Spread Coolness Like the Ice

SPREAD COOLNESS LIKE THE ICE Just as ice spreads coolness in the environment, a believer should likewise be a source of comfort rather than a source of trouble to people around him. T he Prophet is reported to have said: “When one person met another and did not eat or drink anything, it was as if he had met a dead person.” (Kashful Khifa 2493) The obvious meaning of this tradition is that when anyone meets another, he is offered something, even if it is only some dates or a glass of water. At the time of meeting, offering something to drink or eat is a matter of social etiquette. Everyone does so, be he rich or poor, big or small, man or woman. This dissipates away any feeling of strangeness and the two people are brought close together. But the real spirit of this prophetic saying is that everyone should be the well-wisher of others. When