By Sherina Benito
It was the morning of 2014 when everything changed. I lifted my hands up, dwelling in an emotional prayer that led to tears. I poured my soul out to the Almighty, to send us a cure.
When I got up from my prayer mat, I climbed up onto my father’s bedside, hugged him, held his hands and asked for his forgiveness. I recited the Quran, his only remedy when the cancer cells started attacking his internal organs.
What happened to my dad? I thought to myself. What had happened to this tall, sturdy, valiant and handsome man? Despite losing his physical attributes, not being able to lift his hands nor his voice, one thing was for sure and would never change, he was the most loving father.
My family and I struggled financially and emotionally during this period. Cancer is not a cheap disease. It drained us of energy, money, time, effort, tears, blood and sweat. Our faith was the only thing that was holding us together during those hard times.
What would happen to us if we lost him? Who would be our guide, our voice, our rock or our defender? The more I drowned in these thoughts, the more fear yielded my heart.
I saw my father lying in his bed, lifeless and right then, my entire world collapsed, but later, I realized something.
Being the eldest sister, unmarried and the only one working in the family, I was left with the responsibility of taking care of my mother and my youngest brother who was then in his early years of college. I assumed the obligation of paying for my brother’s education. While supporting my younger brother, I was also supporting myself, trying to finish my bachelor of law degree, a promise I had made to myself in honor of my deceased father. With that, I tried making extra money and working a part-time job as a transcriptionist, online. ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ, after all those years, we managed to survive. My brother graduated from college and I, from law school.
Although I was grateful for our accomplishments, I still needed higher-paying employment. I discovered an employer who worked with people with disabilities. As I went deeper into his background, I was brought to his Youtube Channel. In a video entitled, “Blindness of eyes vs. blindness of the heart,” this man wore sunglasses while delivering a Friday sermon at a mosque. After listening to this man, more specifically this imam, who spoke English with a New York accent, I connected the dots between my employer’s description and his job description. The next thing I knew, I found myself listening to the sermon for 40 minutes straight, within which he mentioned that growing up, he began losing his eyesight at the age of 7.
This imam explained that following his struggles, he took advantage of the most powerful gift that was given to every human being – the power of the mind. Consequently, he learned how to recite and memorize the Quran by reading it in braille.
After becoming inspired by this man, I wanted to study the ways of my akhira rather than my Duniya.
This imam hired me for the job, saying, “I will not sign a contract as I understand you are a Muslimah? Are you familiar with Surah Maida verse 1 of the Quran?”
“Not really,” I replied. However, I intended to and discovered the verse, “Oh you who have believed, fulfill contracts….”
And so, the blessings of Allah arrived in the most unexpected package, but at just the right time. My faith grew stronger.
When I was hired, I was happy because I had the extra money necessary to help my family with their struggles, after my father passed away. May Allah grant him Jannat ul Firdaus, Ameen.
About the Author
Sherina Benito has years of experience as a Jurist Doctor, in the legislative department of a local government unit in the Philippines. With a BA in Law and passing the bar as a Sharia Lawyer in the Philippines, Sherina also co-authored a soon-to-be-published book, entitled “Thorns into Crown.” She lives with her mother and younger brother.
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