As ou Sow, So Shall ou Reap
As You Sow, So Shall You Reap
Bilal Muhammad, 40, lived with his wife, Zahra, and three kids in a small city called Al-Zabadani in southwestern Syria. Bilal jointly owned a large farm with his father and younger brother. Their three-storey home was situated right in the middle of the farm. Bilal’s parents occupied the ground floor, Bilal, his wife and kids lived on the first floor and his brother on the second. Bilal’s family lived off the land. Bilal and Zahra spent years seeing one doctor after another looking for a treatment for their youngest daughter, Aisha. Aisha suffers from achondroplasia which is a form of short-limbed dwarfism. To Bilal and Zahra, Aisha’s condition was more than a physical limitation. They feared Aisha will never have a normal life until and unless she stands as tall as her peers. When the drums of war sounded in Syria, the Muhammads grabbed a knapsack worth of belongings and fled to neighboring Jor- dan. There Bilal worked long hours in a f farm to pay rent f for theh one-bedroombd apartment his family shared with six other people. Not long after they moved to Jordan, their neighbours informed them that a bomb had hit their home. All three storeys came crashing down, bits and pieces scattered all across the farm. Like the fragments of their family home, Bilal’s extended family was also dispersed across the globe. Bilal’s parents ended up in another part of Jordan while his brother took refuge in Turkey. Bilal, his wife and three kids were accepted into Canada in late 2015 as part of the Welcome Refugee program. When the Muslim Food Bank & Community Services caseworker Naseem Quraishi took up the Muhammads’ case after three months of their arrival in Canada, he helped them open a bank account, showed them their way around the city and helped them navigate different government organizations. Naseem also helped their kids with homework. But most importantly, Naseem taught them how to deal with challenges as long wait times to see specialists for their daughter. Though BilalB found a job as a flooring contractor, his incomein wasn’t steady. Naseem taught Bilal to be patient when he couldn’t find work for months at a time. Naseem provided support to the Muhammads for the sake of God alone. He did not expect to be remunerated in any way or even be thanked yet somehow he felt like he is getting the better side of the bargain. “I haven’t done anything for them, they are theth ones that have impacted my life,” he asserted.a Besides the sense of fulfilment in beingb there for someone in need, Naseem feltfe like his support of the Muhammads hash changed his life for the better. In many ways,w he felt like it’s opened doors for him. “I never expected to get anything in return in this life but a lot of great things are happening,” Naseem said with a smile. Naseem recently got engaged to a girl the Muhammads introduced him to plus he got a promotion in his company. As a caseworker to newly-immigrated Syrian family, Naseem wore many hats but the key aspect of his support to the Muhammads was simply being a good friend, especially in times of distress. More than financial problems, what troubled Bilal and Zahra a great deal was their child’s disability. They thought that since Canada has such an advanced medical system, their daughter’s ailment will surely be treated here. But fate took another turn. Naseem joined Bilal and Zahra in a meeting with a specialist so he could interpret for them. The specialist told them that there is nothing he can do for their daughter. Of all the difficult things Bilal and Zahra have had to endure, realizing that their daughter’s ailment has no cure was the most harrowing. “Their pain hit me in my heart,” Naseem recalled. After having worked with the Muhammads for over a year, Naseem feels like they’re his family. As fate would have it, Naseem lives in the same apartment building as the Muhammads. Him and Bilal often chat over a cup of coffee. Zahra, being the great cook that she is, tells Naseem of her plans to start a restaurant. Bilal also talks about his dreams for the future. He hopes to create a better life for his kids than what he has had to live through. These are real stories where our volunteers have an impact on members of our community helping them progress in their lives. InshaAllah next week we will bring you another story. Please join us to have a purpose in your life to make a difference in the lives of your brothers and sisters by coming to our events and registering as a volunteer or donating to your organization, the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society (usually referred to as Muslim Food Bank) at www.muslimfoodbank.com/ donate. Our email is contact@muslimfoodbank.com and telephone number is 1-866-824-2525.