Happy New Islamic Year 1440H - "Maal Hijrah 1440H"

Wishing everyone a blessed and peaceful year ahead. Wishing that we be given the strength, patience and perseverance to face whatever has been decreed upon us. Wishing that it will be a year full of love, harmony and compassion. Wishing everyone happiness, joy and contentment. Wishing that all your wishes be granted.

A Dog's Tale

Last Monday I went for my morning walk as usual around the housing estate across my area. It was a Malay dominated community thus the sound of dogs growling and barking were quite unusual on an usually quiet morning. The kids were in school and traffic around the area had trickled off to just a few. I saw the dogs - a brown one - collarless which denoted that it was a stray - on the upper side of the drain growling at another black coloured dog in the drain. It had a collar. I thought the brown dog was trying to help it's friend. I passed them and noticed that the growling was very unfriendly and it was barking at the black dog. I shooed off the brown dog and it went off. Then I looked at the black dog and assumed that it could jump out safely. I walked ahead and heard a whimpering sound. I turned and saw that although it tried, it could not jump out of the drain.

I stood near the dog and urged and encouraged it to jump out. It tried again and fell on all fours back into the drain. It was knee -deep with water. Oh dear ... what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to help it out? I was more afraid if it would bit me if I got much nearer. It looked at me. Oh dear again ... those soulful eyes ... I looked around for help. A few motorbikes passed by without stopping. I looked at the poor dog helplessly. The drain was quite deep - if I stood in it, it would be up to my knees and I was tall. Touching a wet dog is taboo in Islam.

only the front paws reached the top of the drain

I looked around and saw this loan people stickers of their phone numbers on the lamp post. I went and peeled off two pieces and surprisingly they came off in one perfect piece. Not broken due to the glue on it. I stuck the paper with the glue onto both my palms hoping it would stick so I could grip the dog. Still nobody passed by the quiet road. I approached the dog and I guessed it could sense that I was trying to help it. I grabbed one of its paws and pulled him hard and it also tried to jerk itself out. It was quite a heavy dog !!!! It managed to jump out and dashed off across the road. I was laughing at it and I was quite proud of myself.

I am not trying to give them free advertisement but this is the sticker I meant 

I tried to get the stickers out of my hands and goodness - did it stuck on them. I managed to pull them out bit by bit. Now I would have to cleanse my hands with a cleansing ritual when one had touched a dog. I felt good with myself though. It was just a dog but it was a living thing and I just could not leave it there knowing it was helpless with nobody noticing it in the drain. At least I had the comfort that a dog had gone home to its owners. It must have gotten out from an opened gate by itself without the owners' knowledge. My good deed of the day ... and the next day was "Maal Hijrah 1440H" - the start of a new Islamic year. Alhamdulillah ... I took it as a good start. Inshaa Allah.