To Sir, with Love..

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward

Have you seen the movie, ‘To Sir with Love’? It’s an old movie about a group of students giving tribute to their teacher, played by Sidney Poitier. The movie was quite famous in the 60s and 70s.

I am very selective when it comes to knowledge. I am even more selective when it comes to the teachers, who are imparting the knowledge. The Wise Owl always tells me, “sister, the teacher is irrelevant but what is important is the knowledge he or she is sharing.” Somehow, I beg to differ with the Wise Owl on this.

I find that chemistry between the teacher and the student is very important, at least for me. Nowadays, we have so many ‘teachers’, preaching their knowledge. I think that is the problem, ‘preaching’. I am not a fan of 'preachers'. I suppose I’m fussy and I have a very high standard of how a teacher should be. My bench-mark is Prophet Muhammad SAW himself. I realise that Prophet SAW is almost perfect and he was without fault, so it is impossible for anyone to emulate him. Truth is, I don’t expect the teachers, whether male or female to be exactly like him but at least, they should posses most of his traits.

One of the traits that I look for is humility and humbleness. If I detect an ounce of arrogance or pride in that person, then I would get put off and all my ears and eyes will shut off immediately. Talking to me then, would be futile because it would be like talking to a brick wall. The teacher can go on talking for hours on end but none of the things that were being taught will enter my memory or my head. I would actually be wasting my time there.

I am not perfect and it is not that I feel the ‘teacher’ is not good enough to teach me or that I’m high and mighty but I am a student and the last thing I want is, to acquire arrogance lessons from the teacher.

I believe that, like all things in Islam, it starts with the intention.

            “Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts; and He is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.”

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:225

            Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying, “Verily, deeds are only with intentions. Verily, every person will get rewarded only for what they intended. Therefore, whoever emigrated for worldly reasons or for a woman, then his emigration is for that to which he has emigrated.”

[Sahih Bukhari, Book 1, Number 1]

I might be wrong but to me, a teacher, whose students does not benefit from the knowledge imparted is actually at a loss. The Wise Old man has once told me that if teacher wants the students to remember and benefit everything that was taught, then she or he must ensure their intention is right from the very beginning. They must teach for the sake of Allah SWT. They must be sincere. It must not be because of recognition or fame. They should not even a tiny dot of self-pride. When their intention is pure then the knowledge that flows from them is also pure and it will be easily absorbed by their students. Their knowledge is like a white light that floats and enters into the soul of the students.

I must say that I agree with the Old Wise man. To me, a teacher need not be a professor, to be able to teach me things. Sometimes, the best teachers are the ones without a paper qualification. Our Prophet SWT never went to university. Anas ibn Malik was one of Prophet SWT companions and he memorised and narrated many hadiths. People of old times, like Imam Shafie and Malik,  used to go to the most learned scholars during their time to learn. Neither the scholars nor the students had paper qualification but they were the best teachers and students.

I have, in the past been invited by friends and acquaintance, to attend certain lecture by certain people. There were instances where I really wanted to go but was unable to but there were also instances where I knew it would be pointless for me to go. It is not because I felt that I was better than them but the truth is, I just couldn’t connect to the speaker.

I have had many teachers in the past. Some inspired me and some made me wanna run away from pronto! I find that the humblest ones were the best. They were not stingy with their knowledge and they share everything they know. All of my teacher are highly qualified but the only difference between them is, some have paper qualification, some don’t.

I am fussy when it comes to choosing teachers especially now. It is because I have very limited free time and I want the best for myself. However, what works for me, may not work for others and what does not work for me, may work for others. I need a teacher whom I’m comfortable with and who can inspire me. I have very short attention span (like my children) so it is very important to have a teacher who can keep me interested. Hey, what can I say? I’m not perfect but I still do try to find the perfect teacher……

Love Thy Parents....

