Mekke`ye Giden Yol (3)

    Gemideki Yemenliler arasinda kisa boylu, zayif, kartal burunlu biri vardi; yuzu oylesine gergindi ki sanki atesin karsisinda duruyordu: ama hareketleri sakin ve olculuydu. Benim Islam`a yeni girdigimi ogrenince ozel bir ilgi gosterdi bana; saatlerce guvertede oturur onun Yemen`deki dag koyu hakkinda anlattiklarini dinlerdim. Ismi Muhammed Salih`ti.

     Bir aksam asagi guverteye yine onu ziyaret icin indim. Arkadaslarindan biri demir kanepesi uzerinde atesler icinde yatiyordu; bana gemi doktorunun ucuncu mevkiyle pek ilgilenmedigini soylediler. Hasta malaryaya yakalanmis olmaliydi; ona biraz kinin verdim. Ben hastayla ugrasirken oteki yemenliler bir kosede Muhammed Salih`in cevresinde toplanmislar, yan gozle bana bakarak birseyler konusuyorlardi aralarinda. Sonra iclerinden biri bana dogru ilerledi- uzun boylu, esmer yuzlu, kara gozlu biriydi bu - ve bana burusuk bir demet frank uzatti:

    " Bunu aramizda topladik. Ne yazikk ki fazla degil, bizi hos gor ve bunu kabul et."

    Gerildim. Sasirmistim; ilaci arkadaslarina para almak icin vermedigimi anlattim.

     " Yoo yoo biliyoruz bunu, fakat sen yine de bu parayi kabul et. Bu bir ucret degil, bir hediye, kardeslerinin hediyesi. Sen bir Muslumansin ve bizim kardesimizsin. Hatta bizlerden daha iyisin sen, cunku biz Muslumandik, ama sen Islam`i kendi basiretinle buldun...Hadi al bu parayi, kardesim. Allah askina al artik..."

     Fakat, ben Avrupa geleneklerinden henuz tamamen siyrilmamistim demek ki, direttim. "Hasta bir arkadasa yaptigim yardima karsilik hediye kabul etmem mumkun degil...Ustelik yeterince param var benim; sizin buna benden daha cok ihtiyaciniz var. Ama ille de vermek istiyorsaniz, onu Port Said`de bir fakire verirsiniz."

    " Hayir," diye diretti Yemenli, "bunu kabul edeceksin, eger kendin alikoymak istemiysan, kendi adina sen verirsin bir fakire."

      Bu kadar isrardan sonra hala tekliflerini geri cevirmem sarsmisti onlari; sustular, bozulmuslardi; sanki paralarini degil de kalplerini reddetmistim. O an kavradim: Ben ve Sen arasinda duvarlar ormeye alismis insanlarin arasindan gelmistim ben, buradaki insanlarsa duvarlari olmayan bir toplumun uyeleriydiler...

     " Verin parayi kardeslerim. Aliyorum, tesekkur ederim."


Mekke`ye Giden Yol
Muhammed Esed
Insan yayinlar, 13.Baski (Sayfa 451/452) 12.Bolum,Yolun Sonu 2
Not: Yazida Turkce karakterleri kullanamadigim icin ozur dilerim.

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    Among the Yemenis on the boat was a thin, short man with an eagle`s nose and so intense a face that it seemed to be on fire; but his gestures were quite and measured. When he learned that I was a newcomer to Islam, he showed a special affection for me; for hours we would sit together on deck while he spoke to me of his mountain village in Yemen. His name was Muhammed Salih.

    One evening I visited him below deck. One of his friends lay ill with fever on his iron bunk, and I was told that the ship`s doctor would not bother to come down to the steerage. As he appeared to be suffering from malaria, I gave him some quinine. While I was thus busy with him, the other Yemenis gathered in a corner around little Muhammad Salih and, with sideglances at me, took whispered counsel. In the end one of them advanced- a tall man with an olive-brown face and hot black eyes- and offered me a bundle of crumpled France notes:

    `We have collected this among ourselves. Unfortunately it is not much; grant us the favour and accept it.`

     I stepped back, startled, and explained that it was not for money that I had given medicine to their friend.

     `No, no, we know it; but do nevertheless accept this money. It is not a payment but a gift - a gift from thy brethren. We are happy about thee, and therefore we give thee money. Thou art a Muslim and our brother. Thou art better than we others: for we have been born as Muslims, our fathers were Muslims and our grandfathers: but thou hast recognized Islam with thine own heart...Accept the money, brother, for the sake of the Prophet of God.`

     But I, still bound by my European conventions, defended myself. ` I could not possibly accept a gift in return for a services to a sick friend...Besides, I have money enough; you surely need it more than I. However, if you insist on giving it away, give it to the poor at Port Said.`

     `No,` repeated the Yemeni, `thou accept it from us- and if thou dost not wish to keep it, give it in thine own name to the poor.`

     And as they pressed me, and, shaken by my refusal, become sad and silent, as if I had refused not their money but their hearts, I suddenly comprehended: where I had come from people were accustomed to build walls between I and You: this, however, was a community without walls...

     `Give me the money, brothers. I accept it and I thank you.`


The Road To Mecca
Muhammad Asad
Fons Vitae (Pages 349/350), End Of The Road 2

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