Whenever giving an example of a person who perfectly balanced duniya(world).and deen( faith), I cannot think of an example better than Fasih.
He did not know or ever try to know what maslak or fiqah he belonged. For him his faith was the 5 pillars of Islam plus “do good to humanity and harm no one.” Period.
As a family we had the fortune to live in Makkah for 20 years, and him for 25 years.
I did not ever see him preach anyone including me on religion but would always remind good deeds were essential part of faith.
How quietly he would slip in the room to pray farz namaz and come out no one would ever realize. I did not see him miss any prayer. And he often joked why he has no prayer mark on his forehead.
Many people asked him he lived in Makkah and still did not sport a beard. He would reply my faith is in my practice and not appearance.
He was a Pulmonolgist in Makkah’s main hospital King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Makkah. He was on 12 hour duty for 15 days on Hajj and would accompany critical patients in ambulance to Arafat and hence perform Hajj defacto with them every single year.
Once he got a call from the office of Imam Haram that the chief Imam of Haram then Abdullah Subayel wants you to see him, as he was not well. Fasih went and examined and brought him to hospital for further treatment. Hence Fasih became his regular Pulmonologist for few years. One day when he visited to see him, the Imam asked, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Fasih replied, “I want to go inside Khan e Kaaba.”
Imam did not give any reply.
Fasih came home and told me. I whined, “Why didn’t you tell him my wife is looking for a job in xyz hospital.”
Fasih replied, “No. I didn’t want him to regret asking me ‘how can I help’ and prove to him that I am a petty opportunist expat. As such I doubt if he liked my request. And I know you will get the job you are after. Just keep pursuing.”
Fasih kept seeing Imam sb periodically for his chest condition. The topic of Kaaba never came up.
About 3 months later he got a call from a clerk in Haram that on a certain day there is Ghusl e Kaaba and the door will open for wshing of the Kaaba inside. His pass is ready to pick up for the entry after the washing.
And few days later he lined up with very select dignitaries for the tour inside. He prayed and even looked around to inspect what did the interiors look like.
Next year he again got a call, and then next and then next for 17 years. Each year he would go inside and pray 2 rakahs. One year he invited his father in the same season to also give him the opportunity to see. He asked the clerk that this time I will give my pass to my father.
The clerk said, “Ley, hada haram.” (Why this is illegal). And then he gave Fasih a nasty smile.
Before Fasih could even react, he took out another pass and said, “Go inside together.”
In 2013 he packed up a coveted job and his high connections in Makkah to come to Pakistan and complete his dream of Taj Consultants Clinics whose construction was nearing completion in Karachi.
I repeat, I have yet to know anyone who was so much a man of faith yet considered service and good deeds as a bigger blessing that mere rituals.
Each Ramadan Taj Consultant Clinics staff has daily iftar together. Everyone from CEO to the housekeeping boy sit together and eat and then pray Maghreb.
Every staff’s birthday is celebrated from top to bottom with a cake and given birthday gift.
Cake is brought for Christian nurses to cut on Christmas.
In Taj itself he confronted some doctors and staff whose actions contradicted their religious appearance.
One day his young female RMO came crying in his office, “Sir XYZ consultant said I have insulted his faith.”
Fasih asked the details, so she replied she was sitting in her desk in the triage room and door was closed. Suddenly a man in Salwar Kameez with large flowing beard barged into the room banging the door open and said where is the nurse? So I asked him, why did you not knock the room?.
The man replied, “I want nurse. Where is the nurse?”
Doctor replied, “Why did you open the door without knocking? Look at your appearance and look at your behaviour.”
That man replied, “You are insulting my piety. I am a consultant.” And left.
The RMO got so scared, she came to Fasih crying.
Fasih went to the Consultants room and gently asked him “What’s the matter?”
He replied, “Your RMO insulted me on my appearance because I am a maulvi.”
Fasih replied, “Dr Sb how is this an insult to your piety? Should you not have knocked at the door instead of banging the door open? Didn’t Prophet SAW even knock before entering his daughter’s room?”
The consultant didn’t say a word.
Fasih turned back, “And next time first introduce yourself as who you are and why you are looking for the nurse.”
The man had no answer.
Just few months ago a GP who had taken a clinic on rent and was not paying his dues for several months despite reminders from.the Admin. Fasih was at home and he got a call from the guard downstairs that Dr.ABC is smuggling his furniture and stuff out of the building emptying the room late night, planning to run away without paying 3 months rent and other Bill’s.
Fasih first went to his room it was open and vacated. Then he went down and nabbed the doctor, “Tumko sharam nahin aati itni bari darhee rakh ke chori se bhaag rahe ho? “
The doctor threatened, ” Kabardar meri darhi ko kuch mut kehna…”
Fasih, “Guard darwaza lock ker do, ye bhagne na paaye. Mayn police ko phone ker raha huun, ye admi dues diye beghair bhaag raha tha.”
The doctor folded hands and said, “Police mut bulao, mayn payment ker ke apna furniture le jaoonga.”
And Fasih let him do that.
He was a Syed and hence many of his patients from interior Sind would want to touch his feet. He strictly refused and said this does not make him a better individual in the eyes of Allah. To those who insisted, he would actually get angry and threaten not to see them in his clinic.
He would often tell his staff, your quality of work and good deeds are part of your faith. Don’t think just rituals will take you to heavens.
😦
Blind to Bounds 
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