Two Return, One Remains (2)

'The third companion,' the penguin went on. 'The deeds of a person. This companion would stay, to follow one into the grave. The deeds enter the grave with the deceased, and stay with him in in the grave, and when he is resurrected, and while he is waiting on the Day of Judgment, and on the al-Sirat, and at the scales. By one’s deeds, a person’s level in Heaven or Hell will be decided.

A good deed is a preparation for its companion in the grave, for a person will not have in his grave a bed, nor a pillow or furniture. Rather every person will have his deeds as his bed and pillow, whether they are good or evil deeds.

So, the intelligent person is the one who prepares his home that he will live in forever. Even if he were to prepare his eternal home by destroying his worldly home that he will shortly leave, he would still be profitable.

Some of the Salaf said, 'Work for this life in relation to how long you will stay in it, and work for the next life in relation to how long you will stay in it,’ Others said, ‘The son of Adam has two homes, a home on the earth, and a home under the earth. So he went to the home on the earth and decorated and beautified it, and made many doors in it on the right and left, and made it comfortable for the winter and summer. Then he went to the home that is under the earth and destroyed it! So if he is asked, 'How long will you stay in the house that you perfected?' He would say, 'I do not know.' But if he was asked, 'How long will you stay in the home that you destroyed?' He woud say, 'Forever!' 'You admit this, and you claim to be a person with intellect and understanding!?’

Al-Bara’ Ibn ‘Azib said, 'We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for the funeral of a man from among the Ansar. We came to the grave and when the deceased was placed in the grave, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat down and we sat around him, as if there were birds on our heads [i.e. very quiet and still]. He (ﷺ) had a stick in his hand, with which he was scratching the ground. Then he (ﷺ) raised his head and said, ‘Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of thegrave!’ two or three times.

Then he (ﷺ) said, 'When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven, angels, with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, 'O good soul, come forth to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.' Then it comes out easily like a drop of water from the mouth of a water skin. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a fragrance like the finest musk on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, 'Who is this good soul?' and they say, 'It is So and so the son of So and so,' calling him by the best names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is opened, and the soul is welcomed and accompanied to the next heaven by those who are closest to Allah, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah says, 'Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyun in the seventh heaven, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it, I will bring them forth once again.' So his soul is returned to his body.

Then two angels come to him and make him sit up. They ask him, 'Who is your Rabb?' He says, 'Allah.' They ask, 'What is your religion?' He says, 'My religion is Islam.' They ask, 'Who is this man who was sent among you?' He says, 'He is the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)' They ask, 'What did you do?' He says, 'I read the Book of Allah and I believed in it.' Then a voice calls out from heaven, 'My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.'

Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, 'Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.' He says, 'Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.' He says, 'I am your righteous deeds.' He says, 'O my Rabb, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.'

But when the disbelieving slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with black faces, bringing sackcloth, arid they sit around him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, 'O evil soul, come forth to the wrath of Allah and His anger.'

At hearing this, his soul disperses itself inside his body. The Angel of Death orders the soul to come out. So the soul is unwillingly torn from the body cutting the veins and nerves, like a skewer passing through wet wool. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they snatch it and put it in the sackcloth, and there comes from it, the foulest stench like the worst smell that has ever come from a rotten corpse. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels except they say to it, 'Who is this evil soul?' and they say, 'It is So and so the son of So and so,' calling him by the worst names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is not opened.’

Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited,

لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ اَبْوَابُ السَّمَاۤءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُوْنَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتّٰى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِيْ سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ

'... nor shall they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle....' [QS. Al-A'raf (7):40]

He (ﷺ) said, 'Then Allah says, 'Record the book of My slave in Sijjinin the lowest earth, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.' So his soul is cast down.’

Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse,

وَمَنْ يُّشْرِكْ بِاللّٰهِ فَكَاَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاۤءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ اَوْ تَهْوِيْ بِهِ الرِّيْحُ فِيْ مَكَانٍ سَحِيْقٍ

'... And he who associates with Allah - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.' [QS. Al-Hajj (22):31]

He (ﷺ) said, 'Then his soul is returned to his body. Then two angels come to him and make him sit up. They ask him, 'Who is your Rabb?' He says, 'Alas, alas! I do not know.' They ask him, ‘What is your religion?' He says, 'Alas, alas! I do not know.' Then a voice calls out from heaven, 'Prepare for him a bed from Hell and clothe him from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.'

