asli aur nasli tajir kehta hai: chalees saal guzar gaye hain is baat ko, lekin mujhe aaj bhi is dukaandar aur us ke betay ki shakal har zawiye se yaad hai. jaise hi mera middle school ka nateeja akhbaron mein chhapa, mere to paon zameen par nahin tik rahe thay. halankay maine koi mairka nahin sir kiya tha. bas aathviin Jamaat ko first division mein paas kiya tha. lekin mujhe kuch bhi nahin soojh raha tha kai apni khushi ka kaise izhaar karoon. dusre din maine mansooba banaya kai apne qasbay "Sweida" se "Damascus" ja kar seer kar ke aata hoon. mere liye imtehan mein paas hone ka is se bara jashn nahin ho sakta tha. meri jeb mein ek "lira" ka sikka tha aur paanch liray ka karkata note. maine seedha bus ke adde par ja kar dam liya. bus wale ne sikke wala ek lira kiraya le liya, baqi ke paanch liray meri jeb mein maujood thay. maine mansooba bana liya tha kai in paisay se Damascene mithai ghar le kar jaunga aur maze karoon ga. mera shami cake khareedne ka to pakka irada tha. Damascus ke bazaars ek se barh kar ek khubsoorat. Al Salahiya bazaar aur Al Hamidiya bazaar ki to kya hi baat thi. wahan Jaabi Gate ke paas mujhe mithai ki ek bari dukaan nazar aayi. maine andar ja kar dukaandar se, jis ke pehlu mein us ka ek beta bhi betha hua tha, kilo cake, kilo barazak aur ek kilo ghurayba manga. lekin jaise hi paisay dene ke liye maine jeb mein haath dala to jeb khali thi, mere paanch liray jeb mein nahin thay. meri halat dekhnay thi aur shayad mere chehre se yasit bhi nazar aa rahi hogi. maine dukaandar se maazrat karte huay kaha: janab, main kuch der baad aao ga apna samaan uthane ke liye. dukaandar ne muskuratay huay mujhe dekha aur kaha paisay ghar bhool aaye ho? maine kaha: nahi paisay to meri jeb mein hi thay. poore paanch liray ka ek hi note tha, kidhar rehte ho? dukaandar ne poocha. Sweida mein rehta hoon. maine jawab diya. achha, idhar aao, pehle zara beth lo, thoda araam karo. phir usne chai ka ek cup mujhe bhar kar pakarte huay kaha; mere betay ke saath beth kar chai piyo. itni der mein dukaandar ne jo mera samaan tole kar rakha tha, lafafaon mein pack kar ke mujhe diye huay kaha: yeh lo tumhara samaan, jab kabhi dobara Damascus ana to paisay de jana. maine inkar karte huay kaha: seedi, maine itni jaldi dobara Damascus nahin ana. aur phir yeh cheezen koi zaroori bhi nahin hain. maazrat ke sath, main ab yeh nahin kharidna chahta, aap rehne dijiye. aap ka shukriya. dukaandar ne kaha: betay, tum Damascus zaroor aao ge. aur mujhe yeh bhi pura yaqeen hai kai tum mere paisay bhi zaroor wapas kroge. aur us ke sath hi dukaandar ne asrar kar ke mujhe samaan uthwa diya. main samaan le kar sharminda sharminda dukaandar aur us ke betay ko salaam kar ke bahar nikla. abhi chand qadam hi door gaya hoga kai dukaandar ka beta mujhe peechay se awazain deta hua dikhayi diya. main ruk gaya, dukaandar ke betay ne mujh a kar bataya kai abu ko tumhare paanch liray dukaan mein gire huay mil gaye thay. lagta hai tum ne jab jeb mein haath dala hoga to neeche gir pare honge. abu ne apni mithaiyon ke paisay kaat liye hain aur yeh rahe tumhare baqi ke paisay. meri khushi dekhni thi. kahan main adhar ke bojh tale daba yeh sochta hua ja raha tha kai chalo samaan to theek hai magar Sweida jane ka kiraya kis se mangoon ga. aur kahan ab yeh adhar chakta ho gaya tha, kisi ke aage haath phelaye baghair kiraye ke paisay nikal aaye thay aur main halka phulka ho chuka tha. maine dukaandar ke betay ka shukriya ada kiya. use apne abu ko ja kar meri taraf se shukriya ada karne ka kaha, baqi ke paisay jeb mein daale aur adde ki taraf chal pada. ghar ja kar kapre tabdeel karne ke liye maine jaise hi apni purani wali patloon pahni to mujhe apne paanch liray ka note usi ki jeb mein mil gaya. abba ji ko sara qissa keh sunaya. sun kar muskura diye aur kehne lage. Puttar, yeh