The sun rises as a blazing bowl of fire, tinting the horizon with red, pink and gold. Irradiating with its rays golden sands and oceans azure, its waves rippling welcoming the morning bright.

Herbage in different shades of green decorating lush forests aided by flowers of an array of colours befitting an artists’ palette.

The cities with its cosmopolitan civilizations with its sky scrapers greeting the sky, a realm of lights and sounds.

Different landscapes bringing in threads of different admiration and awe, forming a colourful mosaic embedded in the heart and witnessed by the eye.

And what if this kaleidoscope of colours were to turn pitch black, with not a ray of light and only the feeling of claustrophobia seeping in, perhaps that is how it must be when one becomes blind.

Cut off from the colours and beauty of this world, life must then appear cumbersome and dreary, hopeless and arid.

Yet there is a hope for such individuals, and I won’t say that it is a glimmer of hope for verily this hadith by far is so powerful that it could fill a persons’ entire life with hope:

The Messenger (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah The Most High has said, ‘If I take away the eyesight of a slave of Mine and he shows patience and seeks My reward, then I shall reward him with nothing less than Paradise.”[Sahih Al-Bukhari]

This hadith shows the virtue of being patient at the loss of one’s eyesight whereby the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned that the person who loses their eyesight, remains patient and awaits the reward with Allah Almighty, Allah will grant them paradise.
And Allah Knows Best!

Indeed being patient is no easy feat, but Allah has made patience like a horse that never gets tired, an army that can never be defeated and a strong fortress that can never be breached. Patience and victory are twin brothers, for victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress and ease comes with hardship. Patience is of more help to the one who has it than men, as it helps without any need for equipment or numbers and its relationship to victory is like that of the head to the body.

My message to all those who have been afflicted with blindness is to stay firm and hold on to patience as a lifesaver and hope for reward and Paradise from the All Merciful.

“Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Saabiroon (the patient)”
[al-Anfaal 6:46]

Bint Ayesha
AAT; Writer