The drawback of having too much fun - work piles up sky high!
I still managed to squeeze a book in between catching up with work during the day and nightly dinner outings with my sweetheart.
TGIF!
Anyway, this book was brought to my attention after seeing it on Chedd’s blog (here) but it was Kak Ruby’s blog (here) that made me seek out the book. I mean, since she appreciates Sean Ghazi as I do, I'm sure we share some mutual taste.
Some of the situations she faced were what I faced myself. The thoughts that were running through her mind were those that ran through mine when those situations happened to me.
There were also certain things Dina wrote about I did not even know were happening right here in KL, right outside my window. Truly shocking! I have indeed been living a sheltered life. And to a certain extend, I’m glad that I have, cos God knows what these things might have done to me mentally and emotionally.
The things Dina did in order to fully appreciate being a Muslim, some were quite impressive and some were "what the hell do you think you're doing?!" situations. She really did put herself out there.
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A passage from the book reads,
"If God has preordained our fate, then is there any point in hoping?"
Whoa!
That felt like reading my thoughts but written by someone else.
That statement struck a chord with me the moment I read it and stayed with me.
It is actually a question that I’ve been asking myself from time to time.
What is the point of hoping and praying when everything is preordained by God and God knows best right?
In the book, it then went on to mention that we can change our destiny if we pray and work on changing it.
Now the thing with praying and hoping and wanting things to change, it is normally, typically, to make better something that is not going right. In other words, it is about asking to change something bad to something good. I mean, you wouldn’t pray and hope for a change if you were rich and happy would you?
Now, what if this something good that you think is good for you is really not?!
The book mentioned that say you get cancer. Then you should not just do nothing since you think it is preordained. You should pray and seek treatment to fight the illness.
Ok, so, let’s say you do have cancer. And you prayed and prayed and hoped to get better and you go for every treatment there was. Then you prayed some more, hoping that the treatments will work.
After all that praying and hoping and putting all that effort, you do get better, the cancer is gone and you get to live.
But what if with life - it filled with challenges - you find that you feel empty, depressed, alone and heartbroken, because in the pursuit to get better during your sickness, you used up all your savings and owe money from almost everyone you know who are now hounding you and the partner that you thought will stick by you, left you after realizing that you were not the person for him?
So is your life now - being financially rundown and without a partner - also preordained? Or was it your own doing since you prayed to be healed from your illness and healed you did?
Would you not think that if you have let cancer take you, then you would not have to face all this?
But you tell yourself that allowing cancer take you would have been a weak person’s decision. That you must have faith.
So you prayed some more that you will get a raise soon and find someone else to share your life with. And with prayers and hard work, you do get a raise and also found someone.
You think you have hit jackpot.
But with the raise comes more expectations and you have to put in more hours at work and that is putting a strain on your relationship. You are torn between the two – to financially better yourself and trying to keep your partner happy.
Did you not prayed hard and worked hard to get financially better and to find a partner?
Would you not think again, that if you have let the cancer take you, then you will not have to face this emotional turmoil?
Is having these problems one after another, your preordained life? That after praying for things to get better, it does for a while but ultimately gets bad again?
So should you have prayed for things to get better in the first place?
Or have you messed up what was originally preordained to you by praying for a change - by praying and hoping for something better?
Faith - it's a funny thing...
8 comments:
Such a provoking thought this faith sometimes. It can be quite testing at times not knowing what lies ahead and what is preordained by God but we are also taught to be redha (accepting in a submissive way) of what is already pre-written for each of us.
Funny u have brought this up, as I also see God as the closest confidant. As in I talk to him but with the utmost respect and ask about things or hoping that He would guide me into the right path, right choice and so on. Some of the unresolved things i asked him when i felt so low was whether i was doomed to live alone. Yet, i counter my anguish by asking him if its possible to arrange a meeting with someone who is the best for me and i am the best for him. He, the ever knowing, the ever listening, has shown me so many miracles in life which can be a really eye-opener.
Anyways, i have read rave of reviews on that book. If it struck a chord with u, the writer has done a good job on relaying her thoughts to us readers.
Hi Manal,
Faith is such a tricky subject to discuss, difficult to measure and very obscure.
Some people's life seem so straightforward while others have a much more challenging time that their faith are constantly tested.
We just do the best that we can.
Thanks for dropping by Manal.
Hi Linda, A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.
Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel.
Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive.
When I was young I thought having faith I will get what I want in life, how wrong I was...faith arrived only when I took that step forward myself.