Then there comes to him some of its heat and hot winds, and his grave is constricted and compresses him until his ribs interlock. Then there comes to him a man with an ugly face and ugly clothes, and a foul stench, who says, 'Receive the bad news, this is the day that you were promised.' He says, 'Who are you? Your face is a face which brings disastrous news.' He says, 'I am your evil deeds.' He says, 'O my Rabb, do not let the Hour come, do not let the Hour come.' [Sunan Abi Dawud; Sahih according to Al-Albani]

The righteous deeds of a believer, come to him in his grave in the best form, and give him glad tidings of happiness from Allah, while the disbeliever will be granted the opposite.

The righteous deeds of a believer surround him in his grave, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, he (the dead person) hears the sounds of their shoes when they walk away from his grave. If he was a believer, his prayers would be near his head, and his zakat would be on his right, and his fasting on his left, and his righteous deeds and goodness towards people would be at his feet. He would be attacked from the direction of his head, but the prayer would say, ‘You cannot enter from my direction.'

Then the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the rest of the deeds would also say the same. He then said about the disbeliever, 'He would be attacked from all these directions, and nothing would be there to protect him, and he will sit there, terrified.' [HR Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim graded it as Sahih and Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him]

The first penguin stood up and exlaimed, 'O my brothers, turn down this dunya, for it has rejected those who were more enamored by it than you. Take heed from the lessons of those who were before you, before you become a lesson for those who will come after you. This life is intoxicating and enrapturing, and the indwelling chants of mankind’s nature inherendy support it, therefore the lightheadedness of those who drink from it becomes stronger, until the season of profit has passed them by. Thereafter they wake up from their unconsciousness only to prepare for punishment; the feelings of sorrow overwhelming them, though just the reality of all the good, they have missed of the hereafter is a sufficient lash upon them, a fact that they grasp only after death.

Woe to you; death is like clouds, and grey hair is its raindrops. Whoever reaches the age of seventy, would complain of pain even without reason, and so the sensible person is he who wakes up in fear, because he realises the nearness of death.

O you, this life is behind you, and ahead of you is the Hereafter; and to seek what is behind is a retreat and a defeat, whereas victory lies in advancing forward with strongwill.The flood of death has arrived so embark for safety onto the ships of righteousness and do not accompany the “Kan’an” of hope, for Kan'an is the son of Prophet Nuh, 'alayhi as-salam, who drowned in the flood as he hoped to survive if he just get on the top of a mountain.

Woe to you, pay heed and start benefiting yourself from your lifespan, for how long is an earthly creature to live in confusion?

Illnesses distress the bodies necessarily causing emaciation, and you appear as if you are in your grave, lying down on the bed of regret, while it is, by Allah, coarser than a rock. That said, plant good deeds during the spring of your life, before the onset of sterility afflicts the field that is your body, and amass good deeds in your period of capability, setting them aside before the time of weakness and incapability arrives.

Prepare your supplies before travelling so you do not suffer poverty during the journey where there is no food to consume. Beware, beware, of being in a state where you will be among those whom Allah said they will say on the Day of Judgment.

The wise and determined is he who acquires his provision of good deeds before the time of his return to his Rabb comes. The root of the tree of strongwill and firmness is wise and has perceptive thinking, its branches are seeking the advice over problematic issues, and its fruit is taking advantage of available opportunities, and the loss of opportunity in itself is sufficient cause of regret.'

[Part 3]

Bahasa

Two Return, One Remains (1)

 "At twilight," the Moon greeted after saying salaam. "I watched two penguins, on top of a rock, talking. When I was listening, one of them said, 'My brother, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), once said,

يَتْبَعُ الْمَيِّتَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَيَرْجِعُ اثْنَانِ وَيَبْقَى وَاحِدٌ يَتْبَعُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ فَيَرْجِعُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَيَبْقَى عَمَلُهُ

'Three things follow a deceased person. Two of them return and one remains. His family, his wealth, and his deeds follow him. His family and wealth return, but his deeds remain." [Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

In another report, our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'There is no person except that he has three companions. The first companion says, 'Whatever you spend is for you, and whatever you withhold is not for you’, and this is his wealth. The second says, ‘I am with you, but when you come to the door of the King (Allah), I will return and leave you’, and this is his family and nobility. The third says,‘1am with you wherever you enter, and wherever you go’, and this is his deeds.The person will say, ‘You were the one I gave the least consideration to from these three.' [HR Al-Hakim in his al-Mustadrak. Al-Hakim declared it sahlh and adh-DhahabI agreed with him]

