A dear academic friend of mine, whom I have always admired for his integrity, his willingness to help everyone, and his sincere efforts to live as a devoted servant of his Creator while sharing these virtues with others, was eventually forced to leave the country he loved so deeply. Like many others, he became the victim of an administration plagued by corruption, injustice, and lawlessness. Unable to endure the oppression any longer, he had no choice but to leave his homeland. In time, his children, too, were compelled to abandon their country after enduring countless hardships.
My friend and his family were granted asylum and residence permits in the countries where they had sought refuge. During the Eid holiday, he and his wife traveled to visit one of their sons, along with their daughter-in-law and grandchild, who were living in one of those countries.
They spent eight or nine precious days together, embracing their grandchild with affection and taking the opportunity to visit other friends as well.
When the day of departure finally arrived, tearful embraces marked their farewell. As they got into the car, their children continued waving goodbye with tears streaming down their faces. From inside the car, the father captured those final moments with his camera.
While traveling back home, he looked at the photographs once again. One image in particular showed his son embracing his parents with profound affection; another captured him waving through tears as they drove away. These photographs inspired my dear academic friend to reflect deeply, and he later shared those reflections with me.
Sometimes a single photograph silently conveys truths that pages of writing cannot fully express. Words fall silent, while tears begin to speak. A few frozen seconds captured by a camera can contain years of longing, suffering, patience, prayer, and hope.
A mother, a father, a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grandchild coming together for a few days during Eid may appear, at first glance, to be an ordinary family visit. Yet behind that reunion lay years of separation, the pain of forced migration, countless trials, and an entire life left behind.
This family did not leave the homeland where they were born, raised, and devoted themselves to serving because they wished to do so. They were subjected to oppression because of their beliefs, convictions, and conscience. Slander, injustice, court cases, uncertainty, and separation became an inseparable part of their lives. The heaviest burden of all was living far away from those they loved and from the land they called home.
One of their sons experienced the same fate. After years of fabricated accusations, endless legal proceedings, and severe prison sentences, he too was forced to flee with his wife and their little child into an uncertain future. Amid countless fears, anxieties, and tears, by the grace of God, they finally reached a safe country where they were able to begin rebuilding their lives.
Years later, the parents were finally able to leave the country where they had sought asylum and visit their son. Four or five days may seem very brief according to the calendar, but for hearts that had carried years of longing, they were beyond measure in value.Then came the moment of farewell once again.The mother embraced her son one last time.The father gently stroked his grandchild’s head for the last time.
As the car slowly pulled away, their son stood behind them, waving for as long as he could. Tears could no longer be concealed. The father took a photograph of that moment. Perhaps he thought he was simply recording a farewell. Yet when he looked at those photographs again days later, he discovered something far deeper.
He saw a mother’s final embrace, poured out with all her heart.He saw the tears flowing from his son’s eyes as he waved goodbye.He saw years of longing.He saw the silent cry of separation. And above all, he saw an unwavering faith standing firmly behind every one of those tears.For those tears were not merely tears of separation.They were the remembrance of every hardship endured.They were the sorrow of years that had been lost.They were the longing for the homeland left behind.They were the wounds inflicted by injustice.Yet at the same time, they were the tears of a grateful heart praising its Lord.
They were tears saying, “It was You who delivered us safely through all these dangers.”They were tears of trust declaring, “The Lord who has never abandoned us until today will never abandon us in the future.”They were tears of hope whispering, “Today we part, but one day we shall meet again.”
Sometimes the deepest prayers are not spoken with words but with tears. Perhaps the most sincere supplications before God are not those uttered by lips but those rising silently from hearts that have been broken, yet have never lost hope.
He later shared with me the reflections that these photographs awakened in his heart:
“Yes, every separation, every farewell, brings sadness and sorrow. At such moments, one simply cannot hold back the tears. Seeing my son weeping as he waved goodbye filled my heart with deep emotion. Yet, at the same time, for a believer there is another dimension to those tears. The prayer, ‘No matter how severe the trials of this world—whether poverty, illness, hardship, or calamity—so long as I do not lose my faith or depart from the path of guidance, I praise and thank Allah,’ has always been a guiding light in my life. Therefore, alongside the tears of sorrow, there are also tears of joy.”
“That is why I believe the tears in those photographs should be understood from two perspectives. On the one hand, they express the grief of farewell and separation. On the other, they are tears of gratitude and happiness for having been granted the blessing of experiencing such beautiful days together. In truth, this is the proper way to understand them.”
“Throughout the journey, I looked at those photographs over and over again. Those scenes, at once sorrowful and joyful, carried my thoughts into entirely different realms. I began to examine myself. As a servant of Allah, how well do I truly know my Lord? To what extent am I living according to the message He conveyed to us through His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Beyond trying to practice these teachings myself, how successfully am I sharing these values and beauties with those whom I should reach, with wisdom, balance, and proper measure? How much of this consciousness have I been able to instill in my own children?”
“Am I truly prepared to leave this temporary world for the everlasting Hereafter? Are my Eid celebrations, my family visits, my conversations, and my daily activities genuinely directed toward earning Allah’s pleasure? Am I making the best use of every moment of my life for that purpose? Questions like these occupied my mind throughout the entire journey.”
“While the airplane carried me through the sky, an even greater journey was taking place within my heart. My thoughts flowed like a mighty river. How much of my life was I dedicating to this temporary world? How much value was I attaching to it? I certainly had answers that gave me a measure of satisfaction, but another question continued to trouble me: To what extent was I actually living out those answers consistently—in every place, under every circumstance, and at all times? That was what concerned me most.”
“The more I reflected upon these matters, the more I realized that no amount of gratitude to my Lord could ever be sufficient. At least I have the blessing of knowing Him, trying to make Him known, loving Him, and encouraging others to love Him as well. Yet I continue to ask myself: How many people am I truly able to reach, and how effectively can I share these truths with them? It is here that I recognize how much more remains for me to do. God willing, I hope to live with an ever-deepening awareness of this responsibility and become one of those who not only speak these truths but also embody them.”
“After all, none of us knows when the red card will be shown, to whom, or under what circumstances. No one has any guarantee about tomorrow. Therefore, we must always remain spiritually alert, vigilant, and prepared.”
“Like the photographs I took, we should learn to live with two emotions at once: on one side, grieving over the painful events we witness; on the other, looking toward the future with hope, determination, and a sincere effort to share whatever goodness we can with others.”
“A simple family visit and a few photographs reminded me of all these realities during my journey. I wanted to share these feelings with you because I know that you have experienced even deeper and more profound versions of them yourself, and that you continue to live them. You have become an example for me. May Allah be pleased with you as well as with us all, and may He never deprive us of His pleasure. Farewell, and may Allah protect you.”
My dear academic friend concluded his message in this way.
As for me, I read every line as though I myself were living those very moments. I was deeply moved, and I found in his reflections valuable lessons for my own life.
In truth, every person should, from time to time, pause to reflect honestly upon his or her thoughts, feelings, and actions. Such self-examination is essential. Equally valuable is sharing these reflections with trusted, respected, and sincere friends. Doing so not only reminds others of life’s true meaning but is perhaps one of the greatest gifts that one person can offer another.
For this reason, everyone should have trustworthy companions—friends who can be confided in without hesitation, friends with whom one can share both joys and sorrows. We should value their counsel rather than insisting that only our own opinions are correct.
For two minds are often wiser than one.This principle lies at the very heart of consultation (shūrā) as well.
Of course, genuine friendship also requires discretion. Matters shared in confidence should remain confidential. Such relationships of trust and sincere consultation are invaluable not only for one’s spiritual well-being but also for one’s emotional and psychological health. They prevent burdens from accumulating silently within the heart and enable a person to face life’s challenges in healthier ways.
In this way, one becomes beneficial first to oneself and then to society as a whole—a healthier, wiser, and more compassionate human being.
What do you think?
