Value

Value is a relative concept, like time, truth, right and wrong. There is no fixed value for things, first because value can change, and second because value can be quite variable for different people. In the same sense, what may seem trivial to you can be life-saving for others. What you consider worthless can be priceless for me, and vice-versa. Even for the same person, what may be unimportant now can turn out to be very crucial later on, with the change of circumstances, change of one's opinion, or lifestyle, or any other parameter of change. You can simply realise that you were giving enormous value to something that does not deserve all this attention, just as you can discover that you have thrown away such a precious thing or person that used to belong to you.

A good example of how variable value is can be seen in the marketing strategies of new products. When a new brand of cars or mobiles, or even a new type of food entree are first introduced into the market, their prices are usually very high, just because they are new. In time, these products' price decrease, without any change in the quality or conditions governing the selling process. What actually happens is that they are first presented with a fake higher value, and after they lose the glow of being new they fall back to their real value. With more time, other technologies get to be introduced, and in spite of no deterioration in the quality of the product, it gets cheaper with time. It does not matter if this system is more reliable, or this outfit is more comfortable, what is new and fashionable will definitely be more expensive.

What drew my attention to this concept is a part of Prophet Joseph's story. When ,out of envy, his brothers threw him into the well in stead of killing him, the merchants who found him in the well decided to sell him as a slave. Because those merchants did not know the real value of the kid they found, they sold him for a very low price. They did not know that this young boy will be remembered throughout history, or that he is a Prophet and the son of a Prophet. They did not know that he will be the minister of treasury in a couple of years and save the whole country from the dilemma of the famine. Had they known how important and valuable he is, they would not have seen him with the same indifferent eye.

Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. 'Good news!' he exclaimed. 'Here is a boy!'. They hid him like a piece of merchandise - God was well aware of what they did - and they sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him. Qur'an: (12 [Joseph]: 19, 20)

Sometimes we can see things that others do not. We can hold dear to our hearts dreams, concepts, or little dear things that are silly and useless in the eyes of others. These things can be very true to us, and totally ridiculous to others. I believe that I should try to see how others view and value life, but I cannot and should not let go of my valuable things. I learnt, the hard way, that there are three things in life that we should highly esteem but we sometimes do not; dreams, principles, and people. Losing any of these invaluable three is irrecoverable. Failing to protect one's dreams, letting go of one's principles in life, or losing a dear person are grave mistakes that we do when we should know better.

I learnt that I should not lose people if I can keep them, even if they are not so dear to me, because I have seen how this loss can be painful. I learnt not to let go of my dreams even if I am the only one who can see that they are attainable, because if I lose them I will not be myself. Even if I am not destined to reach them all, they keep me going, and on the way, I reach higher places that I would not have reached without those higher aspirations. I learnt not to ridicule the dreams of others, because I know how I value mine. I learnt not to promise if I cannot keep my word, not to let go of what I believe is right even if other see this as being difficult. There will be a day when they understand, and even if they do not, it is enough for me that I can sleep with a clear conscience. The value of my dreams, of my word, or of the people I love, are simply great and grave.

Value seems to be one of those things that people will always see from a different angle. There is no right or wrong here. Yet, under-estimation and over-estimation are two mistakes that we always fall for. We can try, but will not succeed everytime, to put things in their rightful positions, to think before buying or selling, to take a moment and see; is it worth it? How many times do we ask ourselves this question? Personally, I started to include it in my routine thinking.

The Simple Things

When the world is burning with fire, when we are tested everyday as humans and as individuals, I find it soothing to pause for a second, and feel grateful for all the things we take for granted, the absence of which would break us apart, if only we know it.

For having good health and sound bodies, for the ability to see and walk, think and express ourselves.
For the sense of safeness, for the roof above our heads, for the blanket that keeps us warm, for the comfortable bed.
For being able to eat when hungry without worrying about the next meal.
For being able to live in a safe place, not worrying about our lives or the lives of our dear ones.
For being able to walk without fear, for being respected as women/men and humans.
For the quiet neighbourhood, the cosy home, the good job.
For being able to love, and appreciate the beauty of the world.
For the family and the friends.
For the knowledge and the education.
For the morals, beliefs, and principles, for the ability to sleep with a clear conscience.
For the gift of life, for the religion and the path.
For all the others things that are less obvious yet as precious.

We should be grateful.

