From Models of Contentment

I was honored to visit my dear brother Khalil Al-Shawish, who has been suffering from sarcoma cancer for years. Don't let the picture fool you! Khalil is only forty years old... younger than me... but one of his medications removes hair dye.. I previously read articles by Khalil, where I saw contentment and peaceful coexistence with the decrees of Allah, and a call to people not to get used to Allah's blessings upon them and forget their value... under the hashtags #Alhamdulillah #Blessings_of_Allah #Do_Not_Get_Used_to_Blessings Yes, I read... but the direct interview was a more profound lesson... I saw a man whose cancer had reached an extreme level, requiring him to take double doses of painkillers and reducing his ability to leave the house.. and yet he is radiant-faced, always smiling, talking about his illness with ease as if he enjoys his affliction for the reward it brings by the will of Allah! We discussed Allah's blessings, and he told me: (People tell me you are patient, may Allah be pleased with you.. you and you.. and I tell them: It's not me who is strange! You are wrong if you don't endure! What choice do I have but to endure?! Praise be to Allah for His many blessings). He struggled with his illness to attend my invitation, and we agreed that he would record an episode with me in the studio he works in, by the will of Allah... a man of determination who fights the disease, spreads hope, strengthens resolve, and always reminds people of Allah's blessings. It is not easy to be in your thirties, thank you, brother Khalil... thank you for the lessons I learned from you in these minutes... thank you for your smile that taught me what I cannot find in the depths of books and the speeches of preachers.... thank you for reminding me of Allah's blessings upon me.. And I ask Allah for your healing and that He lightens your burden and rewards you, your wife Um Yahya, and your son, and grants you all entry into Paradise without reckoning or torment. I was honored to visit my dear brother Khalil Al-Shawish, who has been suffering from sarcoma cancer for years. Don't let the picture fool you! Khalil is only forty years old... younger than me... but one of his medications removes hair dye.. I previously read articles by Khalil, where I saw contentment and peaceful coexistence with the decrees of Allah, and a call to people not to get used to Allah's blessings upon them and forget their value... under the hashtags #Alhamdulillah #Blessings_of_Allah #Do_Not_Get_Used_to_Blessings Yes, I read... but the direct interview was a more profound lesson... I saw a man whose cancer had reached an extreme level, requiring him to take double doses of painkillers and reducing his ability to leave the house.. and yet he is radiant-faced, always smiling, talking about his illness with ease as if he enjoys his affliction for the reward it brings by the will of Allah! We discussed Allah's blessings, and he told me: (People tell me you are patient, may Allah be pleased with you.. you and you.. and I tell them: It's not me who is strange! You are wrong if you don't endure! What choice do I have but to endure?! Praise be to Allah for His many blessings). He struggled with his illness to attend my invitation, and we agreed that he would record an episode with me in the studio he works in, by the will of Allah... a man of determination who fights the disease, spreads hope, strengthens resolve, and always reminds people of Allah's blessings. It is not easy to be in your thirties, Thank you, brother Khalil... thank you for the lessons I learned from you in these minutes... thank you for your smile that taught me what I cannot find in the depths of books and the speeches of preachers.... thank you for reminding me of Allah's blessings upon me.. And I ask Allah for your healing and that He lightens your burden and rewards you, your wife Um Yahya, and your son, and grants you all entry into Paradise without reckoning or torment.