Too often we have a negative perception towards people who have some sort of mental or physical disability. We feel sorry for them. It goes to the extent that you may even think that they are not worth giving dawah to, not worth that invitation to Islam. May Allah forgive us all for that. Have we ever considered… maybe its a blessing?
Read what Abu Hafsah Abdul Malik Clare who was born without sight and embraced Islam in 1996 had to say:
I get asked this question in almost every city of every country I’ve ever been in. “What’s it like to be blind?” I never get offended by this question, I think that if I were sighted I would probably ask the same question. My reply is: “I’m not blind, I just can’t see.” This answer gets a laugh from the crowd and a smile from myself but I’ve never actually liked that answer, it always sounded like a copout to me.
So, now, I’m going to try my best to answer that question in the best way that I know how. When I wasn’t a Muslim, I didn’t really think about my not being able to see too much, I just did what ever I wanted. After becoming a Muslim, I started to ponder that question and being asked it countless times I started to think, hmmm, how can I describe being blind? It would be easy to say, it’s blackness all the time but I don’t like that answer either.
After all, how do I know what blackness looks like. I’ve never been able to see so I have nothing to compare blackness to. I would describe it this way. Did you ever see an adult cover the eyes of a child when they want the child not to see something that isn’t acceptable? Well, that’s how I feel.
I feel like ALLAH covered my eyes from something unacceptable. Sometimes, like that small child I may want to struggle against the covering over of my eyes and that’s where the patience comes in. There are some things that I’d like to see of course. But, the idea that ALLAH HIMSELF decided to cover my eyes just like the protective adult covering the eyes of a small child fills my heart with an unexplainable joy.
Some people may say: “How can you say that ALLAH loves you when He made you not be able to see?” My reply to them is simple, ALLAH loves me so much that He is shielding and protecting my eyes from seeing the hardships and the suffering of this world. And maybe, just maybe, He wants to be the first one that I am allowed to see. I really love that trade. I don’t know if I’ve answered that question, but I did the best that I could. I hope you can SEE what I’m saying.