Imam Faijullah Aman, Ansan Mosque, South Korea
In a corner of Ansan Bazaar Park, a Korean organization was conducting a survey. They work on the mental health of foreigners living in Ansan. They asked me to take part, and I answered questions spread over five or six pages. Do you face mental health problems living in this country? Do you feel lonely? Have you ever suffered from depression? Questions like these. Beside me, a young Korean woman from the organization was looking over my answers.
At the end came one question: If you ever feel emotional distress, is there someone close you can talk to? How many?
I paused, wondering what to write. There are about 30,000 Muslims in Ansan, and I can talk with every one of them. All Muslims are my own people. Many who live far from home lack someone to talk to, but imams never lack that. So in the box for the number, I wrote 100.
Seeing what I wrote, the young woman spontaneously clapped her hands with joy. She also gave me a gift for taking part in the survey.
On my way back, I thought: not 100, the number is 1.
Because all our needs, complaints, grievances, sorrows, pains, despair, turmoil and anguish, we pour out to only One. And it is only to Him that we should pour them out. For Muslims, that One is there to listen to what is in their hearts. Five times a day He calls you to hear what is in your heart. When you answer His call, the pain of the heart truly vanishes completely.
And the chance to open our hearts to our loved ones is also a blessing from Him.
Countless thanks to You, O Master, for the blessing of faith!
