نَحَّاتُ الحِجارَةِ

The Stone Carver

وُلِدَ سالِمٌ أَصَمَّ لا يَسْمَعُ شَيْئًا. عالَمُهُ كانَ صامِتًا تَمامًا. بَعْضُ النَّاسِ رَأَوْا ذَلِكَ لَعْنَةً، لَكِنَّ سالِمًا رَآهُ نِعْمَةً.

Salim was born deaf, hearing nothing. His world was completely silent. Some people saw this as a curse, but Salim saw it as a blessing.

قالَ بِلُغَةِ الإِشاراتِ: «أَنا لا أَسْمَعُ الضَّجِيجَ. لِذَلِكَ أَسْتَطِيعُ التَّرْكِيزَ.»

He said in sign language: "I do not hear noise. Therefore I can focus."

وَجَدَ شَغَفَهُ فِي نَحْتِ الحِجارَةِ. كانَ يُمْضِي ساعاتٍ يَنْحِتُ، يُحَوِّلُ الصَّخْرَ إِلى جَمالٍ.

He found his passion in stone carving. He would spend hours sculpting, transforming rock into beauty.

أَعْمالُ سالِمٍ كانَتْ مُخْتَلِفَةً. تَماثِيلُهُ كَأَنَّها تَتَحَدَّثُ! وُجُوهُها تَحْمِلُ مَشاعِرَ حَقِيقِيَّةً: فَرَحٌ، حُزْنٌ، خَوْفٌ، أَمَلٌ.

Salim's works were different. His statues seemed to speak! Their faces carried real emotions: joy, sadness, fear, hope.

قالَ النَّاسُ: «كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ؟ إِنَّهُ أَصَمُّ!»

People said: "How does he do that? He is deaf!"

جاءَهُ فَنَّانٌ مَشْهُورٌ وَسَأَلَهُ. كَتَبَ سالِمٌ: «لِأَنَّنِي لا أَسْمَعُ الكَلامَ، أَقْرَأُ الوُجُوهَ. أَرَى ما لا يَراهُ السَّامِعُونَ.»

A famous artist came and asked him. Salim wrote: "Because I do not hear words, I read faces. I see what hearing people do not see."

سَمِعَ الإِمامُ عَنْ سالِمٍ فَطَلَبَهُ لِنَحْتِ نَقْشٍ لِلْمَسْجِدِ الجامِعِ.

The Imam heard about Salim and requested him to carve an inscription for the grand mosque.

كَتَبَ سالِمٌ آياتٍ قُرْآنِيَّةً بِخَطٍّ بَدِيعٍ عَلى الحَجَرِ. وَحَوْلَها، نَحَتَ زَخارِفَ نَباتِيَّةً دَقِيقَةً.

Salim wrote Quranic verses in beautiful script on stone. Around them, he carved delicate plant decorations.

حِينَ رَآهُ الإِمامُ، بَكَى. قالَ: «هَذا لَيْسَ نَقْشًا. هَذا صَلاةٌ مَنْحُوتَةٌ فِي الحَجَرِ!»

When the Imam saw it, he wept. He said: "This is not an inscription. This is a prayer carved in stone!"

صارَ سالِمٌ أَشْهَرَ نَحَّاتٍ فِي عُمانَ. أَعْمالُهُ زَيَّنَتِ المَساجِدَ وَالقُصُورَ.

Salim became the most famous sculptor in Oman. His works adorned mosques and palaces.

قالَ لِتَلامِيذِهِ: «لا تَحْزَنُوا عَلى ما فَقَدْتُمْ. ابْحَثُوا عَمَّا كَسَبْتُمْ. كُلُّ نَقْصٍ فِيهِ كَمالٌ مَخْفِيٌّ.»

He said to his students: "Do not grieve over what you have lost. Seek what you have gained. In every deficiency is hidden perfection."

وَبَقِيَتْ أَعْمالُهُ شاهِدَةً: أَنَّ الصَّمْتَ قَدْ يَكُونُ أَبْلَغَ مِنَ الكَلامِ.

His works remained witnesses: that silence can be more eloquent than words.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End