log sham ke tajir hain. Jadeed pashtee tijarat pesha log. in ko insaniyat ke sarey maaniAur matlab aate hain. Behr hal paanch lira tere upar qarz hai. Apni ami se keh, kal parso tujhe meethay dhode bana de, hamari taraf se hadeeya lete ja, paanch lira qarz bhi utaarna, hamari taraf se shukriya ada karna aur hamari taraf se salaam bhi kehna. Aglay haftay mein ne ami se meethi rotiyan pakwa kar, aur paanch lira qarzah chukane ke liye lekar Damishq ki raah li. Dukandar ne jaise hi mujhe dekha, hans diya aur kehne laga: Main nahi kehta tha ke tu jald hi Damishq wapas aayega. Yeh ek klohri sa meri taraf se wapas lete jana aur Suidaa ke logon ko mera salaam keh dena. Kehta hai: Aaj bhi jab mein kisi tajir ko dekhta hoon to dil foran hi nasli tajir aur fasli tajir ka mawazna karna shuru kar deta hai. Deen aasani hai Mere paon ke angoothe ghalban youk acid ki wajah se matwaram rehte hain, is wajah se mein namaz ke jalse mein paon ki ungliya qibla rukh kar ke waise nahi baithta jaise shari mein baithne ka hukm hai. Magar meri yeh harkat meri majboori hai baghawat nahi. Safa Marwah ki saee ke doran mere paon spot farsh ki wajah se bohot hi ajeeb andaaz mein thak jaate hain. Mera bara dil karta hai ke mein chappal pehan kar saee karun (baishmar log aisa karte hain). Aur kayi baar mein ne bhi aisa kiya hai. Taham aise mein, mein deewar ke saath lag kar chalta hoon takay meri chappalon par logon ki kam se kam nazar pare. Aajkal waliden ki khwahish ke tor par ya phir waliden ke liye Allah ki rahmat sametne ke liye; bohot saare log stretcher par pade apne waliden ko haram mein le aate hain. Tawaf ke doran in mareezon ke urine bags stretcher se latke hue nazar aate hain. Kandhe par bachon ko uthaye hue mein ne ek Arabi mutamir ko dekha jis ka ihram khul gaya tha. Mutamir ki ghar wali ne bhag kar khawand ko baqaeda jhapi daal kar satr mohiya kiya aur phir neeche se utra hua ihram utha kar bandhne mein madad ki. Mere (sugar patient aur falij zada) mehmaan ne haram Madina mein mah e Ramzan mein iftari se pehle khajoorain, roti aur digar cheezein khana shuru kar di. Sath walay mere mehmaan ko chai (qawah) bhi pilate rahe the aur yeh sab kuch bilkul normal tha. Mujhe ek Madni Arab ne (ghair Ramzan mein) rok kar altaja ki ke mein rozay un ke dastarkhwan par iftar karun. Mein ne us ke kaan mein kaha mujhe sharminda na karo mein rozay se nahi hoon. Us ne jubaan mein mere kaan mein kaha: Mein kaunsa rozay se hoon. Mehrbani karo mujhe ziyafat ka mauqa diye baghair na jao. Bohot pehle ek baar mujhe ek hajjan ne chappalon wala thela uthaye dekh kar kaha tha: Yeh to apni jootiyan ko bhi tawaf karwa raha hai. Ek baar mein ne Saudi immigration counter par apni bari aane par bekhayali mein kafi deer ek hajiyon ko hadiya dete Arabi ke sath gap shap karte deer laga di. Jawaban counter par bethe afsar ne mujhe anad ke tor par pandrah minute khara kiya raka aur puri koshish ki ke meri parwaz choot jaye. Aakhri harbe ke tor par mein ne usse bataya ke mujhe andar jane do takay meri iftari (yom e ashura) mazeed late na ho. Ab yeh afsar mere paon chumne ki koshish mein lag raha tha. Pas tahreer Agar aap ko kisi aajiz o majboor insan ki ibadat o muamalat mein koi achhooti, ghair mutaad, ghair mamooli ya ghair maroof baat nazar aaye to husn zan rakhiye. Is ki woh harkat kisi bashari majboori, naatawani, barhti umar ya jismani kamzori ki wajah se bhi ho sakti hai. Is ka muamla Allah ke saath hai aap is ki musbat o manfi tarjuman, wakalat ya badal na udaiye. Aap ibadat mein bohot achay hain. Allah aap ki achhaiyon ko mazeed nikhaare. Apni achhai ko kisi ki ibadat napne ke liye kisooti na banaiye. Kuch log apni kamzoriyon ka difa nahi karte aur na hi koi wazahatein pesh karte hain. Aise logon se mazeed darye kyunke yeh log apna muamla Allah ke supurd karne wale hote hain.