“People say you do not know what you have got till it is gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you would lose it.”-  Nishan Panwar

One of the Wise Owl’s favourite phrase is ‘post-mortem’. He would always tell me “sister, you must do a post-mortem of your life”. I always thought that what he meant was to list down my bad and good deeds and see which outweighs the other. I do not have to list down my deeds to know which is heavier. Sigh! I can safely say that I have not earned my ‘halo’ yet!

But I think, what the Wise Owl meant, was not just listing out our deeds but a deeper meaning than that. We are so caught up with our daily lives, the havoc and the ‘rat-race’ that we feel the years had gone by without us noticing it. When we finally look up, we realize that there were many things that we want to ‘un-do’ or do differently but alas, we can’t. We had also, probably taken many people for granted.

I, for one, have been very guilty of taking my parents for granted. The other day, my parents came over to my house and I actually stopped and looked at them carefully. Somehow in my mind, the mental picture I have of them was when I was 18 years old. When I looked at them with my heart, I realized that they have aged. My dad had actually lost some weight and my mum gained some. Both of my parents have gotten slower in their movements. They are not as robust and agile as they used to be. That was when it hit me! How can I not notice it before?

I realize that I have not been spending enough time with them. I took for granted that they will always be there, waiting for me, as they did before. I took for granted the fact that they might be called by our Maker, at any time.

I suddenly felt tremendous sorrow. I can’t imagine my live without them. I know that, each one of us have our own ‘expiry’ date and it is inevitable but, the mere thought of not having them with me, bring such sadness to me.

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small."

Surah Al-Isra 17:23-24

I have been guilty of not spending time with them. I have been busy with my own live and family  that I did not pay enough attention to them. I procrastinated my time with them, assuming that they will always wait for me.

When I remember the things I put them through when I was a rebellious teenager, I cringe. One thing I know, is that they never gave up on me. They allowed me to make my own mistakes and learned from it. They were proud of my achievements and picked me up during my 'downfalls'. They are my biggest fan.

I remember running to my dad whenever I had ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ problem. He would then make light of things that the problems became trivial. I remember my dad teaching me how to hammer a nail and mix cement. Yes! mix cement!. He taught me how to change a light bulb and fix things. I never got around to using his electric tools though but I believe I inherited my creativity from him. My dad was the one who encouraged me to speak my mind. He taught me how to debate and eventually, I made it into a career. The times when my dad was angry with me, he didn’t shout or scream but, all he had to do was just to call me and ask me to sit in front of him and then ask “ tell me, what have you done?” That was all it took, to make me break down and cry uncontrollably and confessed all my mischief.

My mum taught me how to cook (much to my husband’s delight!) She would let my sisters and I, bake and cook whatever we liked. Of course there were incidents where we smoked up the entire house but she allowed us to make our own food blunder. My mum also taught me how to sew. She taught my sisters and I how to make our own ‘baju kurung’ and until now, sewing is one of my favorite past time. My mum took care of me when I gave birth to my children and I am eternally grateful to her for that. My mum is stricter than my dad and she is quite vocal when it comes to disciplining us but had it not been for her firmness, my sisters and I would not be the person we are now. 

Both my parents have tremendous patient with me and my sisters (more so with me!). They allowed us to be kids when we were kids. I remember an incident when I was about 7 years old ( I think). We had gone visiting to a house of a family friend. Their next door neighbor had zinc tents erected in front of their house, in preparation for a wedding celebration. Left alone to my own devices, I decided to climb a tree beside one of the tents. I perched on a branch, trying to get a better view of my surroundings. Little did I know that the branch was brittle and so, the branch broke under my weight and I fell on top of one of the zinc tent. Next thing I knew, the whole row of tents collapsed like dominos. People rushed out from their houses, only to find me sitting nicely on top of the debris, looking bewildered but unscathed! I was expecting a tongue lashing from my dad but it never came. I guess he agreed with me that it wasn’t my fault that the branch broke. Hahahaha….The wedding celebration? Oh, they erected a new set of tent, a much sturdier one, in time for the celebration. You know what? I think it was good thing that I fell on the tents because it went to show, that the tents were not strong at all and had it collapsed during the celebration, it would have injured quite a number of people.

