Mysteries of Life and Death: Do we have the answer?
All accidents are painful. But some accidents are so painfully traumatic that they leave a scar on the mind of people who have personally watched the tragedy happening or are emotionally and sentimentally affected by that calamity. Some mishaps are so shocking and gruesome that it becomes impossible to describe them in words. Such a dreadful and appalling accident happened with Haroon Nasir, a young man of 53. The poor guy got crushed under the wheels of a huge tractor-trailer.
According to one unofficial version of the accident, the tragedy did not take place on a highway. It did not happen due to over-speeding. The accident happened on January 29, 2018 in the parking lot of a warehouse organization where Haroon worked in the data-management section. It was Haroon’s lunch-break. He walked across the parking lot, took his lunch box and started walking back to his work-place. He stopped in front of a tractor-trailer parked in the loading area. The truck was ready to move after having completed the loading part. The driver of the truck had settled in his driving seat and had started the engine. Haroon, probably, stopped right in front of the truck. He might be waiting to move across after his way was clear. This unofficial version also reports that Haroon was busy talking on his phone while standing in front of the vehicle. The tractor-trailer, from its parking position, moved forward with a jump. The tractor-trailers generally start moving with an initial jump. Probably it was the initial jump that struck Haroon so hard that he fell on the ground. He couldn’t get the space and time to protect himself from the cruel and brutal wheels of the heavy vehicle. He just got crushed. It was a very sad and tragic incident causing indescribable pain in the hearts of innumerable people. It is also said that the accident scene was so traumatically shocking that the warehouse company had to hire counseling experts in order to help the office colleagues of Haroon out of the dreadful trauma.
Haroon Nasir was a very fine person. He had a smiling and pleasant personality. I had never observed an expression of anger or anguish on his face. There was always a calm, polite and serene attitude in his talk and conversation. He was very witty and quick in telling decent and intellectual jokes relevant to the conversation. A truly charismatic personality with a jovial nature, Haroon would very quickly become the centre of attraction. He could talk on political, theological, philosophical, intellectual and everyday social issues endlessly. Haroon was an honest, noble, prayerful and God-fearing person.
Haroon Nasir, who hailed from the great city of Lahore, had brought with him very rich academic background in the field of Theology. He held master’s degree in Theology from the University of Edinburgh, UK. He had been a research scholar at Christian Study Centre, Rawalpindi for over 13 years; also worked as Director, Centre for Study of Islam & Christianity, Mansehra, Pakistan. He had the honor of teaching Theology as a visiting lecturer and adviser to students preparing for their thesis for master’s degree at Hazara University in Mansehra. Haroon had also worked as visiting lecturer at International Islamic University, Islamabad; and Sh. Zayed Islamic Centre, Peshawar University, Pakistan. He had also been external examiner for students doing masters in Theology at St. Thomas Theological College, Karachi.
Haroon was a scholar who had worked on several educational and theological projects that included curriculum development, management and editing of various publications. During the course of his professional career he produced several scholarly articles dealing with Christianity, Islam and interfaith harmony. His honor remained to contribute articles for Ijtehad, Theological journal of Islamic Ideological council, Pakistan and Encyclopedia of South-Asian Religions. Haroon was also a Fulbright alumnus.
Currently, Haroon was also working as an active worker of Rah-e-Jeevan, a very popular radio program anchored by Rev. Javed Akhtar. What a great, noble and pious person Haroon was!
All this prelude leads to the question that generally comes to mind: “Why did Haroon die such a gruesome death?” Why did God not save him from the deadly accident? Why does death come to God-fearing, saintly and righteous people in painful and traumatic way?
(Special Note: The story is based upon unofficial version)
Mumtaz Shah
Such a painful and heart wrecking incident. ..
I too feel that good souls have great endurances and thus put to test….
As they are humble and strong to face challenges…be it death …with gratitude,they pass the test and qualify for heavens…..
Thanks Rehya for your comments. Indeed it is a very sad narrative. In fact it was even more tragic than what I tried to describe. As I said that there are no words suitable to describe the heart-rending tragedy. At the same time I do appreciate your feelings that good souls have great endurance to pass through the toughest tests of life and destiny and thereby enter the gates of heaven to receive the honours and rewards waiting for them.
