Khalaf Al-Harb

Okaz

Death is a reality and there is no doubts about this. It is inevitable, no matter how long we live. In this life we are all passersby. But the work of some Muhtasibeen (fanatic religious men) who distribute shrouds among patients in hospitals is an entirely unacceptable act.



None of these Muhtasibeen distributing shrouds can guarantee that he will not slip in a hospital corridor and die on the spot. He may lose his life before any of the cancer or AIDS patients whom they are providing with shrouds.



The paradox is that this new generation of Muhtasibeen defends their stupid tours in the hospitals by claiming that they are only targeting patients with chronic diseases such as cancer and AIDS. They mistakenly believe that death is only for these sick people, not for the healthy ones.



I suggest to the Commission for Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vice (Haia), to disguise in nursing uniforms so as to catch them. The Haia should organize religious trainings to teach them that death is inevitable and is not only for the sick.



The Muhtasibeen should realize that an Olympic sprinter, who is strong and healthy, may die before any one of these sick people. The erroneous Muhtasibeen have the notion that people with chronic diseases have death certificates in their hands and that they may not live for more than three to four days. They should realize that of all the people, patients with chronic diseases need more moral support, which is part of their medication. They do not need the services of these Muhtasibeen who seem to have landed from the planet of despair to distribute shrouds while covering their faces with stupid smiles.



In my opinion, the real shrouds are the short white dresses these Muhtasibeen are wearing. They are actually dead despite the row they make in hospitals to delude people that they are very much alive.



In fact, the Muhtasibeen are dead people without graves, though they try to deceive us that they are alive by wearing the red shumaghs (head dress). They are dead because they do not know that life is a gift from God which we should be thankful for. They, therefore, should not hasten to take this gift away from us.



The only difference between those dead in their graves and these Muhtasibeen is that the dead do not annoy those alive with weird innovations such as the distribution of shrouds.



These Muhtasibeen may have a problem in understanding religion correctly. Or they may have contracts with the importers of white clothes to distribute their imports. The question here is: do these Muhtasibeen not have families to take care of instead of distributing shrouds in hospitals? Do they not have wives to look after? Or have these wives asked them to do what they are doing only to get rid of them for some time and have respite and peace of mind even for brief moments?



If the matter is so, I would like to suggest to these wives a less harming job for their husbands. They should ask them to follow up the World Cup soccer matches in Brazil or ask them to invent a machine that can produce 100 pieces of sambousa at a time, especially since Ramadan is approaching.