My parents are my greatest treasure. I must make time for them, no matter how busy I am. I am quite fortunate that both my parents are still with me. I know some of my friends have lost one or both of their parents and how they regret not spending enough time with them. I must stop taking my parents for granted and savor every moment I have left with them.  They have sacrifice their time and wealth for me so the least I can do so is  sacrifice my time. Even then, it  a small price to pay and not even enough to repay them for all that they have done for me. I fervently pray that God grant them mercy and an abundance of barakah. I pray that God protect them from harm and sorrow.  I also pray that when their time comes, they are placed amongst the righteous. Ameen…..

“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty (30) months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will)."

Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:15

                                                                                                           

Crusty Hearts...

“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);”

Surah Al-Anfal 8:2

I was talking to the Wise Owl the other day and he commented that many people nowadays recite and read the Quran but somehow it does not have any effect on them. Quran is God’s Words so by reading the Quran is like God talking to us directly. Question is, are we really listening?

I must say that, the Wise Owl’s statement really alarmed me. Am I one of those people? Am I one of those people who have gone cold in their hearts? Is my heart dead or is it beating to a different tune? Has my heart gone crusty and stale?

“Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Qur'an), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He Guides therewith whom He pleases and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide.”

Surah Az-Zumar 39:23

For Muslims, our guide is Quran and Hadith. The way we should live our lives should only be in accordance to Quran and Hadith. We should adopt and live the lifestyle stated in the Quran. The operative word here is “should” but do we really do?

What is Quran to us? Is it just to put on display at home? It is just to recite during Ramadhan or festive season? Is it just a ‘book’?

Have you ever ask yourself, how does your heart reacts when you hear Quran being recited? Are you indifferent? Do you feel shivers running down your spine? Do you feel fear or sadness or happiness? Do you weep or do you shut it off immediately?

If we read about the history of the Companions, we will find that their reaction to Quran is very much different from ours. Perhaps the lapse of time or maybe situation has altered tremendously. I remember reading about Abu Bakr As Siddiq, who used to weep when he read the Quran.

“Aaisha said, "During his illness, the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: 'Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' I told the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) that, 'Indeed, if Abu Bakr stands in your place the people will not be able to hear him due to his (excessive) weeping.'" (al-Bukhari)

Umar ibn Al Khattab became ill when he recited surah At-Tur 52:7-8

            “Verily, the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass,

 There is none that can avert it;”

I also remember reading that Abu Bakr fainted when he first heard Surah Al-Waqiah, when it was revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW. Most of Prophet SAW Companions wept when they recited the Quran. They had such strong reaction to Quran. Their hearts felt the tremors and the full impact of its meaning.

“And with truth We have sent it down (i.e. the Qur'an), and with truth it has descended. And We have sent you (O Muhammad  SAW) as nothing but a bearer of glad tidings (of Paradise, for those who follow your Message of Islamic Monotheism), and a warner (of Hell-fire for those who refuse to follow your Message of Islamic Monotheism).

And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages. (in 23 years).

Say (O Muhammad SAW to them): "Believe in it (the Qur'an) or do not believe (in it). Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it (the Jews and the Christians like 'Abdullah bin Salam and Salman Al-Farisi), when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration."

And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled."

And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility.”

Surah Al-Isra’ 17: 105-109

The Wise Owl had once told me that Quran is a cure for the disease of the heart. For every sin that we commit, a black dot will appear on our hearts. If we do not remove the tiny black dot immediately, soon it can become cancerous and blackened our hearts completely. When that happens, perhaps, that is when Quran loses its effect on that person. That person’s heart becomes hardened and deaf.

Sadly, as much as I wish I would react the same way as the Companions did when they recited the Quran, I don’t.  My heart does react but I fear, not as strong as I hope it would. Maybe I am not listening properly or maybe the understanding has not reach me.  I need to rectify that but in the mean time, I pray that God will soften my heart and remove any crust so that I can weep for Him. I pray that God will put fear and also love for Him, in my heart. I also pray that God will always guide me and place me amongst the Believers. Ameen….