The second penguin, asked, 'Tell me, more!' The first penguin continued, 'An explanation of this, is that, it is upon the son of Adam, to have a family that he lives with, and wealth that he supports himself with, and these two companions will leave him, and he will leave them.The inteligent person is the one who takes from these things enough to help him remember Allah, and what benefits him in the nextlife. So a person takes from wealth what helps him in reaching the next life, and takes a righteous wife to assist him in his faith.

As for the person who has taken his wealth and family that distracts him from Allah, then he will be a loser.

Al-Hakim in his al-Mustadrak recorded a hadith, 'O son of Adam, live as you want, for you will die. Love who you want, for you will leave him. Do what you want, for you will meet your actions. And be however you wish. And as you do, you will be recompensed.' [Sahih according to Al-Hakim and adh-Dhahabi]

Once the son of Adam dies and leaves this world, he will not benefit from his family and wealth at all, except for the supplication of his family and their asking forgiveness for him; and for the wealth that he sent forth in Allah’s cause (in charity).

If however, he left behind a family member who would pray for him, or some charity that he sent forth, then he will benefit from that. Our Beloved (ﷺ) said,

إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ

'When the human being dies, his deeds end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.' [Sahih Muslim]

A person’s family will not benefit the deceased after one’s death, except for a family member that asks forgiveness for deceased and supplicates for him, but they might not do so in reality. For sometimes, someone who is not related to the dead person, might be more beneficial for him than one’s own family, as some of the righteous have said, 'and who is like the righteous companion? While your family is busy dividing your inheritance, he sits alone in his sadness, supplicating for you while you are under the earth.'

Rather, some families are an enemy to the dead person, and some of them are distracted from the dead person being busy taking from one’s inheritance, as was said in some lines of poetry,

My relatives pass by my grave, as if they do not know me!

And those who receive my inheritance divide my wealth,

And they even dispute my debts

They take their shares and go on with life,

O Allah, how fast they forget me!

As for the second companion of a dead person, it is one’s wealth. It returns first and does not enter the grave. it will not accompany one in the grave, nor enter it with him. So, a person will not benefit at all from one’s wealth, except for that which he spent in a good cause, for he will find it later on and it will be included amongst the deeds that will accompany him in his grave. As for the wealth that a person leaves for his heirs, then in reality, it does not stay with him, and he was only temporarily holding that wealth for his heirs.

Our beloved (ﷺ) said,

يَقُولُ ابْنُ آدَمَ مَالِي مَالِي - قَالَ - وَهَلْ لَكَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ مِنْ مَالِكَ إِلاَّ مَا أَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ

'The son of Adam claims, 'My wealth, my wealth.' And he (ﷺ) said, 'O son of Adam, is there anything as your belonging except that which you consumed, which you utilised, or which you wore and then it was worn out or you gave as charity and sent it forward?' [Sahih Muslim]

So a person does not benefit from his wealth, except from what he puts forward for himself, and spends in the path of Allah. As for what he eats and wears, it is neither for him nor against him, unless he had a righteous intention. It was also said that he is rewarded for what he spends on food and clothing in all cases.

As for a person that spends money for sins, then this is against him and does not benefit him. Likewise for what he stingily kept and did not give the right of Allah regarding it. For this person, it will come in the form of a terrifying poisonous snake. It will follow him while he flees from it until it bites him. It will say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure!' He will put his hand out and it will bite it as a horse bites.

If the treasure is gold or silver, it will be made into plates, then heated up, and he will be branded by it on his brow, forehead, and side. 

A poetry states,

Do not store except taqwa,

for wealth cannot be stored,

Obey the order of our Rabb,

be on the straight path,

and take heed and consideration

So, whoever realises this, let him put forward of his wealth that which he loves. For if he puts it forward, it will be for him and he will benefit from it in the next life.

If he leaves his wealth behind, it will be for someone else, not for him. A man could be stingy in spending his wealth in the path of Allah, so he will see that wealth on the Day of Judgement in the scale of another person who spent it as charity. At that time, he will have great sorrow and regret, for this same wealth that entered his heir into Paradise was a cause for him to enter the Hellfire!

