It was 12 August 2008. I was on my way back to the office from Qatar Airways. Mr Naser, my senior colleague was accompanying me. It was around 1300 hrs, we were a bit tired after a long journey through busy streets of Khartoum, Sudan. I approached my senior by pointing to GAD Resturant in the Africa Street," Why not to have our lunch over there ?
"It's a good idea!" He nodded his head.
We entered the resturant with good appetite....and all foods seemed awaiting for us! We started having our lunch. In the mid way, I noticed a Bangali appearanced waiter was going past us to the juice corner. He was in uniform. Suddenly he appeared with two glasses of orange juice and started speaking in Bangla. It was amazing to find a Bangladeshi boy right here 3500 km away from Bangladesh! It seemed that I had knew that guy from long before. I was so delighted to see him there.
"When did you come here, my dear?"- I inquired.
"A couple of months before"-he smiled at us.
"What do you do here?" -my colleague asked him.
"I am a waiter here, sir"-he replied.
I asked," What class did you read back in Bangladesh?".
He answered ," I am a hafez (who memorises the Holy Quran)".
"Can you speak Arabic?"-I could hardly resist my temptation. Because I was rather struggling for last four months to learn Arabic and every time I tried I used to be stumbled over the techniques of learning it!
" Yes sir. You know, I lead almost every prayer as Imam (leader of prayer session) over there- right infront of the shop."- he pointed the place. " And I do practice reciting the Holy Quran every day. Well, you are not drinking the juice, sir. Remember you all are my guests today and you need not to pay for the juice!."
"Zamil, you see him; he is a quite fit for the job here. Look at him how easily he is earning for the nation due to his proficiency in Arabic." my senior opined. " I can remember, back in our country, the madrasa (kind of school for the study of Islamic religion and thought, especially the Holy Quran) system was about to be uprooted in the name of terrorism. On the contrary, they are earning foreign currency right from the country like Sudan...where the average temperature is as close as to the radiated heat of an oven!" he continued." But you see they can be made working force for the whole nation....". I losted myself in my daydream.....
" Batches of students of madrasas are reciting and understanding the Holy Quran. Some are researching the Quran and Sunnah(one of the basic sources of Islamic law, based on Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)'s words and deeds as recorded in the Hadith) and are finding the exact meaning of Islam. Some are going outside in order to eradicate the confusions of general masses regarding practised bidah (any type of innovation ), other batch has gone for vocational training. The government agencies are opening many voctional training and coaching centres in the remote areas of the country in order to make them fit for the employment in the Middle East and other Arabic-spoken countries. I could discover them shining like stars...doing extremely good, the name and fame of our beloved country is spreading quickly. The sons of the soil are pouring in thier hard earned foreign currencies for the development of her....our mother country once again started smiling with joy......."
"Zamil, we need to go now"- I was called upon from world of illusion, my colleague was about to stand. I thanked the boy. As I came out from the resturant I could feel his poor wet glance haunting at my back...I jumped into the illusion again......!
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