Hidden Deeds

They were walking together chatting and laughing after another exciting cricket match, azan started and they could see the mosque at walking distance. "I must be going," said Ahmed, other three friends asked him to go after praying but he rushed away, three of them moved forward towards the mosque, each thinking in his mind, why he doesn't pray and each felt pity for him.

A few weeks later they were together and it was almost maghrib prayer time, once again Ahmed rushed, his friends tried to stop him, giving him arguments about importance of prayer and that his heart may become black if he continues to avoid prayer, meanwhile azan started and Ahmed stood up and ran, he was in such a rush that he didn't look behind and while running a car hit him, all his friends rushed towards him, he couldn't survive the injuries and died on the spot.

On his funeral, every one was mourning, and Ahmed's three friends were thinking that what would happen to him as he never prayed with them.

While they were putting him into his grave a sweet scent was coming from it and it kept on coming, this amazed everyone, especially three friends as they knew Ahmed to be a person who didn't pray, but they thought some one should have put scent on the dead body.

They couldn't stop thinking about him as he was most generous and most kind hearted person, but one thing they couldn't stop thinking that why did he never offer the prayer?

3 weeks passed, three friends went to Ahmed's house, his parents were still in a state of shock and they couldn't say a word without tears dropping from their eyes, Ahmed's mother gave his cell phone to his friends, " You were his best friends and he always used to praise all three of you, so keep this as a memory of Ahmed,"

The phone was dead, Ali took the phone to his home, he put it in to charging and went to bed, he didn't turn it on as they had decided that they will turn it on together.

Next evening they turn it on, within seconds notifications started to pop, there were more than 20 missed calls and about 30 messages from the same number, and texts were all the same with three words, "are you coming?"

They thought it's a girl and Ahmed was having an affair, and it explained all his rushing at certain times. They had mixed feelings of disappointment and anger.

But Ali said, " We should at least tell this person that Ahmed is dead." after lots of arguments they decided to call the number.

Aslam dialed and after 5 tones someone picked it up, unexpectedly it was a voice of an old man, "Aslam beta, where are you, have I said something wrong beta? I am sorry, beta," after a long pause Aslam spoke," I m Aslam, Ahmed's friend, who are you," the old man replied, "where is Ahmed? is every thing ok? Ahmed didn't come for last three weeks, he used to come daily, where is he?" Aslam asked the old man if they can meet so old man gave him the address.

All three of them reached the address, it was a very poor locality and the door of house was half broken, when they knocked after 5 minutes an old man opened the door, he could barely walk and was almost crawling using a stick, after saying salam he asked them, " where is Ahmed? " they couldn't stop tears from their eyes, then Aslam told him about Ahmed, the old man was shocked, he started crying loudly,

Ali tries to condole him then asked him, " Who are you and what is your relation with Aslam?"

The old man told them his story.

" I was imam of masjid, and the only thing I loved was to lead prayer but when I got old it was difficult for me to lead prayer, so I stepped down but never stopped going to masjid, but after few years I became weak and weak, first it took me an hour to reach and I used to miss jamat and every time I missed, I couldn't control my tears." Old man was breathing heavily as he was speaking, tears were constantly coming out of his eyes.

"One day I was going back home when Ahmed found me, he dropped me back home and promised me that I will never miss any jamat again, since then (for 2 years now) he has been coming here picking me up for every prayer," old man couldn't stop his tears and started crying again, "I had been so harsh to him."

After listening to this, Ahmed's friends felt ashamed of themselves that how many bad things they have thought about Ahmed. They judged their friend even after his death.

They came out of that house promising old man that they will continue the deed of their friend, but when they came the next morning the house was empty, neighbors told that old man died.