Pulling a Horse to a Stream....

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” ― Albert Einstein

Recently, I met a sister from Canada. She told me that she is a born Muslim but she felt that she was just a Muslim by name. She told me that her lack of practice and knowledge made her feel like a hypocrite. Now, she wants to learn more about Islam and how to be a true Muslim.

I completely understand how she feels and I applaud her for her efforts. I was in her exact position years ago. I had to admit to myself that I was in fact a liar. I was calling myself a Muslim but I refused to follow any of the teachings. I pleaded ignorance but my ignorance was self inflicted. It was not because that I couldn’t find out more about Islam but, truth of the matter was, that I was just not bothered and took for granted I was okay, just because I was a born Muslim. In my ignorant state, I took for granted that having a Muslim name and to pray occasionally was enough to save me from Hell fire. Boy! Was I wrong!!!

I know now, that, it is not our name or our heritage that defines us as a Muslim but it is our sincerity and submission towards God Al Mighty. We can declare to the whole, who ever we want to be but the bottom line is, can we honestly face God Al Mighty on Judgment day and tell Him that we were His most devoted servants? Can we say to Him that we devoted our lives to Him? Can we truthfully declare to Him that we had wholly and completely submitted to His Will? For me, I don’t think I can. Not at this juncture.

I still have long journey ahead of me and I still have a lot to learn. My knowledge on Islam is still very much lacking.

I was talking to an acquaintance the other day and she asked me how to make a person change for the better. I told her that, to me, change must come from within. The person must want to change. We can't force or impose change on anyone. In order for a person to change, he or she must have knowledge then understanding and finally acceptance. Without these three main ingredients, no change can come about. It’s like the saying ‘you can drag the horse to the stream but you can’t make the horse drink’.

“Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). “

Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11

Having said that, we can’t sit idly and hope that God will show us the ‘light’. We must strive to look for answers.

The funny things about change is the acceptance, it is actually one of the pillars of eaman. “Belief in the predestination by Allah of all things, both the (seemingly) good and the (seemingly) bad.”.  We can tell ourselves that we accept fate but the true test of acceptance of Divine Will and Decree (Qada and Qadr) is when we have face with difficulties and obstacles. Do we question 'why'? Or, do we just pick up the pieces and move on?

When I lost my 6^th child, my heart had silently asked why even though my lips remained sealed . As much as I tried to remain steadfast, my human weakness prevailed.

            “and man was created weak”

            Surah An-Nisa 4:28

God had actually answered my silent question, almost immediately and it only then, that, I understood and accepted my fate. When I buried my 7^th child, I did not question either silently or aloud but, I accepted and moved on. I came to realize that when I accepted my fate, there was no grief hence it was very much easier to move on. Whatever that has been written, can’t be changed. I just have to go through it.

Like I said earlier, acceptance comes only with knowledge and understanding. Check your knowledge and then ask yourself if you have understood. If you have understood, then ask yourself honestly if you have accepted whatever knowledge you have gained. If all your answers are in the affirmative, then, In Shaa Allah, you will pass with flying colors whatever obstacles that may come your way....

“and they said: "Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)."

Surah Al-Imran 3:173

Flaws and Resolutions....

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” 
― Augusten Burroughs,

Let me be the one to declare that I have flaws. In fact, I am riddled with flaws. When I discovered that I was completely clueless about the religion I was born into, Islam, that is when I realized,  my cluelessness was my biggest flaw.  So, I set out trying to rectify my flaw. Don’t get me wrong. I am not completely evil. I have some good traits but that is not the topic of conversation for today.

I hunted high and low, looking for someone to help me rectify my flaw and make myself worthy to be declared as ‘Muslim’, until finally I met the Wise Old man and the Wise Owl. Come to think of it, I should actually thank God for my flaws, otherwise, I would not be searching for Islam. If I had thought that I was a perfect Muslim, I would have been contented with the meager knowledge that I possessed then.

