Peace Be With You

السلام عليكم

At the break of Fajr bil Jumu’ah, a Hijabi friend received devastating news at work just as she ended her shift. The news was dropped like a bomb in a form of a Discontinuance Letter. With her teary eyes staring at oblivion, she found herself lost and dumbfounded. She consulted several people in the company with the hope of being enlightened. All the more, the buck passing left more questions than brought answers.

She cried on her way home clueless of what else she’s supposed to do. Pieces of advice encouraging her to pursue filing for appeal almost convinced her that it may give her the answers she needs. Until reaching the comforts of her home where her Muslim husband awaits, she heard an advice that was completely on the contrary to what everybody else had said.

After a couple of ours of contemplating, she found the best advice that calmed her: take it as it is. Since no one from the departments involved claimed accountability for the decision and no one influential enough stepped forward to stand as her advocate, maybe it was the best advice. But more than that, I saw the Islamic rationale behind it.

When I was reading through Islamic books and leaflets before I embraced Islam, I was touched by the gentleness of Islamic teachings. This story of a friend drove a throwback. In the name of Ar Rahman Ar Raheem I may not be able to remember and relate exact words that had touched me. But In Shaa Allah, this enlightens us all.

I remember passages that described the Islamic way of responding to aggression. I learned that instead of simply retaliating even in the midst of humiliation and insult, the best way through it is to remember Allah taala and that everything in this world and beyond it already has his fate written out for him. We are just living our destiny. Everything that may happen along our journey must humble us to remember Allah (SWT). Another friend who heard this from me raised a concern citing the unjust decision over my Hijabi friend’s plight needs to be resolved by appealing to be granted due process. I got her point. But I cited passages from the Qur’an to show another way to look at the situation.

Since it was a Friday, the closest that I related the situation to is teachings that I learned from Surat Al Kahf (The Cave).  When Moses came across a Servant of Allah taala, he asked him to teach him the “sound judgement” that he was Granted with. And the servant  said that:

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?” (Surah Al Kahf 18:68)

I learned that clearly from my friend’s incident. At this point, we would all think that perhaps it is for this reason that we gather more information about something by researching about it. However, clearly on the issue, passing the buck was the name of the game. What answers do you think you could gather from the higher ups? My other friend says that at least, a strong appeal would leave an impact that will drive popular clamor to advocate due process. I continued by citing another passage still about Moses and Al Khidr that on their journey:

[Moses] said, “You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order.” He said, “Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention.” So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidhr tore it open. [Moses] said, “Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing.” [Al-Khidh r] said, “Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?” [Moses] said, “Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty.” So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him. [Moses] said, “Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing.” [Al-Khidh r] said, “Did I not tell you that with me you would never be able to have patience?” [Moses] said, “If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse.” So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored it. [Moses] said, “If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment.” [Al-Khidh r] said, “This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience. A for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force. And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.” [Surah Al Kahf 18:69-82]

Having mentioned this, I further explained that for whatever things that may happen that I do not have control of and for other things that have greatly affected me, I have a Bigger God than all the things that I could not completely understand and that I could not seem to bear.  So why should I dwell in despair? There is a nobler reason for things that Only Allah Knows. Allah Knows Best.

This time, my friend who was firm on avenging for my other friend asked why it was so easy for me to just say this and look at things this way when I myself have gone through more difficult times. I simply replied that when you have found The Truth, it brings this unexplainable peace in your heart. Being a Muslim means submission to Allah taala. So if you do submit to Allah, then what else should you worry about? As humans, we could only do so much to avenge ourselves against what oppresses us. But Allah [Subhanallah Wa Taala] can do unimaginable things more than what we can actually do for ourselves.  Besides, He is the reason why and how things happen.

That was one of the most beautiful Fridays that has passed. In shaa Allah, my friends will be enlightened and guided to the Straight Path. This is the essence of the greetings of Peace – As Salamu Alaikum. Peace be with you in your hearts In Shaa Allah.

The one who can bow down in prayer can stand up to anything.