New Car

A few years ago, I heard a Jama'at member make a comment about his own strong convictions against taking interest loans to buy a new car. He said that he would rather drive a paid off old Honda than finance a luxury car on interest. For some reason I never forgot that advice.

Years later, when my old and beat-up Honda Civic had racked up many miles, I had to reconcile my convictions about interest-bearing loans for a car. I used to frequently travel to Toronto to visit my parents, but slowly these trips came to a halt because I just couldn’t risk taking the car on the long journey. When my mother would ask why I stopped coming, I told her about the car, but she simply suggested I buy a new car. I was already making monthly payments for my parents’ car, so she just assumed I could afford to pay for a new car as well.

As months passed, the car became more of a headache than an asset; even the repair bills started to mount. My wife and I both knew it was only a matter of time before we had to make a serious decision. Even the kids reminded me of our state of affairs, but I would always tell them to pray for a new car, not knowing exactly how it would be fulfilled. As the expenses continued to pile up the inevitable was knocking on the door. I wrote a letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah be his helper) for guidance. His reply was full of prayers and love, and that brought comfort to my heart.

On Thursday, June 19, 2014, our old, but mostly reliable car finally gave up and refused to start. Disheartened, humiliated, and defeated I forced myself to sit in front of a computer and began searching for car deals and specials. Our family had different needs, so affordability was complicated even more. I finally narrowed my choice down to a Toyota hybrid, but it was just the beginning of a series of surprises that would renew my faith in the power of prayer and patience.

First, it turned out that Toyota was offering a five-year, 0% interest deal on the car, so that immediately resolved the interest problem. Then I found out that my employer offered a $3,000 cash award for purchasing a hybrid. I couldn’t believe how quickly my fortune was turning for the better. As I was about to leave the house for the dealership, I got an unexpected call from my mother. When I told her about my decision, she handed the phone to my father who went on to tell me that their car loan had been paid off and that I didn’t need to send them the $500/month that I had been sending. When I arrived at the dealership, I was worried that I didn’t have much for a down payment, but salesman reassured me that I didn’t need a down payment at all. Finally, a few days later, my boss told me that the department had received some additional funding and that I was getting a $10,000 raise.

Now I had a new, reliable car and extra funds to pay for it. More importantly, I was convinced this was a small reward from Al-Razzaq, Al-Wahhab, Al-Latif, and Al-Rahim. When I reflect upon my experience, I can’t help but fall prostrate before Him and acknowledge my conviction in His wisdom. Words cannot express my gratitude and all I can say is Alhamdulillah.

“Which, then, of the favors of your Lord will ye twain, (O men and jinn), deny?” (The Holy Qur’an, 55 [Al-Rahman]:14) [Chapter Ar-Rehman: verse 14]