occupying the evacuated civilian airport at the town of Ramallah. Seven Jewish attackers were brought to his hospital. A mob gathered to kill them in retaliation for lost family members. Bravely, he spread his arms, and standing in their way preventing them from touching the captives, he said:
“Over my dead body. The Quran orders us to give care and be good to the orphans, the needy and the captives of war.”
He then quoted a relevant Quranic verse and a brief Islamic speech following which the demonstrators apologized and dispersed. He treated his Israeli captives with kindness and care, dismissing their fears and anxieties. Six of them were taken by the Red Cross in a few days but one remained for over a month due to his serious injury. Dr. Hassan used to chat with the remaining Israeli captive every day and they became friends. The Jewish patient was missing his son so much and he expressed his agony to his new friend, the Egyptian doctor. When the Jew captive was taken by the Red Cross, he shook Dr. Hassan’s hand saying: “I owe you my life.”
In 1972, Dr. Hassan received a letter from Switzerland signed by a name that he didn’t recognize at first glance. When he read the letter thoroughly, he knew that it was from his Jewish patient! His old captive told him that he had been trying to locate him for twenty-four years until he spotted his name and address in a hotel in Vienna, Austria, where Dr. Hassan used to spend his vacations. He reported his news extensively, then he expressed his joy if Dr. Hassan would accept his invitation to go to visit him and his family in Israel, as all his family members were so keen to know him personally. The Israeli also added that he would take care of all the arrangements for Dr. Hassan’s visit to Israel. Dr. Hassan replied with a nice emotional letter and declined the invitation saying it would never be possible for him as an Arab to visit Israel while it still occupied the Arab land.
Weeks later, Dr. Hassan received another letter in which his Jewish friend told him that he had undergone two heart surgeries and insisted on his invitation to Dr. Hassan. His letter was abruptly stopped before completion or signature. After a space of two lines, a different handwriting concluding the letter saying: “Days later he passed away at the age of forty-four. His wife found this letter in his papers and is very keen that it reaches you with their gratitude. Thanks to your efforts, he was given an extra twenty-four years of happy life with wife and family!”
Dr. Hassan has passed away, but the path he followed will never fade. If we just embrace God’s commandments that are revealed in every message He sent to man, inevitably, peace, justice and love will prevail.
Photo Credits
Photo is pixabay public domain
Guest Author Bio
Salma Hassaballa
Salma Hassaballa is an independent filmmaker; she mainly writes her scripts and puts in her initial music and lyrics. She also writes different genres of books and she is a member of the Arab Writers Union.
Blog / Website: www.salma-hassaballa.com
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