People will always try
to influence you with their own ideas and understandings of how things ‘really
are’, how things ‘aught to be’ and – of course – how you ‘should be’ living
your life. Not only through their words; even through their very being. You pick
up vibes from them. This is inevitable.
Sometimes it feels
that no one wants you to shine your light. No one wants you to tread your path.
No one wants you to sing your song. It feels as if everyone wants you to be
something or someone for them. No one wants to leave you to be yourself.
I know that some who
read this will label me as a ‘pluralist’ and as being ‘Westernized’. But you
know what? That’s OK.
But I want you to know
why. I want you to know why it is OK for people to think they understand you
when in reality they don’t have a clue about who you really are.
People often say that
this world is a test. And I guess that is kind of true. Until recently,
whenever someone said this I would get annoyed. Because I thought of exams at
school and how I hated them. So Allah, Who is supposed to be my closest friend,
is in reality just a teacher who wants to ‘test me’ to He can ‘find out’ how
good I am? Thank you for ‘showing me the light’ and bursting my bubble – I was
obviously in some kind of dream world where concepts such as love, intimacy,
trust and light actually existed! Lol.
I had to withdraw from
people for a while to do some soul searching. I knew the answers wouldn’t come
from them… they would come from within me.
Now I believe that
yes, the world is indeed a place of being tested. But not the way it is usually
made out to be. You see, a ‘test’ is not like a school exam that you sit so
your teachers can see if you have studied. A ‘test’ is, in reality, a means for
you to go higher, to become more perfect, to take the next step on your
journey. It is Allah reaching out to you and saying ‘Come closer to Me’. And it
is Allah Who gives the tests in this world, not people. Everyone’s journey is
different. Because Allah knows you better than anyone else. He puts you in
situations that are perfect for you at whatever stage of your life you are at,
for you to gain nearness to Him.
And, funnily enough,
one way in which Allah ‘tests’ you is through other people!
Allah says in the
Qur’an:
“And We made some of
you to be a test for others: Will you be patient? And your Lord is
Ever-Seeing!” (25:20)
Wow. Isn’t that
amazing?!
A point to mention
here is that ‘patience’ does not mean putting up with suffering. ‘Patience’ is
that light within you that says ‘keep going’. It is like a mountain climber
trying to reach the summit of a mountain. On his way he faces obstacles. Some
of these obstacles are outside of him – wind, wolves, thieves – and others are
within himself: fear, uncertainty, lack of belief. That force that tells him to
keep going and gets him to the top of the mountain: that is called ‘Patience’.
Now let’s look at the
verse again:
“And We made some of
you to be a test for others: Will you be patient?”
What do you think?
And remember that
while it is true that people usually want you for themselves, there is one
friend who wants you for your own self:
“And your Lord is
Ever-Seeing”
This is an example
that some of my closest friends have given me, and it’s something that really
helps me:
There is a bird
perched on the branch of a tree. It is singing. A person comes along and begins
shouting at the bird: ‘ Be quiet! Stop making such a racket! You think you can
sing? Huh, you’re voice sucks! You’re a loser! You’re stupid!’
The bird keeps
singing.
After the person
leaves, another person comes along and stands beneath the tree. They speak to
the bird, saying: ‘Wow, what a beautiful voice you have! I could listen to you
all day long! You are the sweetest little bird I’ve ever seen!’
The bird keeps
singing.
Remember the verse?
Both people were a ‘test’ for the bird. Because, as the bird kept singing
through curses and praises, it became more determined, stronger on it’s own
path, and ever-more indifferent to what others think of it’s song.
Brothers and sisters.
Be that bird.
Keep on shining your
light. Keep on singing your song. Keep on treading your path.
“And surely the one
who travels to You is close to his destination”
-Imam Al Sajjad (a),
Du’a Abi Hamza Al Thumali
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