Very sad story, may his soul Rest In Peace.
Yes, Shamim, it is, indeed, a very sad story. May the peace of The Lord be with the bereaved family, all the members of the church community, all his friends and colleagues.
“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”. However a believer dies, in suffering or peacefully. He goes to his fathers house. where all of the sorrow and pain of the suffering will end. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”. Sorry for your loss.
Thanks Goshi for sharing such a moral boosting verse. I would also like to share with you the words of The Lord he spoke in the Gospel of John. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11: 25-26”
Indeed a sad incident! May He grants peace and comfort to whole family for whom the gap of his life will never be filled! Thanks for sharing!
Indeed a very sad incident. Thanks for your prayer for Haroon’s family.
God has called him.we all have to die and go to our heavenly father one day. May God guide all of us to live our lives pleasing to Him. Haroon was a noble christian and a scholar. May God bless his soul and grant him forgiveness, mercy and eternal peace .RIP
Maurice Sahib, I think you know Haroon Nasir. He has worked at Christian Study Centre for a short while. Thanks for your prayer for his family.
Sir, I have not been fortunate enough to work with him. I never met him. When he joined christian study center I had already left. But I heard about his talent and dedication. Thnaks
He was indeed a genius man of God, with adequate Biblical knowledge and jovial personlity . A day before his death I was with him talking in a very pleasant manner, never ever thought it’s going to be the last meeting with my dear brother in Christ. I thank God for his wonderful life and giving me an opportunity to meet him a day before his untimely death.
May God Bless his wife and children and give them patience to bear this great loss.
He was indeed a genius servant of The Lord. You are very right, Arif Siraj. Arif was a very loving and friendly person. He will always live in our hearts.
It was indeed an extremely painful situation that led to the sudden loss of such a loyal Christian who had such brilliant credentials. I express my sincere sympathies to the family of Mr. Haroon Nasir.
The question being asked here is, why does God allow such a painful death to fall upon such a loyal and devoted person. In truth I think no human being can satisfactorily answer that question.
A very wise and wealthy king was frustrated with his inability to answer the above question calling life vanity. King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes describes life as vanity of vanities.
However for Christians there is hope in Gods Kingdom and death will be ultimately conquered. The apostle Paul writes: The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15 : 26.
Also hurting Christians will be comforted and compensated as it says ” God will wipe away every tear from their eye. Revelation 17:7.
Whereas the above cannot diminish the grief of the bereaved, it may help to provide hope for the future.
Dear Albert Dean: you are absolutely right in saying that the question of tragic deaths coming to the dearest ones of God is really very difficult to answer. It is a fact that death is the enemy of life. Ever since the dawn of life, man has been struggling unsuccessfully to overcome death. You have referred very rightly to the Kingdom of Heaven as the hope of everlasting life. I shall try to discuss the answer to this question in my next article to be posted in March.
I have known Haroon since I came to the church. I was about 3 when I met him. He was always a smiling person. On Monday January 29 when I was getting ready for school, my mom was on her phone and she told me: “Do you remember your grandpa’s friend named Haroon? He got crushed under the wheels of a huge truck”. I was so sad when I heard that. My grandma told me that God saw that Haroon had finished his work on earth and He needed Haroon to be in heaven. I am the blog-writer’s grand-daughter. We go to the same church.
My dear Anayah: Thank you so much for writing such beautiful comments. I liked the comments because they are your true feelings. Well done. Blessings.
I did not personally know Haroon well enough, but had met him at a number of community events. The one thing that was always special about him that stood out was humility and his soft smile. May our Lord bless his soul and grant him eternal peace. My prayers for his family for comfort through strength of faith in their hour of sorrow.
Thanks Mr. Javaid Rahim Bakhsh for your feelings and prayers for Haroon’s family. I appreciate your observation regarding Haroon’s personality. Haroon’s humility and smiling expressions were indeed his personality’s outstanding features. Thanks once again for your comments.