A witness to fatal accident

It is difficult for me to write about this as it was all too real, too gruesome but it is something very important that I thought I needed to share with my friends. For those who dare to drive on Malaysian roads, we all know too well the dangers that lie ahead. Despite the external features of shiny cars and flashy wheels; Malaysian roads are nothing more than a jungle.

A week ago, I was on my usual journey to work. I saw from a distance the cars ahead were braking and so, I slowed down. There had just been an accident and as I passed the scene, I saw a lorry and two motorbikes. I didn't see the actual crash and was not sure who was involved but I could see a man lying by the side of the road. My natural instinct took over, I stopped my car in front of the lorry and ran out to help the injured man. As I got closer to him, he was already surrounded by a number of people. Still assuming that he was still alive, I started asking them if the ambulance had been called but as I got nearer to him, I knew that he was gone...

My hope of finding a conscious injured man came to an abrupt end. There was nothing that I could do. I rang 999 to inform them and as more and more people arrived at the scene, I felt uneasy and decided to leave. I was still in shock! In my line of work I've seen many lifeless bodies. Most people in hospital die from a heart attack, stroke, old age, cancer or acute illnesses. However, this man was not ill. He had probably left this morning after having breakfast, said 'goodbye' to his family and was on his journey to work just like anyone else. I couldn't help thinking 'what was on his mind during his last moments?' I felt certain that when he woke up this morning he didn't think it would end like this.

I have no doubt in my mind that life and death is in the hands of God. Ajal (lifespan) is decided by God alone but that does not mean we are not accountable for our actions and our responsibilities in this life. This does not make life cheap! This does not mean that we can take the life of others through our negligence. God takes life but we are still accountable for what we do.

Driving is dangerous even in the most civilized of roads and road-users. However, the drivers in Malaysia are not particular about their driving habits, the culture of safety, giving way, using signals appropriately, keeping to the speed limit are just not there. It is as though their minds switch off as soon as the engine starts.

I have been feeling disappointed for a while since I returned to Malaysia. For Muslim drivers especially, we should be aware of our accountability to Allah which transcends beyond the routine ibaadah of praying and fasting. We are accountable for everything that we do in this life, whether it is in ensuring that we pray the obligatory 5 daily prayers to how we drive our car. To be negligent is a crime, a sin. Do we feel completely blameless if due to our negligence, another person gets hurt?

We need to actively participate in driving, to think about our safety and the safety of everyone around us. This requires a higher level of thinking, not just a semi-conscious automatic brain activity. Just because many Malaysians drive automatic cars does not make our brains automatic. We need to engage with our surroundings and realize that we need to value our lives and others. Life is sacred, a gift from God and we are accountable for this life that He has given to us, to proceed in this life and prepare ourselves for the akhirah, through seeking His Rewards and avoiding His Punishments.

I will never forget what I saw...I do not want to forget. Every time I visualize his face, his staring glossy eyes...I think of all of the drivers and motorist around me and I pray to Allah to protect me, my family and everyone around me from my mistakes and the mistakes of others. I pray that Allah will always make me vigilant, careful and considerate to others and I pray that Allah will soften the hearts of drivers, instill the ideas of responsibility in them. Ameen.