Peace, one and all…
My eldest daughter Sakinah recently celebrated her sixth birthday and so yesterday she had a small party in our home. Her friends came to visit,. They played party games, ate jelly and ice cream and generally had a good time. All in all, a day of fun and laughter for my daughter. Allah!
As her father, my task was one of service. I ran errands, picked up some of her friends, poured out cups of fizzy pop and tidied up the rubbish at the end of the day. Al hamdu lillah in every condition and state. I was happy to act in this way. After all, what wouldn’t we do for our children? It was my honour to serve my daughter and her guests. It was our pleasure to open our home to my daughter’s friends, as well as to assorted parents and other visitors. I really enjoy having a full house, and so it was a double blessing for us. Allah!
My sister-in-law came from Birmingham with a friend of hers from university. Other friends came from nearby (but were, of course, no less welcome). One of the elders of the local (small) Muslim community came to visit too. It was a pleasure to welcome aunty Rashida into our home once again. Al hamdu lillah for the blessing of guests.
Earlier on in the day, I went to the local supermarket to buy provisions for the day’s festivities. The shop was extremely busy and so my task of buying fizzy drinks and such things, was a very trying affair. As my wife will testify, I try my level best to avoid supermarkets on saturdays. But, on this particular occasion, I found myself having to dodge obstacles of all kinds: trolleys, small children and all the accoutrements of a busy store. As I was saying thank you to someone who let me pass in front of them, I was struck by a sudden thought:
‘This path is simply learning to say thank you and mean it‘!
This struck me as so profound that I spent the whole day reflecting on it, in one form or another. I have so much to be grateful for, so much for which I should simply say ‘thank you’. Love is thus a way of beginning to say to God ‘thank you’, whilst realising that this is impossible in the full sense. Gratitude is therefore a deeply humbling experience!
And praise be to God that it should be so!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