I have gone thru a lot in my life and sometimes even when I take two steps, faith seems to have deserted me, but I still have faith and my sense of humour to pull me along.
You keep well, Linda, Lee.
Hi Lee.
Yes, having faith is one thing and yes, we have to work on changing anything in life.
Actually, we have to work on having faith too!
"Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive".
I love what you said here and I totally agree. Having faith that things will get better will make us think of ways and means to improve ourselves.
If everything goes well in the end, it's easy to see the funny side of life but there are some who are unfortunate enough to never have things go their way no matter how much they have faith and worked hard. I'm sure for them humour is not that easy to come by.
It's quite an overcast Sunday here thus not too hot, just the way I like it. Hope it'll start to drizzle soon.
You have a good Sunday Lee and it was nice of you dropping by.
i enjoyed reading it ... twice!
Hi Chedd,
Nice seeing you here.
Yes, it was a good read and all thanks to you for bring it to my attention.
Thanks for dropping by Chedd.
Hope everything goes well for your next project!
Hi Hazlinda,
You've touched on a very very difficult and complicated topic here, FAITH!
It is everybody's struggle to understand faith. It is most difficult, as GOD is unseen. So faith is our challenge.
That is why the best deeds are the unseen deeds (when we do something and we don't seek for human praise but only God's, that is the highest deed indeed).
Since the best deeds are the unseen deeds that is why we must never be judgemental. We never know what the so called 'social scum' might have done?? Or what the so called 'dignified' person might have done?? Only GOD knows the truth.
The best person is a person who is on best behaviour even alone within the confines of 4 walls unseen by others but he knows God knows.
I believe our destiny is part ordained and part within the choices God has placed infront of us. We are given choices. That is why our fate can be changed with effort and prayers (belief). But effort must be made no matter what for anything to change! Prayers per se alone won't do it (I stand corrected).
Just like that hadith: 'Tie your camel first, then bertawakkal (rely on God)'. Some people are of the opinion that you just leave the camel untied and God will take care of it. No, that is not the way.
I believe to put in our best effort, the best we can for any circumstance we're in, is mandatory! No two ways about it. BUT I also feel, after we have done our best, we have to leave the outcome to GOD.
We can plan (effort and prayers) but GOD decides.
When we are faced with the next outcome, here we go again, we have to put in our best effort again. That's the way I have learnt how life is. Challenges only stop with our last dying breath.
I have learnt each and everyone of us was born for a purpose and by doing our best (best involves a lot of self sacrifices and here is where most fail. Yes, it is not at all easy) moment to moment will in fact enhance our purpose.
As I type this, I myself palpitate in fear, for I know it has not been easy for all the challenges that I have been faced with. It is always easier said than done. Even though I understand it the way I have described above (within my own limited knowledge that is) I think I have failed many times when it comes to putting in our best effort when faced with predicament! Sigh!
I believe, it could well be a wrong move by us now and then, but as long as we are genuine and earnest about our intentions, GOD is always forgiving.
GOD knows every time when we meant well or otherwise. Mistakes are not the issue. Being sincere is the issue!
Faith certainly is a funny thing! BUT GOD is oft FORGIVING! We just try our best.
Thank you for the mention and kind words.
Hazlinda, never stop pondering and never stop asking. If you're sincere about your faith, GOD is always close and HE will deliver answers to you in ways you never expected. Just be true and believe in HIM.
Hi Kak Ruby,
Nice of you to drop by.
I love discussing about ambiguous matters like these – difficult to explain, difficult to detect, difficult, in general. Keeps the mind active! And it draws experiences from life.
Faith, destiny – something that we cannot fully understand and yet things that govern our daily life without us knowing.
I don’t mean to be cynical but I see faith as something that can either drive you or something that can make you complacent.
With unwavering faith, we put our utmost efforts and prayers, the best that we can, with hopes that we’ll be rewarded in this world or the next.
At the same time, some have faith that the conditions they are in are the best for them and are happy with what they have as it is.
What drives us to improve ourselves if we have faith that whatever God has given us at this moment is what is best for us?
Are we then motivated by our nafsu (nafs), our needs and wants? Are those the drive that tests our faith?
Also, somehow the challenges get bigger and harder as God answers our prayers. So why is it that we keep doing this to ourselves – keep on asking for better things knowing the fact that the challenges that come our way with the answered prayers get more and more difficult?
We have faith in what we believe in and in the decisions we make everyday. I think it is a true test of faith when those who matter to you doubt your decisions and doubt your faith.
And yes Kak Ruby, we all just do the best that we can.
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