As I stepped out of a restaurant after eating dinner on a cold night in Istanbul, a little boy of around 8 suddenly appeared in front of me, saying in Arabic “I don’t want money, but please feed me, I’m hungry!”
The touristy area I was staying in had many people, especially kids, begging. I was cautioned about giving them money as it may end in the wrong places. But this child wanted to be fed! I stared at him for a second gathering what suddenly happened, then told him to follow me back into the restaurant. It wa
s a buffet style showing all sorts of vegetables, rice, meat, and desserts. I said in Arabic “pick whatever you want”. He asked for rice with white kidney beans cooked in tomato sauce, coming to a total cost of 5 Turkish liras, an equivalent of about 2 Canadian dollars. His face was filled with joy at enjoying a warm meal on a cold night, and made no use of my offer to pick anything he wanted. I left him in the warmth of that restaurant and stepped back out into the cold night, head filled with thoughts about what just happened.
This child could have asked for a 3 course meal and didn’t, yet those of us who live privileged lives look down upon someone who might serve us one dish instead of 5 in a gathering.
As Umar bin Al-Khattab, one of Islam’s most respected figures, said “Do you always buy what you long for?” أو كلما اشتهيت اشتريت … Yet our fridges get filled with expiring food and our homes with things we have no need for. Try pausing and thinking of your needs and wants vs. your desires the next time you’re shopping or indulging in an open buffet.