The intelligent person is the one who puts forward the wealth that he loves, so that he will find it in the next life. For the person who loves something keeps it close to himself, and does not leave it to others so that he will regret when the regret will be of no benefit to him.

One of the kings said to the known ascetic, Abu Hazim, 'Why do we hate death?' He replied, 'Because you revere this worldly life. You have put your wealth in front of your eyes, so you hate to part with it. If you put it forward for the next life, you would have loved to meet it!'

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala said,

لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتّٰى تُنْفِقُوْا مِمَّا تُحِبُّوْنَ ۗوَمَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِهٖ عَلِيْمٌ

'You will never attain virtue until you spend something you are fond of; while Allah is Aware of anything you may spend.' [QS. Ali 'Imran (3):92]

A poetry states,

You who have gathered wealth,

have you gathered days to spend it?

Wealth is only deposited with you for its inheritors,

wealth is only yours once you spend it (in the path of Allah)

Thus, whoever spends something today, will benefit from it tomorrow, and whoever does not spend, will come to find nothing, and he will have a great loss in the house of dwelling in the Hereafter.

A women, her hand was paralysed, entered upon the Mother of the Believers and most beloved wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), ‘A’ishah (radiyallahu 'anha), and she said, “O mother of the Believers, I went to sleep yesterday and my hand was healthy, and I woke up and it was paralysed. A’ishah said, 'How is that?' She said, 'I had wealthy parents, and my Father used to pay zakat, host guests, and give to beggars, and he did not see any good except that he would do it. As for my mother, she was stingy, and did nothing good with my Father’s wealth. Then my Father died, and my mother died only two months after him. So, I saw my Father in a dream last night, and he was wearing two yellow garments and in front of him was a flowing river. I said, 'Father, what is this?’ He said, 'Whoever does good in this life, will see it, this is what Allah has given me.'

I said, 'What has happened to my mother?' He asked, 'Your mother died?' I said, 'Yes.'

He said, 'She has been turned away from me, so look for her on your' So I turned to my left, and I saw mother standing naked, covering her lower half with a rag and in her hand was a piece of fat. She was calling out, 'My sadness, my thirst!' When she became tired, she would rub the fat with her hand and then lick it, while in front of her was a flowing river. I said, ‘O mother, why are you crying out of thirst, and there is a flowing river in front of you?’ She said, 'I'm not allowed to drink from it.’ I said, ‘Can I give you some of the water?’ She said, ‘I wish you would do that.’ So I filled my hand with water and let her drink, and when she swallowed it, I heard a voice on my right, ‘Whoever has given this woman water, may his hand be paralysed,’ and they repeated it twice. Then I awoke and my hand was paralysed, and I am not able to do anything with it.' A’ishah asked, ‘Did you recognise the rag she was wearing?’ I said, ‘Yes, O Mother of the Believers, it was exactly the same one I saw her wearing, for I had never seen my mother give anything as charity, except that one day, my Father slaughtered a bull. So a beggar came to ask for some, so my mother gave him a bone that had some fat on it. And I saw one day that a beggar asked her for charity, so she gave him that exact rag.’

‘A’ishah (radiyallahu 'anha) said, ‘Allah is the Most Great! Allah has told the truth, and the Messenger has delivered his message.

فَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَّرَهٗۚ وَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَّرَهٗ

'And whoever has done an atoms’ weight of good will see it; while whoever has done an atom's weight of evil will see it. And whoever has done an atoms’ weight of good will see it; while whoever has done an atom's weight of evil will see it.' [QS. Az-Zalzalah (99):7-8]

[This was narrated by Hafiz Abu Musa al-Madini with a good isnad]

Whoever goes on a journey without any provisions, will regret when he is need of his provisions, but this regret will not benefit him in the least, and perhaps he would even perish. So how about a person that takes the long and difficult journey to the Afterlife without any provisions?

A poetry states,

The sickness in my body increases,

and life is getting shorter and my sins are many.

How long is my journey,

and I have no provision!

