by Mark Donovan
After the three men exchanged handshakes Murad explained to him why they had come back to the village. As Murad described the new water filtration system they installed, Hamza’s smile continued to grow as he graciously listened. Hamza had also hurriedly interjected a couple of times during Murad’s description of the new water filtration system, how erratic the water deliveries had been to their village since the attack on it.
After Murad had finished describing the filtration system, a serious look suddenly appeared on Hamza’s face. He asked Murad about the men who were responsible for the death of his family and friends, and had they also come to take him with them to avenge his wife and daughter’s deaths. Murad explained Hamza’s question to Dave.
“Tell him that his wife and daughter’s murderers have been eliminated and that I apologize for not being able to have him participate in their executions.”
Murad turned to face Hamza who had been watching Dave intently while he had spoken. Murad relayed Dave’s message to Hamza. As he did, Dave could see tears begin to flow from the man’s eyes and roll down his cheeks. Hamza had also begun to visibly convulse in anguish and fell to his knees in a tortured agony.
Dave felt somewhat guilty and was becoming emotional himself as he watched the man break down in despair. Had he made a mistake in not coming back for Hamza and enabling him to have become personally involved with avenging his wife and daughter’s murders, he thought to himself? Dave watched and listened as Murad knelt down next to Hamza and comforted him. After several minutes Hamza had regained his composure and stood up with the help of Murad at his side. As the two stood, Hamza spoke to Murad in a rapid but quiet tone.
Murad looked over to Dave and said, “Hamza says that he is greatly appreciative to you for bringing swift justice to the men that took his family and friends from him, and for what you did for his village today. He also says, may you always be in Allah’s loving hands.”
Dave nodded his head in silent acknowledgement of Hamza’s words before speaking. “I have something else, a small gift, to give to Hamza today. Though it is not the head of the man who was ultimately responsible for the death of his family, it is a symbol of it that he can use as he sees fit.”
Dave handed over to Hamza the small package that he had been holding, while Murad explained to him what Dave had just said.
Hamza slowly unwrapped the package and began to open up the box that was contained inside it. Hamza’s eyes went into shocked surprise when he fully opened the box and saw a large gold chain necklace lying in it. He lifted the thick chain necklace from the box and raised it up to observe its size and beauty, and for Murad and Dave to also see.
Dave explained, while Murad translated, how he had taken it from the lifeless body of the man who was ultimately responsible for the murder of his wife and daughter.
Slowly Hamza placed the chain necklace back in its box and spoke to Murad. When he had finished speaking Murad turned to Dave and said, “Again, Hamza thanks you very much for your kindness and for giving him the chain necklace as a symbol of closure on the loss of his family. He also wanted me to recite a saying to you from the Prophet Muhammad.”
“Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished.”
“Hamza says that your act of kindness today in his village, and your personal thoughtfulness to him, helps to soothe the dark stain of pain and violence that was inflicted on him and his community, and replace it with a remembrance of beauty for the family members that they have lost.”
Dave walked up to Hamza, put his arms around him and gave him a warm embrace. Then together the three men walked back towards the community well. As they did, the muezzin’s voice began to sing out from the mosque’s minaret calling Muhammad’s followers for Maghrib, after sunset, prayers.