The Old Wise man would always tell me that the world is just like an amusement park. You would find a lot of glittery and shiny gadgets and gizmos that, attracts you and distracts you. The real test is trying to disconnect yourself from the glittery worldly things. He told me to sit down and think real hard. Hhhmm…not quite the guidance I was looking for! I was hoping for a more straightforward answer like, ‘do this’ or ‘do that’; but that how the Wise Owl man teaches me. He makes me think.

So I thought hard. One of the first things that I realized what that I have always been trying to be please human but not God. So I made a mental note, the next time I perform my salat, I will not put on my raggedly looking prayer dress, that has seen better days, (just because no one is around!) but instead to wear the best prayer clothes that I have. I will make sure that I smell divine and not like a sweaty mule. I will prepare myself with the outmost care, like I’m meeting my lover, After all I am meeting my Creator, my most beloved.

“Someone once approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: “What if someone likes that his clothing and his shoes are beautiful?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Allah loves to see the affects of His grace upon His servant.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī (2819)] 

I also made a promise to myself, to ask God for help every time I am need of aid. I must not put my expectations on another human because he or she might not be able to assist me or might even disappoint me. Only God Al Mighty can ease my worries and woes and will provide me with a solution, In Shaa Allah.

“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).”

Surah Ghafir 40:60

I must also think well of God. If calamity falls upon me, I must not think that God is punishing me or that God does not love me but instead I must strive to accept my fate and believe that God have my best interest at Heart. God is never cruel. It is us who sometimes create trouble for ourselves.

            “Verily, with the hardship, there is relief”

            Surah Ash-Sharh 94:6

“and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.”

Surah Al Baqarah 2:216

                                                                                              

I want to accept God’s Commandments more freely and without question. When God commands, I don’t have an option on whether to follow or to leave it. I must not give excuses and complaint but instead embrace it and follow religiously. I remember when I found out that feet is part of awrah that I must cover, I gave 101 reasons and excuses to the Wise Owl as to why I can’t wear sock. The truth was that I just didn’t like to cover my feet. I hate sweaty feet but it is not about what I like but rather it is whether I want to obey or not. Simple as that!

 “Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" and it is!”

Surah Yassin 36:82         

I must study about my beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW. I must know about his life, family, personal traits and character. I can’t call myself one of his ummah if I do not know anything about him. I must learn about his teachings and follow. Prophet Muhammad SAW is Islam and if I don’t follow him, I should not call myself a Muslim.

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much”

Surah Al Ahzab 33:21

“Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Surah Al Imran 3:31

“O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) and render not vain your deeds”

Surah Muhammad 47:33

I must also remind myself that I am to look good for my husband and not other people. I should dress up for him when I am at home instead of dressing up for other when I go out. The whole purpose is, to impress him not others. I must not wear my old smelly university t-shirt at home, no matter how comfortable it is. I must smell nice and not smell, like rotten onion! Believe it or not, this is actually the recipe for a wonderful marriage. Does it work? Err….I’m still trying…like I said earlier, I have flaws!!!! Focus people, focus!

Rasulullah said: "The best of women is one that pleases her husband when he glances at her; obeys him when he commands her and does not oppose him and displease him in matters regarding her body and wealth."

Hadith.

Actually, it would seem like a mammoth task to achieve all of my so-called ‘resolution’ but it is not impossible. I have started but I have not achieved my target yet. I find that certain things in my life changed tremendously for the better, when I started on my resolution. To tell you honestly, changing is easy but keeping to the change is the difficult part. Nevertheless, try I must. The Wise Owl man’s favorite phrase is ’mind over matters’. My task now is, coaxing my mind to stay on matters! So, my fellow brothers and sisters, wish me luck cos I am really gonna need it…

Can I have some Directions Please?....

