Sunday, May 18, 2008

Pearls and Gem from Surah Al Shuara [ Letter 26 :Verses 86 to 89 ]

Friends ,

Surah Al Shuara ,one of the longer Surah in the Quran containing altogether 227 verses ,in the main recollect the epic stories around Moses and Abraham. Abraham 's father a corporate guy of that time ,chief idol maker in a society not much probably different from that of Bali , Indonesia now ,where prayers and offerings form a major part of their lives .If one care to ask one of those prettily dressed ladies of Bali why she is doing this and that and spending a significant sum of their meagre income on flowers for the gods the answer will be simple :Our fathers and forefathers and their forefathers used to do this .

Abraham's devotion and love to his errant father is exemplified in the following verses .To me this also reflects a tragedy in our lives :there will come a time when we will be separated from our loved ones on the basis of our Din and aqidah ,

'And forgive my father .Lo ! he is of those who err [86].And Abase me not on the day when they are raised ,[87] The day when wealth and sons avail not [any man] [88]. Save him who bringeth unto Allah a whole heart [89].'

The key phrase here I think is 'Save him who bringeth unto Allah his whole heart ' .The question we need to ask ourselves is :Are we already there or are we just like that prettily clad Balinese ladies happily going through life bathe in ignorance and complacence .

Dr Nik Howk


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