Power of the
Unseen
A Miracle in Lahore
By Rafiq Ebrahim
Glen Ellyn IL
On returning from
a family vacation in Murree, we stayed for two days
in Lahore to revisit some historical places and
pay homage at the shrine of Data Ganj Buksh –
as we used to do every other year when we were in
Pakistan.
It was in the scorching heat of April in the year
1988 during that visit that an incident occurred
that I’ll never forget. Out in the sun the
whole day, my twelve-year-old son, who had a chronic
bronchitis, got the ill effects of the weather.
Back in the hotel, he had high fever. In spite of
taking fever-reducing syrup, his temperature was
mounting. At ten that night he was burning with
103 degree or more. It was a sign to take him to
the nearest emergency center.
As I was not aware of the location of a nearby clinic,
I rushed down to phone a friend living in Gulberg
to request him to come to the hotel and take us
to a clinic, or to let me know the location of a
clinic near the Clifton Hotel where we were staying.
To my dismay he informed me that his car had been
stolen the same day and that the nearest clinic
treating emergency cases was about ten miles away
from the hotel and advised me to take my son immediately
there in a taxi, as it appeared to him that my son
had a sun-stroke which was very common in Lahore
that summer.
This sudden emergency made my heart beat faster,
shaking me to the core. It would not be an easy
task to carry my son down from our room, and then
look for a taxi at that hour. As I was ascending
the stairs on my way to the hotel room, an image
flickered in my mind – the mazaar of Data
Sahib. God, I prayed earnestly. It was to pay homage
and offer prayers at the mazaar of Data Sahib that
we always came to Lahore. Do not let my son suffer
anymore. Cure him, cure him immediately. I do not
need any reward for whatever good I had done in
my life so far, nor be punished for any bad actions
on my part. Right now, please cure my son.
With these prayers on my lips, I came to the room
to be informed by my wife that my son had started
sweating – a sign that the fever was receding.
I came to his bedside and saw drops of perspiration
on his forehead. He was sweating profusely. His
clothes got soaked with sweat. My wife wiped the
perspiration off his body and changed his clothes.
I touched his forehead again and this time it felt
cool. His whole body seemed relaxed and soon he
fell asleep.
At regular intervals I got up to see how he was
doing. He was sleeping soundly and breathed easily.
In the morning he got up and announced that he was
hungry. After a hearty breakfast, we packed up and
went to the station to catch the Shalimar Express
for Karachi; the tickets for the journey had already
been purchased by me earlier. There was not a trace
of illness or indisposition in my son and he thoroughly
enjoyed the journey.
Was it help from the Unknown? Power of the Unseen?
A Miracle?
NEXT: A MIRACLE IN KARACHI
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