[Part 2]

Bahasa

Great Cry and Little Wool

"The Monsoon has come and the dark clouds, sometimes, interfere my vision," the Moon reported after starting with a basmalah and greeting with a salaam. "Days ago, " the Moon extended, "I looked into a Land, called Bhumi Parvatam. There, ruled a king, named Prabhu Kanchil. It seemed, in the courtyard of the King, there will be a meeting with his Eunuchs, the Crows. Reportedly, one of the King's Eunuchs, would deliver his speech. All beasts were invited, from the minister of all affairs to the common beasts. The guests awaited the eunuch's speech, because, it was said, he was a representative of the young beasts. In their minds, surely, the speech, would be contained a concept of change, which was based on the latest data. Wow, it must be awesome.

The awaited time had arrived, the eunuch went up to the stage and delivered his speech. Unfortunately, hope was only a hope, the contents of his speech, exclusively flattered the King and ridicule his political opponents. While the Eunuch was delivering his speech, suddenly, a black cloud covered my vision.

Long waiting for the cloud to pass, the event was over when I regained my sight. All I saw was a few beasts passing by. Then, I turned my gaze to a coffee shop. Inside, I could still see a few beasts were talking while drinking a cup of coffee or chocolate, to warm themselves up. They were discussing the Eunuch's speech. One of the beasts asked, 'What do you think about the speech earlier?' Another beast replied, 'Would you like to hear a story?' The questioner replied, 'Sure, tell us!'

'One day, people noticed a Mountain in labor; smoke coming out of her summit, the earth quaking at their feet, trees crashing, and huge rocks tumbling. They felt sure something horrible was going to happen. They all gathered together to see what terrible thing this could be. They waited ... and waited ... but nothing came. Suddenly, there was a still more violent earthquake, and a huge gap appeared in the side of the Mountain. The people all fell down upon their knees and waited. At last, a teeny mouse poked its little head and bristles out of the gap and came running down towards them. Afterwards, the teeny mouse died, it was trampled by the people.'

''Great cry and little wool' is the English proverb,' the beast explained. 'The sense of which bears an exact proportion to this story. By which are exposed, all those who promise something exceeding great, but come off with a production ridiculously little. Projectors of all kinds, who endeavour bv artificial rumours to raise the expectations of mankind, and then, by their mean performances, defeat and disappoint them, have, time out of mind, been lashed with the recital of this story.

How agreeably surprising is it to see an unpromising favourite, whom the caprice of fortune has placed at the helm of state, serving the commonwealth with justice and integrity, instead of smothering and embezzling the public treasure to his own private and wicked ends! And, on the contrary, how melancholy, how dreadful, or rather, how exasperating and provoking a sight is it, to behold one whose constant declarations for liberty and the public good, have raised people’s expectations of him to the highest pitch, as soon as he is got into power, exerting his whole art and cunning to ruin and enslave his country! The sanguine hopes of all those that wished well to virtue, and flattered themselves with a reformation of every thing that opposed the well-being of the community, vanish away in smoke, and are lost in a dark, gloomy, uncomfortable prospect.'

Another responded, 'Projectors of all kinds, who endeavour by artful rumours, large promises, and vast preparations, to raise the expectations of mankind, and then by their mean performances disappoint them, have, time out of mind, been lashed with the recital of this Story. It should teach us to suspect those who promise very largely, and to examine cautiously what grounds they proceed upon, and whether their pretensions are not intended to render us their tools, or the dupes of their artifices.'

Other added, 'It likewise teaches us not to rely implicitly upon those constant declarations for liberty and the public good, which artful politicians use as stepping stones to power; but who having raised the people’s expectations to the highest pitch, and obtained their desire by the public enthusiasm, then turn their whole, art and cunning to embezzling the public treasure for their own private wicked ends, or to ruin and enslave their country; or at best but imitate the bad conduct of those whom they turned out by their clamour.'

Other chimed in, 'The story intimates, that the uncertain issue of all human undertakings should induce us not to make pompous boasts of ourselves, but to guard against promising any thing exceedingly great, for fear of coming off with a production ridiculously little. If we set out modestly, and perform more than we engaged to do, we shall find our fame grow upon us, and every unexpected addition we make to our plan will raise us more and more in the good opinion of the world; but if, on the contrary, we make ample professions of the greatness of our designs, and the excellence of our own abilities, it will too often happen, that instead of swelling our reputation, we shall only blow the trumpet to our shame.'

The questioner concluded, 'So, the eunuch, had indeed been castrated!' Another replied, 'Or, castrate himself!'

