Faith Friday: When in Japan...

Keepin' it real in his kimono: My late Abah is the second last man from the right in the bottom row

My late Abah loved travelling and he was very much a people person too. He made friends very easily anywhere he went. He once went on a work trip to Japan where it is customary for people to greet one another by bowing. It is an act of humbling oneself and respecting the other person; the lower the bow, the more respect you have for the person. After exchanging bows with a new Japanese colleague my father made a remark.

"You know, where I come from we bow lower than this. Our foreheads touch the ground." 

His Japanese friend was amazed.

"Yes, I'm a Muslim and when Muslims pray our foreheads touch the ground."

After a few months of returning to Malaysia my late father received a phone call from Japan. It was his Japanese colleague.

"Do you remember me?" he asked.

"Of course," my Dad replied. 

"I called to let you know that after you told me about Islam I decided to research it and now I'm Muslim!"

"Those whom Allah (in His plan) wills to guide, He opens their chest (heart) to Islam." {Surah an-An'am, verse 125}

SubhanAllah. All my Dad said was a few simple lines as a passing remark and I bet he didn't even know the impact of his words until he received that phone call. Every time I remember this story I am reminded of how important it is for us as Muslims to talk about Islam with our non-Muslim friends. Don't preach, just be open about it. There's no need to be apologetic about being Muslim. After all Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did say:

"Convey from me, even if it is one verse." {Sahih Bukhari}

And every time I remember this story I start to miss my Dad. I wish I had the chance to ask him more about his life experiences - the places he had been to and the people he had met. I miss his anecdotes. I miss his silly sense of humour. I miss the little things I took for granted. I guess the only way to honour him today is by being a good Muslim, a good human being. Yeah, I think that's what he would've really wanted if he was still alive today. May Allah subhana wa taala bless his soul, forgive him of his sins and grant him Paradise. Ameen.