Doing little jobs does not belittle a person

Doing little jobs does not belittle a person

1987 2 February 24 Doing little jobs does not belittle a person (75) The caliph, ‘Umer Ibn ‘Abdul Aziz was talking to a person late one night. The lamp started to go out. “I will wake up the servant. He will put oil in it,” the man said. ‘Umer told him not to do so. He himself arose, fetched oil and put it in the lamp. “I was ‘Umer Ibn ‘Abdul Aziz before I performed this little task,” he said, “and I still am ‘Umer Ibn ‘Abdul Aziz.

How to speak in a gathering

1987 2 February 24 How to speak in a gathering (68) Ali says that when the Prophet was addressing a gathering, people would bow their heads as if there were birds sitting on top of them. Only when he had finished speaking would others say anything. People would not dispute with one another in his presence. When one person was speaking, the others would keep quiet until he had finished. Everyone was given an equal hearing in his gathering.

The Question of Eternity

1987 2 February 24 The Question of Eternity (229) God created man as an eternal being. Then, out of his life span, He assigned about one hundred years as the period he would spend in the present world, and the remaining years He reserved for the next world, the one after death. It is, therefore, the supremely wise man who keeps in mind the eternal nature of his existence and who patterns his living accordingly. His life, in short, should be Akhirat-oriented.

In the words of a Western writer:

It is a question for us now to consider whether we have any personal relations towards the Supreme Power; whether there exists another world in which we shall be requited according to our actions. Not only is this a grand problem of philosophy; it is of all questions the most practical for us, the one in which our interests are most vitally concerned. This life is short, and its pleasures’ are poor; when we have obtained what we desire it is nearly time to die. If it can be shown that by living in a certain manner, eternal happiness may be obtained, then clearly no one except a fool or a mad man will refuse to live in such a manner (The Martyrdom of Man London Watts & Co. 1948 Win-wood Reade p.414).

How vital is the question of eternal life, but what utter disregard man shows for it!