Everyone laughs and made melody,

Nyok, kite nonton ondel-ondel

[Come, let's watching ondel ondel *)]

Nyok, kite ngarak ondel-ondel

[Come, let's accompanying ondel-ondel]

Ondel-ondel ade anaknye

[Ondel-Ondel had a boy]

Anaknye ngigel ter-iteran

[The boy was swaying in circles]

Mak, bapak ondel-ondel ngibing

[Ondel-ondel's Mom and Dad, dancing]

Ngarak penganten disunatin

[Parading the circumcised bride]

Goyangnye asyik endut-endutan

[His rocking's fun, jiggling]

Nyang ngibing igel-igelan

[The dancer, dancing, waving hands]

Plak gumbang gumplak plak plak

[(a drums sound)]

Gendang nyaring ditepak

[The drum's loud, slapped]

Nyang ngiringin nandak

[The companion was dancing]

Pade surak-surak

[All cheering]

Tangan iseng ngejailin

[Prankster, pranking]

Kepale anak ondel-ondel

[The boy's head]

Taroin puntungan

[Placed a cigarette butt]

Rambut kebakaran

[His hair on fire]

Anak ondel-ondel jejingkrakkan

[Ondel-ondel boy jumped up and down]

Kepalenye nyale bekobaran

[His head was burnt]

Nyang ngarak pade kebingungan

[The companion, razzled]

Disiramin aer comberan

[Flushing him wastewater]

The Moon asked for leaving by saying, "And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Samuel Croxall, D.D., Fables of Aesop and Others, Simon Probasco
- Thomas Bewick, Bewick's Select Fables, Bickers & Sons

*)  Ondel-ondel is a large puppet figure featured on Betawi folk performance of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Bahasa

The Judicious Elephant

"A few nights ago," said the Moon after saying a salaam. "I circled and saw a Land called Bhumi Ganapati." The Owl asked, "O Moon, did the Land's inhabitants, worship Ganesh?" The Moon replied, "No, they didn't. The Land was called Ganapati, for the name was one of the concepts of their founding parents. The idea, was an aspiration as well, that to achieve prosperity, there were four elements needed to be combined : intelligence, identity (i.e. faithfulness), success, and growth (or enhancement). So, to understand what I'm going to tell you about, please do not regard it in literally meaning. 

My story about a wise Elephant, whose efforts were always directed towards the benefit of his society.

It began when, a Lion, talk to himself, complained, ' I am gigantic in strength, handsome in shape, and powerful in attack. I have jaws well provided with teeth, and feet furnished with claws, and I lord it over all the beasts of the forest, and what a disgrace it is, most sadly that a beast with such claws, teeth, and strength as I possessed, should yet be moved to a state of abject terror at the cockcrowing. Can life be worth having? When so vile a creature has the power to rob it of its charms?' he mumbled.

Just then, the wise Elephant came along, and said, 'Why do you blame yourself without a cause? You have been given all the attributes, and your courage never fails you except in this one instance.'

On hearing this, the Lion groaned and lamented very much and, reproaching himself with his cowardice, wished that he might die. As these thoughts passed through his mind, the Elephant came close to him.

After a time, the Lion observed that the Elephant shook his ears very often, and he inquired what was the matter and why his ears moved with such a tremor every now and then. Just at that moment, a Gnat settled on the head of the Elephant, and he replied, 'Do you see that little buzzing insect? If it enters my ear, my fate is sealed. I should die presently.' The Lion said, 'Well, since so huge a beast is afraid of a tiny gnat, I will no more complain, nor wish myself dead. I find myself, even as I am, better off than the Elephant.'

Next day, a Wolf and a Leopard, joined company on a hunting party, and mutually agreed that, at the end of their rapacious chase, they would divide the spoil equally between them. They soon made prize of a Lamb, which they agreed to deliver into the possession of the Horse, who it happened was under covert hard by. At this moment they were joined by the Fox, who thinking there was something to be got, accompanied them in his familiar way, as if he had been one of the hunting party; and officiously assisted in delivering the Lamb to the Horse, who was desired to keep it for them until they should return from the chase, and demand it of him again.

Soon after the cunning Fox, slyly quitting his companions, returned alone to the Horse, telling him that his companions were so much fatigued by their unsuccessful chase, that they had sent him for the Lamb, which they intended to make their repast upon, in order to refresh themselves the better to pursue their prey. The honest Horse, made no scruple of delivering up to the Fox the Lamb which bad been given into his charge: when crafty Reynard with great alacrity carried it off on his back, for his own sole use, and of course like a true rogue, returned no more to his former companions.