Think a little, of any of these simple blessings. Think what would it mean to lose just one of them; losing one's home or eyesight or sense of direction, etc., how horrible that would be. Even if you do not have all these things, the fact that you are able to read this means that you are blessed with the majority of them. If one thing or the other is missing from you life, and its absence is having an effect on you, if you feel unsatisfied with your place in life, or would have wanted to live in a bigger house or have more money or whatever, let us be humbled, even every once in a while, by remembering that there are people who cannot close a door and sleep safely, and others who live under siege knowing that they could lose their lives any moment. If your children are giving you a hard time, see how others are not able to have kids of their own, and others who have lost their children while they are still alive. If you see injustice in your life, thank you Lord for not being the one who will have to live with the guilt. If your job is not satisfying all your aspirations, remember those who are begging to live. If your meal today is not the best, there are people who do die out of hunger. There are many faces for pain in the world, yet so many faces for blessings. We are surrounded by God's abundant forms of kindness, let us remember and cherish the simple things in life.

{Quick Reflections 18} Sports

I was 10 years old when I was visiting the War Museum in Cairo. As part of my usual mischief at that time I took the chance that no one was noticing me and tried to lift one of the swords with one hand in order to hold it up in the air and wave it around like they do in the movies. To my surprise it was very heavy and I needed both hands to just lift it up and barely hold it in the air for a few seconds. I thought to myself, those people in the past must have been much more well built than us. However as I grew up and read more through the Qur'aan and anthropology I came to understand that people have been more or less of our same built since after the people of 3Aad. That was a surprise to me. As I looked further into the lifestyle of people before the industrial age I learnt that they used their bodies extensively to perform everything they needed to do to make their way through this life on earth. Contrastively, our generation and a couple of generations before it have become so pampered and depend mainly on machines and mechanical aids throughout most of our daily activities.



On the other hand I was always amazed by the sahaba's willpower and continuous vigor when comparing it to that of people of the present age.
While I was raised to believe that sports and physical activity are all a waste of time, I used to feel invigorated and inspired with more willpower during and after episodes of running, swimming or practicing various sports. Then suddenly I realized that this physical activity, which we miss nowadays and replace by various mostly useless sports, was one of the important inspirational sources of their continuous vigor and tireless activity. Only then I realized the importance of the wise advice that CUmar Ibnul-Khattaab gave us when he told us to teach our children swimming, archery and hourse-riding. They are useful and goal oriented physical activites that promote the full development of a sound and healthy mind, body and soul.



May Allaah grant us all sound hearts, minds, bodies and souls.

{Quick Reflections 16} Computer Games

The following reflection was illustrated and written so vivedly by a close friend.
Enjoy.


Most of us have tried computer games at one point of our lives, or at least know how these things work. Each game is divided into levels, each level having its tools, playing strategy, and challenge. Once you succeed in meeting the challenge and reaching your target, you are moved up to the next level, which is naturally harder than the one preceding it. In each level, you will have a different kind of obstacles or an enemy trying to defeat you. You may take some time to learn about the new tools and the strategy needed, you may lose and try again, until you make it and climb up one more level, and so on. With every level, you gain more skills, and know more tricks that would help you in the coming one. Until you finish all the levels, one by one, and climb up to the end of the game, only then you are announced victorious.


Our lives in this world of ours are so similar to this gaming zone. "Does mankind reckon that they will be left to say, "We believe" and will not be tempted?, And indeed We already tempted the ones that were even before them, so indeed Allah definitely knows the ones who (act) sincerely, and indeed Allah definitely knows the liars. (TMQ: Al-"Ankaboot: 29: 2-3) Believers are constantly being tested; each test having its tools and its strategy. You can find yourself bewildered not knowing where to go, until ALLAAH (AWJ) directs you to your tools. Each trial has a goal at the end; to take you one level higher, to bring you one step closer to Allah's contentment. Your trials, no matter how different they may seem, no matter how long or short, no matter how frequent, no matter how strange their tools are, were chosen to you by your LORD ( SWT) to see whether you will be thankful, patient, and worthy, or not.


Once you pass a trial successfully, do not expect that your test is over. You were being prepared to a more solemn one; the next level is yet to start. Your chance to climb up one more step towards your LORD ( TWT) is being given to you. Be ready for your next level, aim high, and keep your eyes focused on your ultimate goal. Do not allow your enemy to distract you or defeat you. Try and err, until you succeed in your current level, until you master it and be ready for the coming one with more skills and more tricks. Your life will go on, from one trial to the other, climbing up and up again, until you reach the ultimate top, Jannah, only then you are announced victorious.


"Or (even) did you reckon that you would enter the Garden and Allah does not as yet know (i.e., has not yet proved, tested) who of you have striven, and that He may know the patient?" (TMQ: Aal "Imraan: 3: 142)

Now it is really strange how we very eagerly try our best at computer games and ask for more challenges and yearn for higher levels after being so content at our achievment at one level. We are that enthusiastic when the challenge is virtual and success, achievement and ascent are false. On the other hand in real life when the challenge is realistic and the success, achievement and ascent are true and eternal while failure is very deterimental and jeopordizes our true life indefinitely, we give up easily and sometimes even don't care to take the challenge!

