Vomit for thought?

Spiritual and supernatural experiences are something that scares us. But, most of us would like to go through some supernatural experience just to confirm our belief in all that is unseen. Experiencing a jinn, for example, would be something that would make most of us freak out, but in a way it would satisfy us in that we would have confirmed a bit of the supernatural and spiritual realities that the material world likes to call “blind faith”.

However, I will mention a more closer-to-life experience I had while I was at University in the US. I feel this experience of mine will help Muslims (who believe in the Unseen) and non-Muslims alike. The experience centers on Allah being The Sustainer for all of His creation and also gives some insight into how Allah’s creation of evil is part of His design to run the affairs of this material world.

In the winter of 2003, I was busy designing a 16-bit processor. I was on my way from my home towards my computer lab, which was hardly at a distance of 200 meters. I set out at around 1:30 at night to program the whole night since it was a weekend. A fraternity happens to come in the middle of the way from my residence to the computer lab. Since it was the weekend, the guys at the frat were partying away – boozing, dancing, women and all the other usual vices of University life. I ignored them and was engrossed in my own thoughts of how I would survive the next semester as I was very low on cash.

As I approached the entrance to the fraternity, I saw a group of 3 girls trying to control a fourth girl who was terribly drunk. These other girls were drunk themselves and the scene was pretty ugly. This terribly drunk girl was on one knee and her friends were holding her arms so that she wouldn’t fall flat on her face. I was at a distance of about 4 meters from her when she looked at me. I could swear I saw her eyeballs twirling round and round as if she was about to pass out. Just then she threw up! All that she had eaten prior was all over the floor and I jumped to the side to avoid her puke soiling my clothes! I got absolutely pissed off at her and everyone in that frat who were partying.

Just before I had left the house, I was watching on CNN how Iraqis in their own country were being slaughtered by American forces in their bid to oust Saddam and his “weapons of mass destruction”. This compounded my anger and I remember thinking to myself, “Why does God let these guys have all their fun while they are going around killing innocent people half way across the globe!?” I was sad, frustrated and livid at how these guys and girls didn’t give a damn about the misery in Iraq and were busy boozing and throwing up food whereas people in Iraq, Africa etc were finding it hard to have a day’s meal!

I got to the computer lab and started doing my work, but I couldn’t concentrate because of what I had just witnessed. I somehow managed to complete one module of the processor and it was just about daybreak outside. I prayed the morning prayer and set off back home with my eyes half closed. From a distance I could see the fraternity, which was by now silent and deserted from the outside.

As I got closer to the place where that girl had vomited earlier in the night, I saw little birds feeding off the vomit of this woman! Looking at these birds I broke into a smile and whatever that had transpired last night made complete sense to me! I remember saying, “Subhan Allah!” and thinking how that apparently ugly episode was something Allah had ordained to happen to feed these little birds the next morning!

For the first time in my life, I understood how God works in His own ways that may not make sense to us because we are not privy to His plans. I also came to the realization how God is not bound by the boundaries that He has set for us. I was so touched and moved by this sight that I stood there for a minute watching those birds feed on the vomit. I thanked God for all the favors He has done on me and also put my trust in Him that He had something planned for me the following semester. Suddenly, I wasn’t so worried about how I would finance my last semester at University.