At the termination of their day’s sport, came the Leopard and the Wolf, having had but little luck in their chase, and demanded from the innocent Horse, the property which they had left in his charge. It was in vain that the Horse told them his tale, and that he had honestly and honourably delivered the property to their companion, who together with them had left it in his charge—this tale they would not listen to, but said the Fox was a thief and a traitor, and had no right whatever to their goods—that if the Horse was such a fool as to be deluded by his false tale, that was not their business, but his—that they would have justice, and have their own property, which they had left with him. The poor affrighted Horse, who knew not what to say for himself, in so intricate a case, agreed to go with them to have the cause tried before, and adjudged by, the sagacious Elephant.

When they came into court before the judge, each party told his tale—when the poor Horse trembled with fear; for even himself could scarcely see a reason why judgment by law should not be given against him.

The wise Elephant gravely heard their several accounts, and thus replied, 'I find that each of you, have told me the truth, because your statements perfectly agree as to facts, and thus I decide your different rights, and pronounce judgment in the cause. You three, Leopard, Wolf, and Fox, in company, deposited in keeping of the Horse, the said property, the Lamb, as your prey—and which the Horse has honestly confessed to be a true statement of the case—you therefore cannot object to my determination, thus, 'That as you three in company delivered to his keeping your joint property, of course whenever you three personally return again, and demand it, he must deliver it up at his peril.'

This wise judgment cleared the Horse entirely, as there was but little danger that the roguish Fox would ever be found again in that company. In the determination of doubtful and intricate cases, the nicest discrimination and solidity of judgment are required. This example demonstrates how brittle are the bonds that connect the society of rogues and plunderers, and how precarious the dependance they can place on each other. It also affords a lesson of instruction, cautiously to avoid the slightest intercourse with persons of bad or suspicious character, by which those of the most upright intentions may sometimes be involved in the greatest difficulty and danger.

Then the days gone by, the wise Elephant, saw with much concern, the many abuses among the beasts, which called loudly for reform. He therefore assembled them, and, with all due respect and humility, began a long harangue, 'That for the person that is sincerely advising, his only cares is to eradicate the faults found in his fellow brothers and to help him avoid it.  This is what Allah, the Most High, described His Messenger (ﷺ) by saying,

لَقَدْ جَاۤءَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنْ اَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيْزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيْصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ رَءُوْفٌ رَّحِيْمٌ فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ۗ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ

'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful. But if they turn away, [O Muḥammad], say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Rabb of the Great Throne." [QS. At-Tawbah (9):128-129]

The advice should be given with kindness and good manners and in secret. However, when the advised is a person whose sins or badness are advocated in public, the advice should be given in public and people should be warned about him, lest they fall for him.' 

The speech enlarged for more than a quarter of an hour, remarking all their vices, also a thousand ridiculous habits, particularly their unworthy idleness, their rapacious selfishness, their wanton cruelty and spiteful envy, all which so conspicuously appeared among them. To many of his auditors, this speech, appeared extremely delightful and judicious, and they listened with open-mouthed attention, especially such as the innocent Dove, the faithful guardian Dog, the obedient Camel, the harmless Sheep, and even the little industrious Ant; the busy Bee also approved much of this lecture.

Another part of the audience were extremely offended, and could scarcely endure so long an oration; the Tiger, for instance, and the rapacious Wolf were exceedingly tired, and the Serpent hissed with all his might, whilst a murmur of disapprobation burst from the Drone, the Hornet, the wild lazy Cat and Dog, as wel as the Fly. The Grasshopper hopped disdainfully away from the assembly, the Sloth was indignant, and the insolent Ape mimicked the orator in contempt. As for the Wasp, felt irritated. Unlike bees, which could produce honey and stung only once—the process was ultimately fatal—Wasps couldn't produce honey but stung multiple times and buzzed away. They refuted what the Elephant had said. They argued, 'That's not true!' ... 'You talk too much!' ... 'It wasn't us who did it!' ... 'Your data is wrong' ... 'We have prepared a new program!' ... Anyway, a lot of alibies and promises, as usual, then occured.

