Being nice to others

"Who is helping another brother then Allah will write for him seven good for every step that he did" (Narrated by Tabaraani).

From Abu Hurairah r.a, from the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection, and he who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, Allah would make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. God has always helped his servant who help his brother....." (narrated by Muslim)

On chilled morning January 30, 2012, I and my 3 sons have to get thru some processes in order to get my Kuwait resident visa.

We arrived around 9 am in my husband office but we have to wait for ~30’ before my husband came out with his HR friend. Then we drove to the building in Fahaheel, I have no idea what this building for, I can only read some words in the front mirror such as:

- health inssurance

- photocopy and typing

- finger print

- blood test

*only those I can remember*

I saw so many South Asia people, some African and some Philippines in queue.

There were 2 men working in the front desk who typing the registration form with manual typewriter another 1 man doing the copying and 1 man sitting in the small desk a little inside (maybe he is the supervisor cause he is only shouting.....hhmmm or maybe he is ordering his colleagues as the way Arabic people talking is in high pitch).

Can’t believe in this rich country on the decade of high technology they still use manual typewriter also the building is quite small (2.5m x 7m).

After we bought the KWD 10’s seal in the vending machine, we had to wait ~45’ to let them typing the registration form.

Then the HR man took us to the building next to the registration office. From my view this is look like hospital allocated only for the visa applicants. We went down to the basement, gave our registration form and passport to the locket and waited for ~10’ before they gave it back our passport with a small blood sample’s tube for me and my oldest son as he is already 12years.

Me and my 12y son went to the blood test queue while my husband took my 9y and 7y sons to the BCG vaccination’s room. I kept reminding my husband to tell the nurse that our sons have already had the BCG’ vaccine and which part of their body they had. But then he came back to me and asked me to come to the nurse as he couldn’t find the BCG’s shot in my sons body….as usual Mom is always the one that KNOWS everything in the family.... :)

I showed to the nurse and…..wallaaa…my kids doesn’t need another one…thanks GOD..

I came back to my queue and now it was only 2 women in front of me. I could see 2 Indian nurses who were going to take my blood. No smile in their face, they look so unfriendly. I could only praise if they will do it gently with me..... Frankly, I was a little bit nervous as I know some nurses in Arabic countries did it harshly. I had this experience before.

When my turn came and she put the needle in my vena….it happened again….she didn’t do it gently. Unfortunately it happened too with my oldest son.

After blood sample, we went to the other building across the road to have our chest x-ray. This chest x-ray is only for applicants who are older than 12y.

From the beginning until this step I never found a friendly sweet-face even only for a little tiny smile. This is an Arabic country where they know the hadith…the way our prophet (peace be upon him) teach us to be nice to someone else.

The Prophet said, "Your smile for your brother is a charity." (narrated by Bukhari).

smile makes a positive aura (courtesy of Google)

In another hadith it is mentioned that the smile is worship, "Smile when you meet your brother is a worship." (HR Trimidzi, Ibn Hibban, and Sufism).

From the chest x-ray we had to go to the other building in another area just to get my finger print. It took 10’ drive…don’t you think this process is so effective…  ;)

We arrived to the building and one humble nice man greeted us….

Ooo…it is like finding an oasis in the middle of you thirst…He served us nicely, I think he is the only one who know customer satisfaction… :)

Again he typed my data in his computer, this is the third times my data been input to the computer. I think they don’t have an online main database.

Then he asked me to go to the second floor. I went to the 2nd floor and found only Arabic sign….I really get lost…

Hopefully there is someone could help me….and I saw there were 4 men in guard uniform sit, talked and laughed. My husband asked them where I can have my finger print….in a high pitch voice with humiliated face he answered “It is closed!!!! Just get back tomorrow”.

outrages will only wasting your energy (courtesy of Google)

How could be !!! The guys downstairs just asked us to go here…then I took a deep breath and praised to Allah that HE will soften this men. I talked with them and asked again nicely…suddenly he said, “Just go to that room and ask them if they are still open.”

Why didn’t they do that at the first time we asked? Why they have to lose their energy with anger? And of course they already did bad deeds….may Allah forgives them.

Don’t they know that helping someone else is worship and a must for a good Muslim?

From Abu Hurairah ra, the Prophet, said: "He who fired a distress of a believer, Allah will remove from him a distress on the Day of Judgement. Any person who makes other people's business is easy, surely God will make it easier in the world and the Hereafter. Anyone who covered the disgrace of a Muslim, Allah will cover her shame in the world and the Hereafter. God always helped His servant for His servant helps his brother's love ". (Narrated by Muslim, see also the collection of hadith An Nawawi hadith Arba'in to 36).

We went to the room he pointed out…and it was still open…there are 3 women in black abaya in the locket….with no smiley face, she brought my passport and took me to the finger print machine…

This is the only high technology machine that they used in this whole processes I have been thru.

When I finished the finger print process, the HR man told my husband that I and my kids can go back home….what a release…

My husband and he went back the “hospital” building to get my 9y and 7y sons medical test result whilst we still have to wait another 10 days for me and my 12y son. What a long processes…

It turns out to be a very complicated bureaucracy process comparing to my own country Indonesia and even Libya….

However what I heard it will not happened if you are a western people who hold USA or UK passport…