We must have compassion for those who are mentally ill

Abdullah Salih Al-Qarni A young man from my village died when he was 40. His name was Muhammad. He had a mental illness and suffered from severe epilepsy. Although he was poor and had some difficulty understanding others when they talked to him, he never begged for money from anyone in the village. His life was difficult. He used to do manual labor in the fields. It was a tough job that he did. This man was also very obedient to his mother and would take good care of her, along with other widows and elderly women who asked him for help. He never said no. I always wondered and still do how he was able to perform all those tasks despite his mental illness. I think the secret was his huge heart. Muhammad used to work every day in the field from morning till around sunset with a one-hour break for lunch. He used to walk 10 kilometers a day from work to home because no one would give him a lift. He walked everywhere and had a small wheelbarrow in which he used to carry his tools and a radio. Whenever I saw him, he would be listening to songs. In the holy month of Ramadan, he only listened to the Holy Qur’an.  There are many people like Muhammad who have mental problems and we see them today wandering aimlessly in the street. They need our help and compassion. They also have stories to tell and we need to learn from them.