Issue No: 116
30th March 2012
7th Jamadi al Awwal 1433 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
Drivers Panic
During the past 2 days headlines in the media have been reporting on long queues and congestion at petrol station forecourts as motorists rush to top up their fuel tanks. Following advice to keep a jerry can of petrol stored away or to be sensible to keep the car fuel tank topped up, numerous motorists are flocking at Petrol stations to fill up their cars. A number of stations had run dry and displayed signs telling motorists that it had run out of unleaded fuel or diesel.
Why this rush for fuel?
The cause for all this panic buying of fuel is that motorists are taking precautions against being grounded with no fuel in their cars ahead of a potential strike by fuel tank drivers.
Inevitably the unavailability of fuel at the nearest Petrol stations would affect our daily routines. There would be an impact upon daily tasks such as driving to work, dropping children to schools or even to buy food supplies at the local stores due to having little or no fuel in the car.
One can imagine a scenario that virtually most of the works or tasks would not be able to be performed. It’s just like the daily routine has dropped dead.
In order to keep ‘alive’ conducting our tasks the fuel would be needed to give life to the occupations in a day. Thus the panic to buy fuel.
In live updates on the fuel panic posted on the Guardian, Hampshire police have warned local motorists against panic, saying: There is currently no problem with fuel supplies in Hampshire and therefore we would urge all motorists to continue as normal with their fuel purchases - there is no need to stock up. (Thursday 29th March, 2012 @ 2:03pm)
Fuel for travel to the hereafter:
Allah is inviting mankind to obey Him and His messenger, the holy prophet s.a.w.w. to earn the reward of eternal life in heaven.
Just as man desires to be ‘alive’ and live comfortably in this world, likewise he too longs to be living in the hereafter in bliss and enjoyment. To travel to that destination of heaven in the hereafter eiman is the ‘fuel’ needed for the vehicle of self. Many a times by submitting to the evil desires of one’s self, the tanks of eiman are affected by either running low or dry. Thus the success of the journey to life in the hereafter would die or be close to dying. This is similar to the scenario expected in case of no petrol /diesel fuel.
To avoid this Allah SWT, in His Magnificence and abundant Mercy invites men, who having wronged against their selves (running low on eiman) by displeasing Him, to make haste to top up their fuel tanks of eiman.
This is to be done by istighfar- seeking forgiveness.
“Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous.”- (Sura Aali Imran 3:133)
Like the motorists rushing to secure fuel for their cars so as to avoid a break down in their routine, are we rushing to seek the Divine maghfira – forgiveness- to prevent the tank of our eiman running low or empty?
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat