Story Of A True Friend #

Once, there was a young man together with his good friend went out for a voyage on a ship. With Allah's willing, the ship they were boarding was suddenly leaking and the ship sank.

However, both of them managed to swim and saved themselves until they arrived on a small, isolated and empty island. Obviously, the island was inhabitant, dried out and there weren't any trees and plants for them to survive on.

Together, both of them prayed to Allah so that they will be able to find their way out, or at least managed to survive and keep on with their life. But, after some time, their prayers were not answered and both of them were disappointed. Until one day the young man who was almost to the point of giving up, suggested to his friend that they should split up the island into two parts, in which he will live on one side and his friend to live on the other side. To his thoughts, maybe one of them had done so many bad things in his past that Allah doesn't answer their prayers. His friend agreed with the idea without questions. The young man then continued his pray to Allah.

Suddenly, with Allah's willing, his part of island started to give out spring, gushing out water from the ground. The young man was so elated, and he went out to see the other part of the island that was occupied by his friend to see that his land was still dried out. He prayed again, and this time he asked Allah to give him some food to eat. With Allah's willing, trees and plants started to grow and giving out fruits, growing up fruitfully on his land. Again he looked to the other side, still nothing. No water and not to mention, no edible plants.

At that moment he started to think that Allah will really answer to his prayers, and not to his friend. From then he knew why all his prayers were not answered when he lived together with his friend on the island at the first place. "He must be someone who is so distant with God, and that is why his prayers are not answered."

So, with confidence that his prayers will always be answered, he prayed and asked for other things until one day he requested that he would be able to get out from the island so that he can go back to his village to see his family again.

With Allah's willing, one day a small boat drifted to the island. He was so happy that he quickly jumped into the boat and left the island without thinking about his other friend.

As he returned to his village, he bumped with an elderly who was known to be a pious man and knowledgeable. The old man looked at him with such wonder. Then he asked, "Where is your friend?"

The young man was surprised at first but managed to keep his calm. He asked, "Which friend?"

"The one who stranded with you on the island." The old man replied.

The young man was really shocked that the old man knew about their story. Then he told the pious man everything, from the moment they were stranded until the day a small boat drifted to his part of island that took him back to his village. "So, how should I help him get back here while God himself doesn't answer to his prayers?" He asked the pious man.

So the pious man answered, "Did you know, verily your friend who you have abandoned have only ONE wish while he is on the island, and that ONE wish was already answered fully by Allah a long time ago."

"What did he asked?" The young man became curious.

"Indeed, all the time he was praying that Allah would answer all your prayers while YOU were anxious and in fear. And his prayers were already accepted by Him."

That remark had made the young man to sit down, crying out loud as he was touched and at that moment guilt was already covered his whole body. SubhanAllah...MasyaAllah... How lucky for that young man to have that noble man as his friend...how lucky is him...how lucky is him...how lucky is him !!!

T_T"