By Miangul Abdullah

15 MAR, (DNA) – Most people would find it unthinkable. However, for Muhammad Darvesh choosing to labour with amputated leg seems like the best option he has by the time in his life.

Lacking the physical prowess to walk and coordinate his body movements, he may be handicapped. But he is battling with his severed leg below the knee in an unfortunate incident, in which a speedy bus crashed his limb to limit his activities for forever.

Nonetheless, life is not over for the physically challenged Darvesh after amputation. The loss of the limb is, ofcourse, a life changing experience but not a life ending experience. Whereas notwithstanding the thought of being himself needy, he feels comfortable in helping others especially when he think they are need and distress. That’s why without any concern for his cutoff leg, he is active in helping the gardener in digging the lawn.

Worth seeing is his difficult positioning for the task by placing the lower end of his walking stick onto the earth and fixing the upper part with the curved wood under his left arm wing. Thus resting the remaining thigh part of his leg above the knee on the long cane of the walking stick and holding the handle of the hoe with his both hands, he is busy in the work of preparing the ground for planting grass in the plantation season of the spring.

It is not a part of his job in office. Besides, whichever way one may think, he is not suitable for doing it at all. His office colleagues would think of him to be a mad man to indulge in such kind of work, while outsiders will take pity on him for doing it despite his disability.

But he would not mind for being a class-iv in the office of the District Finance & Planning Department Swat to find free or spare time and work with the gardener of other office, who is employed in the office of the commissioner Malakand Division. So to think in this professional context, he will not be doing a right thing in the eyes of his other colleagues.

Besides he is disabled and physically unfit. So involving himself in physical labour with one leg would seem something out of place here for others. However, he knows well the immortality of man and the transitory nature of worldly things.

For him the turns of fates is a natural way of life and an eternal truth. Sometimes we will be in good fortunes and sometimes the otherwise depending on the situation. But the fact, he is trying to instill in our minds is that everyone and everything here is immortal and has to die out one day, soon or later. So there is nothing to worry about the misfortunes.

He believes in the service of humanity, which is the highest act of devotion. Therefore, he is firm in his strong determination that the work with the mali (gardener) is going to pay him the reward which a sound body would not be able to understand.

The satisfaction and the hidden strength one get from helping others can only be seen or recognized by the disabled Darvesh with a cutoff leg but a sound mind and not by those, who have a sound body but a disabled mind. They think but for themselves only.

But Darvesh is well aware of the philosophy behind the life in this temporary world, which gives him confidence and motivates him to utilize his esteem and good self-image to accomplish the good and exciting things. That brings new experiences and new challenges with each day for us to utilize our talents in meeting those challenges and meet them well.

In fact it is that virtue or the moral excellence of a person, around which he builds the ‘character muscle’. The direction we take in our life is supported and motivated by our value system. Our values principles give us the grounding, the foundation to feel content, to feel well planted and secure in our life, wherein we are comfortable in our own skin.

He also possesses an adequate knowledge of the Islamic teaching and is aware of the importance of planting and conservation of trees. He says that the gardener is going to plant grass or trees in the garden. That will praise Allah Almighty and he would have a share in the reward in this regard for his work in the lawn. In addition, the birds, the people or other animals, which eats from the plants, would be a charitable gift for him.

To view in this sense, we know that plants or trees are the special gifts of Allah for us. Naturally, they recycle the air we exhale by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. They also help in preserving our soil from erosion, attract water laden clouds for rain and provide us food or fruits as well as valuable timber for fuel and furniture or other various purposes. In addition, they are responsible for retention of sub terrainian water.

Hence helping in maintaining the ecological balance which is essential for preservation of life on earth, they are beneficial to us in every aspect. They keep our environment clean.

They also provide shades to weary travelers or summer hit people, who find momentary reprieve under the thick shades of trees. To put it in simple words, since the dawn of human civilization, man has been in close relationship with the surrounding nature.

Hence the one who plants or help in planting trees are in fact doing good to mankind in general, which is from religious point of view the highest religion to serve humanity. The power, presence or the honesty of such people is upfront for all of us to see. So how would be the reward for doing right things most of the time, not only here but hereinafter?

But perhaps we have deliberately turned a blind eye to this fact. Nevertheless the disabled Darvesh knows the rewards of his noble deeds. That’s, perhaps, the main reason as to why he is in spite of his disability working with the lone gardener to alleviate his suffering.

He may not be a philosopher or a saint but he is true to his being. He knows about his existence and remains adhered to the high values of life, at least to teach the sound bodies that Allah Almighty facilitates matters for those in this worldly life, who help the needy or the distressed. Or they alleviate the sufferings of others or serve the humanity in general. In turn Allah Almighty alleviates their fear and hardships here and on the Judgment Day. DNA
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