Always on the brink

Always on the brink

1992 6 June 24 Always on the brink (348) P. V. Venkatashawaran who was chief marketing engineer in a government firm attended a meeting held on the eighth floor of the Gopala Tower in New Delhi on May 29, 1982. When the meeting was over, he walked towards the lift along with some of his colleagues. As the door was open, he thought that the lift had arrived, but it was actually still on the ninth floor. In an excited state of mind, at the success of the decisions taken at the meeting, he paid no attention to where he was walking, and stepped into the empty lift shaft. He fell straight to the ground from the eighth floor. His personal doctor, who had been with him at the time, could do nothing for him. He could only declare him dead. He was 51 years old at the time of his death. (The Hindustan Times, 30 May, 1982)

Venkatashawaran was an extremely successful officer. These are the words in which he was described in an official journal: “A thoroughbred professional and a dashing, innovative manager with fire in his belly and ideas in his mind, an astute general. “

So far as this world is concerned, the case of Venkatashawaran is unique. But, from the point of view of the life hereafter, there is little about it that is uncommon. Everyone, confident of his wisdom and the worldly success it brings, fearlessly walks straight ahead, heedless of the fact that at any moment he can plunge headlong into the pit of doom. To utter insulting words against others, to oppress the weak and the innocent, to take revenge, to be unjust to others, to ridicule others’ failures, to argue without reason – all such evils are like stepping into the empty lift shaft on the eighth floor. Every such step can plunge man headlong into the pit of destruction. It is then that neither his friends nor his wishful thinking will save him – everyone is on the brink of that lift shaft, while convinced that he is holding fast to a firm rock which will never fail him.

Refraining from mockery

1992 6 June 24 Refraining from mockery (72) When the Prophet reached Tabuk, and found the Ka’ab ibn Malik was not among the Muslim force, he said: “What has become of Ka’ab?” A member of the Banu Salma tribe said that Ka’ab was too busy admiring his shawls and his shoulders. Mu’az ibn Jabal said in response, “That is a very nasty thing to say,” and then addressing the Prophet he said: “Truly, we know nothing but good of Ka’ab.”