May ALLAAH (SWT) help us all with our struggles and our trials. May our journey be one of successful level, and may we all reach our ultimate goal.

{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.

{Quick Reflections 9} Way of Life

I witnessed the following event more than a month ago. It is a discussion between a 50 year old Western nurse (N) who is single and a 30 years old Eastern Muslim physician (A) who had recently got engaged.

N: How come you got engaged so fast, you never told us you had a girl friend!!
A: I never had a girl friend, I was just introduced to this young lady and after talking to her for around a month we decided we suite each other for marriage.
N: !!!
A: What is wrong?!
N: Is that an arranged marriage?
A: No, no. Both of us had the total freedom of choice.
N (really amazed): How can you judge that and take such a decision in such a short time and with minimal interaction!! I have been dating (which in the West is like a full marital relationship) my boy friend for 2 years now and I am still not sure if he suites me in marriage or not. (Prior to him she had another boy friend with whom she had a relationship for more than 10 years but they never got married!!!)
A (really amazed): !!!

The conversation was over and both parties thought the other one was absolutely crazy.
A was thinking how someone can literally live with another one for 2 years and not know if they are compatible or not.
N was thinking how someone can talk to and observe another one for 1 month and decide that they are compatible.

Now I was left bewildered after that conversation thinking there is a major missing link here. After more than half an hour of confusion I realized a basic and crucial fact that i have been taking for granted all my life.

As Muslims we have the Qur'aan and Sunnah that provide us with the "ideal standards" for every single detail for our "way of life". We have a scale and a reference point against which we can measure each human behavior and attitude and hence be able to pinpoint where each of us stands in this life. This makes our lives much easier and less confusing.

On the other hand non-Muslims have no such clear cut "standards" to refer to when evaluating where any other human stands and whether he/she is compatible with them or not. That makes them confused and unable to see clearly or judge easily.

Similarly Muslims who disregard that Divine guide gifted to them by their Creator Who knows them best and knows what suites them and what doesn't, suffer from the same social diseases the West suffers from.

I love the following example which will be very clear to engineers:
When navigating in space or the sky there is the x:y:z coordinate point of 0:0:0 to which everything is refered. This way one moves around freely in space but can recognize one's and other's exact position and x:y:z coordinates by referring to point 0:0:0.

On the other hand when you do not have an x:y:z reference system you end up lost in space with inability to determine your and the other's exact position due to lack of a logical constant and reference system.

However, such an important and crucial fact that Muslims take for granted is not realized by most non-Muslims and even Muslims. I believe that this is the main reason behind the lack of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. When one wants to preach Islaam, one must use terms that others would understand. We should focus in our da`wah (call for ALLAAH's path) on the following main themes:

1. Islaam is a way of life in which there are ideal standards put forward for Muslims to do their best to reach. This is the main frame we should use when talking about Islaam instead of indulging into details that confuse both parties. First we lay down the foundation that it is a whole way of life rather than some scattered rituals and orders.
2. Islaam is also a belief in the Oneness of ALLAAH.
3. Both the belief and way of life are inseperable.

Below is part of a discussion that we have been through 3 months ago regarding the issue of "deen" and "diyanah".

1. An available translation of the Qur'aan translates aayah (verse) 19 in Soorat Aala `Imraan as, "Surely the religion in the Providence of Allah is Islam" (TMQ,3:19) The word that "religion" here translates is originally in Arabic "deen". So it is "deen" that we are talking about here; the meaning of which goes beyond "religion" per se. The question that follows then is what "deen" is. In al-Mu`jam al-Muheet (a reference for Arabic lexicon)it means "anything that refers to a habit".
2. On the other hand the word "diyaanah" (the Arabic reciprocal for "religion") in al-Mu'jam al-Ghaniyy (another reference for Arabic lexicon) it means "a doctrine or religion that one believes in".
3. Accordingly there is a big difference between "deen" and "diyaanah". For a "diyaanah" there can be Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and so on because it is something concerning an individual's belief. On the other hand, Islaam is distinctive in that it constitutes a "way of life" or a "habit" and thus it is the only "Deen" in addition to being a belief in itself.
4. Now when we translate from Arabic, a most beautiful and comprehensive language, to any other language we will face a lot of problems due to the possible deficiency in the receptive language. Accordingly, we have to agree on a very important concept before translating any "word" from Arabic to English or any other language. We are translating "meanings" and "concepts" and not merely "words". Accordingly in many instances we will need to use "phrases" rather than single words to convey the intended "meanings".
5. Based on the above facts we can conclude that in order to convey both Arabic meanings when talking about Islaam, that it is both a "religion" and a "way of life" at the same time, we should opt for using the expression "Islaam the religion and way of life".