Muscat: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Whoever offers a meal to his/her Muslim brother/sister at the time of Iftar, he/she receives as much reward as he/she has earned. Nothing becomes less of the reward of those he/she offered a meal to”. (Tirmidhi)
In accordance with the Hadith, Mohammed Abdullah Al Balushi, a small footwear shop owner in Muttrah, will be showered with blessings and goodness because for the last 15 years, he has religiously prepared and served Iftar to the hapless and needy.
After the Magrib prayers, the ordinary workers, mainly expatriates, in and around Muttrah Souq don’t leave to break their fast. They are confident that their Mohammed bhai (elder brother) will be ready with fruits and food for them.
“I started it one-and-a-half decades ago for my workers. After Magrib, they used to roam here and there to break their day-long fast. This made me question why I couldn’t arrange Iftar for them.
When I started, it was only for my 15 workers. But now, around 150 people come to break their fast with me,” the 75-year-old true believer told Times of Oman.
This humble Omani cooks the food at his house in Al Khoud and brings it to Muttrah to serve by 4pm. He buys the fruits in Muttrah, and they are prepared by his workers and friends at his shop.
This humble Omani, owner of a small footwear shop, cooks the food at his house in Al Khoud and brings it to Muttrah to serve, by 4pm. He buys fruits in Muttrah, and they are prepared by his workers and friends at his shop. Photo provided
Not wealthy
“I am spending a good sum of money every day on the Iftar. I am not very rich.
“But I am also not worried because this is only for one month, and I believe that it is my responsibility to serve the needy,” Mohammed added.
In addition to serving Iftar, Mohammed also brings kahwa, the traditional Omani coffee, in thermos flasks to serve people who arrive after the Taraweeh prayers at night.
Moosa and Ashraf, two Indian expatriates, who join Mohammed in preparing and serving Iftar, see it as a blessing for the poor workers and the needy.
“There are dozens of poor workers in the Muttrah Souq. They all depend on Mohammed’s Iftar. They know that their Mohammed bhai will be ready with hot and tasty food to break their fast. If he was not there, the poor workers would have to roam around. The Almighty will bless him,” Ashraf said.
According to Moosa and Ashraf, most of the people who attend Mohammed’s Iftar are expatriate workers.
“Most of them are trolley pullers and workers in unskilled jobs in Muttrah Souq. They are all grateful to their Mohammed bhai,” they added.
The smell of the sweat of labourers fills the air when everyone crams in front of Mohammed for Iftar. But with a smile on his face, Mohammed is always ready with his food and fruits, served with his own hands to the poor workers like a true believer in the Almighty, without any hesitation.
**This article by Rejimon K was published in Times of Oman. Read the original article here.
