Share, teach or Preach?

I got a sms recently from a very special friend. She and he 70 year old mum (whom we affcetionately call 'makcik'),were my room-mates during hajj. Her huband was my husband's room-mate. She sent a message inviting me and my family including my sister to their house for lunch. I was so excited when I received the message. I have not seen her for almost 2 years.

When my husband and I made the trip north, we decided to pay makcik a visit. the last time I saw her was at the airport, right after returning from hajj. My sister and I simply adore her. We were the youngest of the six, in the room. Alhamdulillah, all of us hit it off right from the moment we set eyes on each other. Let me tell you, having room-mates that I can get along with, was very important at that time, as I will be spending the next 36 days with them. I'm not such a people person. My social skills badly need brushing up. I avoid crowds at all cost unless it is necessary. It is not because I'm arrogant or feel that I'm better than everyone else but, to tell you the truth, I just feel awkward with strangers. I get tongue -tied when I'm faced with a crowd. Some of my friends kept saying, " what is wrong with you? You address the judge and court almost everyday, how can you be nervous?". Good question! The thing is, I have been trained, for years, to address the court and the judges (even the cranky ones). It was part of my job  and  I put my mind into doing it. It's on auto-pilot, plus, it's within my comfort zone. I would have prepared my arguments weeks ahead so I knew exactly what to say.

Facing a crowd of stranger is a different story. I don't have a rehearsed speech. Most of the time, I don't even know what to say because I feel that I'm way outside my comfort zone. I suppose I fail at doing small talk. I am trying to overcome this anomaly but more often than not, I find myself running to my coconut shell and seeking refuge there than facing a crowd. 

The Wise Owl keep telling me, "sister, you have the knowledge and you need to share it with others.". Sigh! I wish it was that simple. I know that knowledge is very important in Islam.

   "  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 74

Ok..I can do that part, In Shaa Allah. I love reading and I love books. I don't mind studying as long as there are no exams

 " The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A servant of God will remain standing on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his (time on earth) and how he used it; about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth and from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body and how he used it." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 148

 "The Prophet also said: "Acquire knowledge and impart it to the people." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 107

 

Oh dear! It is this part, which I have a problem with. I realise that I need to overcome my fear or shyness or whatever the term may be, of poeple and 'utilise' my knowledge so that when I am questioned later, I can honestly say that I have pass it on. This is the scenario I would like to have .....

 "The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 422

The tricky bit, in my opinion, is, how do I share the knowledge. I know most people do not like to be preached at and the last thing I want to do is sound like a preacher. I'm not qualified to preach or teach. I do not want to seen as 'showing off' because that is definitely not my intention but I need to SHARE. It's like I'm holding on to something that does not entirely belong to me and its nagging on my conscience.

So, I need to take small steps. I have started my 'sharing' sessions and I find that I can speak when the crowd is small. I have also taken up the Wise Owl's suggestion to write. To those whom I have 'shared' with, I do apologise if I spoke too fast but, it is because I feel that I need to 'unload' before my time is up. To those who felt that I was preaching, again, I apologise because that is not my intention at all. If I have offended anyone during my 'sharing' session,  I do apologise from the bottom of my heart. For those who felt they have learned and benefitted from the 'sharing', please, I humbly ask that you share and pass on the knowledge to others. If you do, may God grant you an abundance of Blessings and Mercy....Ameen...

Geez..!! I wanted to write about my room-mates and our experience but I completely went off rail! hahaha...never mind, I shall save it for later....