“If you do not know where you come from, then you don't know where you are, and if you don't know where you are, then you don't know where you're going. And if you don't know where you're going, you're probably going wrong.” ― Terry Pratchett

I am hopeless when it comes to road directions. Unless I have taken that particular road qizillion times, rest assured that I will get lost. My husband is always trying to make me concentrate on the roads when he is driving so I get more familiar with the roads, but I have the tendency to let my minds wander or busy talking to him, to even look at the road. Every time I need to drive to unfamiliar territory, I would bat my eyelashes at my husband and coax him into driving me to my destination.

I am also quite hopeless with maps. Don’t ever make me co-driver with a map because you might end up north instead of south. I have, on numerous times, read the map upside down. Sigh…..

Have I ever tried GPS? (Global Positioning System, I just found what it stands for!)  Of course I have! Guess what? I got lost !!! The roads here are quite badly planned and the signboards are even worst. If the signboard says turn left to a certain place, it means turn left after 2 km and NOT turn left immediately. In the end, I chucked the GPS away. There was even once, I got completely lost trying to get to a meeting place with a client that I ended up driving into the police station to ask for directions. I told the policeman to draw me a map and explain the road to me slowly .After explaining about 10 times and they saw the blank look on my face, they ended up giving me a police escort to my destination! Not bad huh? I should do the damsel in distress more often! But seriously, I was in distress!

Some people however, are completely adapted to the GPS. They have a chemistry and connection with the talking machine, that works. They rely on the GPS to get them everywhere and to find any roads.

Don’t you wish that each of us have a GPS when it comes to life?

            “Show us the straight way,” Surah Al Fatiha 1:5

How do we get to the straight path? If we have a GPS for life, we would have a voice that tells us which road to take and where to turn to find the straight path. Once we have reached the path, then, the GPS will tell us if we have swerved off course..the voice will be saying “ warning, you have gone off course, take a right here and go straight to the masjid”… If only!!! If such device exist, everyone will be saints!

I was talking to the Wise Owl about directions in life. He explained certain things to me and what he explained made sense. You see, if you think about it, we do have GPS for life.

“The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."

Surah Al Baqarah 2:142

The one that guides us is Allah SWT. We just need to seek for directions and In Shaa Allah, God Al Mighty will guide us. The only difference is that we do not hear a clear robotic voice telling us what to do and not to do, but, we do have a voice.

“‘The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, “Both Satan and angels are fellow-travelers of the child of Adam.  However, Satan gives his pledge about evil things and denies the truth; but the angels promise good and confirm the truth, so if someone finds the latter, then he has to thank Allah, and if he finds the former, he has to seek refuge in Allah from Satan, then he has to recite “Satan warns you about poverty and orders you to do adultery and fornication.”  [Tirmizi)

 

Our voice comes from a device called ‘conscience’. Each of us have one built in, factory fitted, when we were born. No one is born without a conscience but some choose to put it on silent mode or completely shut it off, hence they can’t hear their inner voice giving the correct directions. There is another voice that can be heard but this is one that we should not hear but instead should ignore at all cost. This voice will lead us astray and make us lose our way. If we continue listening to this voice, we will be completely lost. The voice that I’m referring to is the whispering of satan. Satan will whisper to everyone but we are given the choice to choose which voice to listen to. Sometimes, the voice of our conscience is faint so it is up to us to listen harder so that it becomes louder. Our conscience voice should be booming in our head and giving us immediate directions. Our conscience voice should be loud enough to drown out any evil whisperings.

 

“When the devil whispers to you any whisper, seek refuge in God; He is Hearer, Omniscient.”

            Surah Al-A’raf 7:200

 

We are even given maps of life. Our Map is the Quran. Study the Map and set your course and life journey in accordance to the Map. Quran is the best and most complete Map you will ever find. I can assure you that you will never get lost. If you ever trip and lose your way somehow, do not despair, just call upon Him and He will respond. He will guide you back In Shaa Allah…

 

“And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"

Surah Ghafir 40:60

   Now,  listen carefully to yourself….Which voice is louder? Have you check your Map for the correct roads to take? Is your course set in the right direction? Is your destination to the 'straight path'?..........