“A Doctor on Eid Day”

By Mashari Mohammed bin Dalilah
Writer on social and cultural affairs

On the morning of Eid al-Fitr in the year 1445 AH, corresponding to 2024 AD, I was visiting a patient, may God heal him, at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. This grand hospital always makes me stand in respect and appreciation for its working staff. I went to the hospital after joyful encounters with our children and loved ones. As I walked through its corridors, I was astounded by the medical staff working on Eid Day. Their dedication was beautifully evident when I saw them celebrating in one of the rooms with some sweets. I greeted them, and my heart filled with joy. They were like bright stars in the night’s darkness. I only saw smiles with the patients, kind treatment, and respect for everyone.

I was moved by what I saw; my pen flowed, and my thoughts sailed. These people are human like us, with warm feelings towards Eid days, and an overwhelming desire to be with their children, relatives, and loved ones, to experience this great day of joy and happiness. But they left all that behind and dedicated themselves to be with the sick, bringing life to souls and being a balm to those pained by illness, asking nothing in return but God’s favor. Even though their job is their livelihood, the smiles I saw on their faces could only come from the morals of the great, those imbued with humanity and a love for helping others.

There, beside my patient, they entered one after another, inquiring about the patient’s health and offering Eid greetings. I felt humble before these noble human feelings. My pen is still unable to fully capture the emotions that touched my heart. If I were to sit at my desk and write until the end of time, my pen would dry out, yet feelings of sincerity towards these heroes, so high in spirit and hope, would still wander in my mind. I wish I were a poet, so I could write verses and collections for these compassionate, kind, dedicated, and proactive individuals.

While living this beautiful moment, I wondered what these people aim for, what they aspire to. They do not seek fame, position, or wealth. Their hearts are filled with human feelings and a communal spirit towards humanity, their main goal being to seek reward and blessings from the Lord of all beings. I witnessed these emotions myself, living them with consultants and healthcare practitioners in our beloved kingdom. These individuals have delicate human feelings towards their patients, devoting their time and effort to revive a soul after God’s will. When a patient recovers, happiness shines on their faces as if they have won a battle.

I have lived with these medical staff, both within and outside the kingdom, who work long hours, endure fatigue, and remain between the needle and the scalpel, and in the operating rooms. Yet, they show patience, dedication, and sincerity in their work. They even spend many voluntary hours serving the sick and needy. This job might seem easy in logic, writing, and casual conversations, but in reality, it is a divine favor and selection by God to be dedicated to helping people and fulfilling their needs. It is a form of worship and one of the greatest acts of devotion. As the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “God helps the servant as long as the servant helps his brother” – narrated by Muslim.

My message to every doctor is congratulations on this divine selection. Congratulations on being a balm for wounds, and on your success in this blessed work. Think of the prayers that have reached you, the thanks given to you, the tears you have wiped away. Think of the patients pained by illness, disturbed in their beds, for whom you have been, after God, a solace in their sleep. I can only pray and wish for your success. Your goal has been to improve the quality of life and to let people live in happiness. These staff would not have been able to work without God’s will, then the support of our leaders and our wise government, which has prioritized the health of citizens and residents on this blessed land. A great country that has prepared health facilities, developed medical staff, allocated annual budgets, and contributed to the education of its sons and daughters in modern medical sciences, making it a pride among nations and an example to follow.

We saw how medical services were provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we overcame that ordeal by God’s grace and success while living in comfort. We ask God to perpetuate our security, faith, leaders, scholars, and health staff, and to reward them for all the good they have done.