Our Home is the Same

There was a king who decided to take a tour of his country. As he passed by different places, everyone rushed to see him. However, while passing by a certain place, he noticed a poor old man who did not pay any attention to the king's arrival and remained engaged in his own activities. The king went up to this poor man and asked why he did not join the people to see him. The poor man replied, "Before you, there was another king who once passed by this place. Everyone gathered to see him as well. But, few days later he died and was buried in a place nearby. A poor man also died during that time and was buried near the king's grave. After some time, a strong flood passed through that area causing those graves to overturn. As a result, the bones of the poor man became mixed up with those of the king's. We could not differentiate between them any longer. After seeing this, it does not matter to me anymore as to who is a king and who is a beggar. In the end, our home is the same.”

Hadith of the Day - November 12th, 2008

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, 'Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads." They (the people) said, "O Allah s Apostle! We can't help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) here we have talks." The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, ' lf you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right ' They said, "What is the right of the road, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, 'Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil." [Bukhari]


From this Hadith we learn the rights of the roads, which is to lower our gaze as we travel on them (or whatever else it is that we do on roads), greet others when we meet them, refraining from harming or causing discomfort to others who also share the same roads as us, and our basic duties as Muslims: to enjoin good and forbid evil. Once again, this is another fragment of the beauty of Islam in relation to carrying ourselves in the best of manners, regardless of where we are and what we're doing, or who we're interacting with.

A Lesson from Disabled People

Once, a visitor was being shown around a leper colony in India. The colony was built to provide a shelter for those people who were poor and had various physical disabilities. At noon a gong (a metal disk that produces a sound when hit with a hammer) sounded to gather the inhabitants for the midday meal. People came from all parts of the compound to the dining hall. Suddenly, everyone started laughing at seeing two young men, one riding on the other’s back, pretending to be a horse and a rider. They were having lots of fun. As the visitor watched, he was told that the man who carried his friend was blind, and the man being carried was lame (who couldn’t walk). The one who couldn’t see used his feet; the one who couldn’t walk used his eyes. Together they helped each other and reached their destination.

Let us use each other’s strengths to make up for the weaknesses of others. Our strength is in unity, not in division.

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Hadith of the Day - November 4th, 2008

Abu Musa Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I called on the Prophet (PBUH) with two of my cousins. One of them said to him: "O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), appoint me governor of some land over which Allah has given you authority.'' The other also requested for something of the same nature. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By Allah we do not appoint someone to this post who seeks it or someone who contends for it.'' - [Bukhari and Muslim]


Commentary: A person pushing himself up for an office should be deprived of it. Ambitious persons usually manage to get a high office for self-aggrandizement, damaging the interests of other people. A government should primarily aim at the welfare of people and not serve the interests of the privileged few or benefit the holders of key posts alone.
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Of course, that's not how it works anymore...but that's the Islamic rule on appointing leaders. So, if you ever make any leadership decisions in the future, whether it be small scale or something more important, remember the principle of not appointing someone who desires that position of leadership. And also remember that you yourself should not desire a position of leadership. If you are appointed as a leader, and you are willing to assume the responsibility that comes with that position, then Insha'Allah you will be able to lead justly with Allah's help. As Muslims, we should appoint our leaders based on their qualifications, character, fairness, and ability in relation to the position, and we should do this appointing by decisions made in Shura (consultation). If the world would follow the Islamic principles of leadership, then no doubt this world would be a better place.