The Miracle Of Human Resilience.
By Talha Masood
Every 21st of August is celebrated as the International Day in remembrance of the victims of terrorism and as an opportunity to pay a worldwide tribute to the heroic survivors of this brutality against humanity. Consequently, it naturally becomes an occasion to appreciate the unfathomable depth of human resilience and endurance in face of such overwhelming pain as the one which we have experienced in the wake of terrorism and its subsequent trail of sorrow and sufferings.
the atrocities of terrorism have indeed severely affected countless people. however, their survival stories and tales of their bravery in enduring their afflictions are deeply awe-inspiring. They teach us that no matter what happens human heart has the resilience to return from the severest of calamities. Here I would like you to kindly consider the following story of one captain Ahmed.
The only son of his parents and newly married, Captain Ahmed was far from his family, in a war zone, in Waziristan where, in middle of a Cordon and search operation he spotted a mine which was overlooked by a soldier of his. He shouted a warning to him but the soldier already had his foot on the bomb. With a rushing sense of protection for his men, Captain Ahmed ran to save him but in his urgency stepped on yet another mine. As a result two parallel mines exploded at once. His soldier half dead and he himself bleeding severely, he dragged his man with him and crawled for nearly an hour before he could find his comrades. After which he lost consciousness. When he came around again, he was told that the explosion mostly tore away at the lower half of his body and that he had two amputated stumps where his feet use to be. When asked how was he dealing with the emotional trauma of such a situation? He smilingly replied, there were three things that together became the source of his motivation. Firstly, he was proud of his nobility as an army officer. Allah the Most merciful had blessed him this opportunity to bring to surface his leadership qualities. He now knew that when it came to protect his nation, his men, and his family he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to sacrifice anything for them, may it be his very life. Secondly, there was a uniqueness of his contribution to his nation. Not many men had the honor of being marked as a proud Pakistani. With a twinkle in his eyes, he often expresses his belief that he now had a story to tell his children. He would tell them how he gave up his feet so that they could walk, How he embraced a lifetime’s worth stumbling to see the smooth and stable lives of his fellow Pakistanis. Finally and most importantly, he said that this great event of his life had made him realize something, that this world is indeed a place of tests and trials. He said, “each and every blessing, including our bodies is actually His Emaanah to us, to be used according to His Will and the way of His Beloved Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. His Sunnah is to take it away at once when we die but we forget that He is the Owner. If He decides to take it gradually, one piece after another, who are we to question His Judgment or His Authority?” Captain Ahmed is still serving as a proud officer of Pak Army.
In essence dear reader, the story of Captain Ahmed along with many similar stories practically demonstrate that each and every one of us has the power to endure the harshest of pains, and to let our souls mature in their agony to become better, wiser versions of ourselves. So let us applaud the nobility of all such survivors! Let us take strength from their strength, and patients from their patients, to deal with our daily life issues by firmly believing in our own resilience!