I Recognise Joseph’s Kindness As well As Hemant’s Humility and Humaneness as Exemplifying Lived Spirituality
By Reshma, New Age
Islam
10 October
2020
It was
many, many years ago, when I was working in an office. My job entailed meeting
companies to discuss advertising campaigns. Our office was a really homely
place. Just a handful of people worked there. We worked as friends, and no one
bossed over the others.
I can still
recall my first day in the office. By God’s grace, I had, by this time, begun
doing the five times Namaz or prayer regularly. My colleagues in the office
were Hindus and Christians, and I was the only Muslim. My worry was how and
where in my new workplace I would be able to offer the mid-afternoon (Zohar) and early evening (Asr) Namaz.
Going home to offer the prayers was not possible—it was quite a distance
away.
After the
formalities of welcoming me into the office were over, I approached my senior
whom I was to report to, Mr. Joseph. I had butterflies zooming around in my
stomach, but I managed to muster the courage to ask him if I could offer my Zohar Namaz in the office during the
lunch break, and, later in the day, the Asr
prayer too. I explained that I did not want to disturb anyone and that if
he had any objection to my praying in the office, he could let me know.
I was
overwhelmed, immensely relieved and enormously grateful for Joseph’s response.
He said that I could pray in the office and that if anyone in the office
commented on it or said something about it to me, I should inform him.
Thanking Joseph
profusely, I began to scout around for a quiet, private space in the office
where I could offer my prayers. I managed to find an unused storeroom, which
seemed ideal for the purpose.
By this
time I had met a colleague, whom I shall call Hemant. He seemed a kind,
soft-spoken person, and I felt instinctively connected with him. I told him
that Joseph had permitted me to offer my prayers in the office and that I would
use the storeroom for this as it was vacant and my praying there would not
disturb others. Spontaneously, Hemant got up from his seat and said that he
would clean the storeroom as it was very dusty. Despite my telling him that I
would do it, Hemant went about cleaning the room himself. I was overwhelmed by
his kind gesture!
I had a
good time working at this place. I was there for around a year or so. After l
left, I lost touch with my colleagues and moved into a different field of work.
Then, one
day, more than a decade later, as I was browsing through the newspaper, my eyes
fell on the obituary column. I was shocked to see a picture of Joseph there,
with an announcement that he had passed away. He was in his late 40s then, if I
am right. His funeral service was to be held in a church later that day.
My mind
travelled back to my days in the office. I was filled with memories of Joseph’s
kindness towards me. I recalled his respect for my prayers as well as his
concern for my professional growth. I desperately wanted to go to the church
and be part of the prayers for Joseph.
I tried to
recall if I was still in touch with any old common colleagues whom I could go
to the funeral service with, but there were none. I had never attended a
Christian funeral service in my life, and I had no idea what happened on such
occasions. I was confused. Could I just walk in? Would I need to introduce
myself?
I wasn’t
busy that day, and so I had no valid excuse not to attend a dear colleague’s
funeral service. But all sorts of mixed feelings and thoughts began swirling
about in my head. The day passed by and I did not go for the service.
But my
conscience pricked me. A feeling of guilt weighed heavily on my heart for some
days. For all his kindness towards me when he was alive, couldn’t I have at
least attended a prayer service for Joseph when he had just died? After all, I
owed a huge debt to him for being so kind as to permit me to pray in the
office. Couldn’t I have reciprocated his kindness in this regard at least by
attending his funeral prayer?
I felt sad
that I had not offered my due respects to Joseph by being there, in the church,
that day.
When I
think of it now, I recognise Joseph’s kindness as well as Hemant’s humility and
humaneness as exemplifying lived spirituality, which transcends all boundaries
of caste, creed and community. In the light of their example of lived
spirituality, when I think of my not having attended Joseph’s funeral that day,
I must ask myself, “Where was—and is—my own lived spirituality?”
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/i-recognise-joseph’s-kindness-well/d/123105