She is pregnant yet came out to hustle just to make ends meet, even though she was in pains !
God has a way of doing things and what happened next got me crying !!
Should this man be arrested for using NYSC khaki for hawking or should he be rewarded for the method he used to expose the lack of job opportunities for graduates...?
This is a beautiful story narrated by the scholar below, about a man called Bala, a watermelon seller in Lagos.
Bala was from Northern Nigeria. His entire capital — including his wheelbarrow and the watermelons he sold — was reportedly not up to ₦100,000, not even ₦50,000. But after every prayer, Bala would raise his hands and sincerely ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى for one thing only:
“To take him to Hajj (Makkah)”
One day, a man who had just returned from the U.K. moved into the area where Bala sold his watermelons. He bought from Bala once, liked the way Bala treated him, and kept returning.
Eventually, the man invited Bala to his house to help serve some guests watermelon during a gathering. Bala happily did so.
Before the man returned to the U.K., he called Bala and asked him:
“What do you want me to do for you that will make you remember me even after I leave?”
Interestingly, this man was not even a Muslim.
Bala replied: “The only thing I want is to go to Makkah for Hajj.” The man was shocked. “That’s all?” Bala said, “Yes.”
The man immediately arranged a Hajj trip for Bala through an agent.
But he didn’t stop there.
According to the narrator, the man also instructed that a house should be built for Bala, along with a provision shop attached to it. His reasoning was simple:
“After returning from Hajj, Bala should not be pushing a wheelbarrow again.”
He even bought him a small car so Bala would not be trekking after returning from Makkah.
SubhanAllah.
Bala prayed to Allah for Hajj, and Allah gave him Hajj, a house, a shop, and a car.
This is the power of sincere du’a. But there is another important lesson here:
Bala was not lazy.
He worked hard daily under the hot Lagos sun, pushing his wheelbarrow & striving for halal sustenance while placing his trust in Allah.
Many times, wealth and provision are not merely a function of effort alone. Yes, Islam teaches us to rise, work, struggle, and pursue excellence. But after effort comes tawakkul — trusting Allah with the outcome.
Allah can open doors from places you never imagined and through people you never expected.
May Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless our efforts, accept our du’a, grant us halal provision, and take us all to Makkah someday.
Ameen.