{Quick Reflections 11} The Hunter

At the age of 7 years, while in Zimbabwe, my father took me with him to visit a famous hunter in his home. He was a professional hunter who had dedicated all his life to wild animal hunting amongst the very rich forests of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya. His house was full of stuffed animals, heads of lions, tigers, leopards with the rest of the skin of the animal spread on the floor. On the walls were heads of dear, impalas and rhinos. Skins of crocodiles, snakes and elephants were decorating all the place. Elephant ivory of different sizes and shapes were scattered throughout his villa. Huge evacuated Ostritch eggs with drawings on them lay on shleves in the library. It was simply fabulous. Everything was very well organized and maintained in a fashion that shows how much he cares about his achievements. One can never forget the glitter in his eyes and enthusiasm when he described the most difficult and exciting moments in his hunting career. Certain things were so precious to him. He was very proud of a nearly fatal wound he sustaind in one of his hunts.
He was such an interesting character, one with a very dedicated, enthusiastic, very well determined and focused mind and heart on the mission he chose in this life.

10 years later during my first year in medical school in Egypt my new good friends started teaching me all kinds of azkaar, those of the morning, of the evening, when entering the masjid, when exiting it, when buying new clothes, when entering one's home,...etc. It was such a long list and i was never good at memorizing things exactly as they are by heart. I became so frustrated as i could never catch up with them. It took me years to very slowly learn some of them, and am still trying to memorize them. I was thinking why all these different and mutiple confusing azkaar. Finally I reached the answer of why. It is becaue we have to remember ALLAAH (SWT) in all different situations in our life. However it was not very clear yet to me.

A year ago when i moved to the States, I used to live with a room mate who was a physician with one mission in life. He was dedicated to gathering money. I watched him as he relentlessly and very brilliantly managed to make money out of every situation he was put in. Again i could never forget the glitter in his eyes and enthusiasm with which he was very smartly performing the mission he chose for his life.

A few days ago while listening to Imaam of the masjid during the last day of Ramadaan telling us about what to do on Eid day. He stressed the Prophet's orders (SAWS) that one should walk to the masjid for Eid prayers from one way and return from another so that different and a greater number of angels in different streets would greet him. I was wondering why again. And then the answer dawned upon me. It was the exact same attitude of that hunter and that of my ex-roommate, but with a different mission!! Our Beloved (SAWS)was teaching us through the mutiple azkaar and directions to the Eid prayers amongst many other things how our atittude in life should be. It should be just like that hunter! To make the best of every single situation and moment in our life to hunt and gather as much hasanaat as possible of all different kinds and types. And after we gather them we are to cherich them and keep them pure and clean by avoiding riyaa' and falling into sins.

So who is going to embark on the life time mission of hunting hasanaat in all different directions and of all different kinds with the same or even more enthusiasm, dedication and focus as that hunter? Who is going to endure all the hardships and even dangers that could be involved in such a hunt?

Off we all go and may the best hunter win.