Different

Perhaps, all I ever wanted is to be different than others? Get an exclusive life of mine by choosing an exclusive path ahead, no one would imagine.

After all, I can’t really be so much different than others, aye?

I see how typical people think about life and they don’t vary much from east to west. When I sy typical, they saw it as its the only way to be it. But, it is not. It is the matter of choosing the short or the longer path. That’s it! Obstacles will always be there, depending on how one deal with it. Running away will never solve the problem. Face it off!

Cause in every hardness will come relief. Don’t we ever try to forget that.

And yeah, I choose to be different, take a different path, be a different person. It is not a problem at all when we can accept what people do and choose to do in their life. As long as it does not go beyond the limit of Allah ‘Azzawajal.

Do you think you are different then?

I seek refuge from You O Allah

(1) Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)” Sahih Bukhari (Book #2, Hadith #32)

(2) Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr: The Prophet said, “Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. 1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner.” Sahih Bukhari (Book #2, Hadith #33)

For what you have…

“Wow, he is so handsome…”

“Man, how rich is he…”

“Seriously, that guy is so brilliant!”

“I like his attitude. Nice decent guy, everyone love him…”

And people, usually something comes up in one’s mind right after they uttered those words, which sounded like this…

“I wish I could be like him”

It does happen to me and I believe many others. Somehow, this thinking is not really what we suppose to have, eyh?

I was reading the Quran when I came across this verse. And I took the excerpt from Tafseer ibnu Kathir. Let us think about it together…

“And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward  for what  they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower  of everything.” (Quran, 4;32)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah said “O Messenger of Allah! Men go to battle, but we do not go to battle, and we earn one-half of the inheritance (that men get)”.

Allah sent down the verse above as a reply.

Allah’s satement,


“For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned,”

indicates, according to Ibn Jarir, that each person will earn his wages for his works, a reward if his deeds are good, and punishment if his deeds are evil.

It was also reported that this Aayah is talking about inheritance, indicating the fact that each person will get his due share of the inheritance, as al-Waalibi reported from Ibn ‘Abbas. Allah then directed the servants to what benefits them,

“and ask Allah of His Bounty”

Therefore, the Aayah states, “Do not wish for what other people are endowed with over you, for this is a decision that will come to pass and wishing does not change its decree. However, ask Me of My favor and I will grant it to you, for I am Most Generous and Most Forgiving”. Allah then said,

“Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of Everything.”

meaning, Allah knows who deserves this life, and so He gives him riches, and whoever deserves poverty,
He makes him poor. He also knows who deserves the Hereafter, and He directs him to perform the deeds that will help him to be successful in it, and whoever deserves failure, He prevents him from achieving righteousness and what leads to it. Hence, Allah said,

“Surely Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything.”

Now that we’ve knew about this, for what we have, shouldn’t we be thankful? Instead of wishing to be like the others, why don’t we ask Allah of his bounty, to have something which is the best for ourself, and be content with it? Does not mean we shouldn’t work hard after we’ve got something good, eyh? As Allah said,

“So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself to Allah’s worship. And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your) intentions and hopes.” (Quran, 94;7-8)

 

Believe in the right thing

One shall never questioned the real intention/reason behind others action when they are doing something right. Judgment by human towards other should only be on the things they did not behind the intention. A false action is false, when it is obviously against the Sharia. Vice versa.

What’s up with the statement? Well, I came across this and made me think. And Mr. S. whispered in my heart about ‘things’… Astaghfirullah…

From the Amir al-Muminin Abu Hafs ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, radiya’llahu ‘anhu, that he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, ‘Actions are only by intentions, and every man has only that which he intended. Whoever’s emigration is for Allah and His Messenger then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever’s emigration is for some worldly gain which he can acquire or a woman he will marry then his emigration is for that for which he emigrated’.”

It is just the matter of understanding, as well as the method to achieve the same dream at the end. In the things that we see it in the same way, we agree. Difference of view, well, don’t let that ruin the Ukhuwwah among us.

Change your Paradigm, eyh?

I was first introduced to this idea by a brother who once guide me to what I’m suppose to be. It’s an idea written by Stephen R. Covey but I’m not sure in which book is it. This is what he (the brother) said to me…

Cubes“If you want to change the world, you have to change your paradigm. Imagine  a pail half-filled with sands. Tell me how to get chunk of cubes into the pail? The idea is to get both of the sands and the cubes filling up the pail nicely.”

Pail with a sand

I was thinking about it for quite some times and I smiled at him and shrugged my shoulders.

“There is one way to fill the pail with cubes and sands. First, you have to pour out the sand, put the cubes inside the pail and put back the sand into the pail. Do you know what it means?”

“The sands will fill up the empty spaces?” I asked.

“Yes. That’s how we should see things. First, we put big idea in our mind as our objective. Next, the small ideas can fill up the empty spaces which can’t be filled by the large idea.”

Life, when you look at all the small and simple things too much, you might feels like you don’t have enough space, enough time, to actually grab all of the so called aims. Whereas, if you aim for something big, there will always be spaces for you to fill in the gap with many small idea. In the end of it, you are fully occupied, with no hollow in your mind. Isn’t it? Well, thats what i see at least.

Somehow, I’ve been pondering about it for quite sometimes. Many people, aspired by this Big and Small aims by Stephen Covey, tend to only focus on the ‘big picture’ that they have in their mind and forget, perhaps pay less attention, towards the ’small things’. Will I have a fully filled pail if I put only the cubes inside the pail? No, I will not.

‘Small things’ need to be placed at appropriate places. Do not expect that ’small things’ are just simply small and they posses no danger or something like it. A person could fall when he tripped over a small branch. A small bearing would add on the smoothness of movement for a mechanical part. And know that a tiny bacteria could cause death to another living organisms. Hence, ’small things’ should be handled appropriately, eyh?

Balance, that’s the word needed in looking at the ‘big and small things’ in life. Never  be biased.

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