The Elephant, seeing the tumult, concluded his discourse with these words, “My advice is addressed equally to all, but remember, that those who feel hurt by any remarks of mine, acknowledge their guilt. The innocent are unmoved.”

Then the Elephant came down from the pulpit, chanting,

ꦭꦶꦂꦲꦶꦭꦶꦂꦭꦶꦂꦲꦶꦭꦶꦂꦠꦤ꧀ꦢꦸꦫꦺꦮꦸꦱ꧀ꦱꦸꦩꦶꦭꦶꦂ

Lir-ilir, lir-ilir, tandure wis sumilir

[Wake up, wake up, the seeds has bloomed]

ꦠꦏ꧀ꦲꦶꦗꦺꦴꦫꦺꦴꦪꦺꦴꦫꦺꦴꦪꦺꦴ

Tak ijo, royo royo

[Greenish, abundantly]

ꦠꦏ꧀ꦱꦺꦁꦒꦸꦃꦠꦺꦩꦤ꧀ꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦲꦚꦂ

Tak sêngguh têmantèn anyar

[Like a newlywed]

ꦕꦃꦲꦔꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦕꦃꦲꦔꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦥꦺꦤꦺꦏ꧀ꦤꦧ꧀ꦭꦶꦩ꧀ꦧꦶꦁꦏꦸꦮꦶ

Cah angon, bocah angon, penekno blimbing kuwi

[O sheperd, o sheperd, climb the starfruit tree]

ꦭꦸꦚꦸꦭꦸꦚꦸꦥꦺꦤꦺꦏ꧀ꦤꦏꦁꦒꦺꦴꦩ꧀ꦧꦱꦸꦃꦢꦺꦴꦢꦺꦴꦠꦶꦫ

Lunyu lunyu, penekno, kanggo mbasuh dodotiro

[Even it's slippery, climb it, (use the starfruit) to clean-up (stains on) your dhoti*)]

ꦢꦺꦴꦢꦺꦴꦠꦶꦫꦢꦺꦴꦢꦺꦴꦠꦶꦫꦏꦸꦩꦶꦠꦶꦂꦧꦺꦝꦃꦲꦶꦁꦥꦶꦁꦒꦶꦂ

Dodotiro, dodotiro, kumitir bêdhah ing pinggir

[The dhoti, your dhoti, waving, torn at the skirt]

ꦢꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦢꦺꦴꦩꦤꦗ꧀ꦭꦸꦩꦠꦤꦏꦁꦒꦺꦴꦱꦺꦧꦩꦺꦁꦏꦺꦴꦱꦺꦴꦫꦺ

Dondomono, jlumatono, kanggo sebo mêngko sore

[Sew it, fix it, to be worn for the evening prayer]

ꦩꦸꦩ꧀ꦥꦸꦁꦥꦝꦁꦫꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦸꦭꦤꦺ

Mumpung padhang rêmbulane

[Whilst the moon is bright]

ꦩꦸꦩ꧀ꦥꦸꦁꦗꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦂꦏꦭꦔꦤꦺ

Mumpung jêmbar kalangane

[While its circle is so far wide]

ꦪꦱꦸꦫꦏꦱꦸꦫꦏ꧀ꦲꦶꦪ

Yo surako surak-iyo

[Then cheer-up shouting 'Hiyo!']

Thereupon, the Moon said, "If words hurt, think carefully about the meaning behind them. He who is made irritated, must seek for redress from his own bosom; and at first, may be certain that it is himself that is in the wrong, and not to judge, the long harangue. But, he who often got flatterred, in what so ever he did, surely, couldn't stand it. And Allah knows best."

Citations and References:

- Al-Hafiz ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Difference Between Advising and Shaming, accompanied with commentary of Dr. Salih ibn Sa'd al-Suhaymi, Dar as-Sunnah Publishers
- James Northcote, RA, One Hundred Fables, Originals and Selected, J. Johnson
- J.B. Rundell, Aesop's Fables, Cassell, Petter and Galpin

*) Dhoti, also known as dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar or panchey, in Java and Sunda, known as Dodot, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the national or ethnic costume for men. 

Bahasa

Categories or Stereotypes?

"Prejudices, emerge from the disposition of the human mind, to perceive and process information in categories," said the Moon when she started to appear. "'Categories' is a nicer, more neutral word than 'stereotypes,' but it's the same thing," she added, then went on, "Cognitive psychologists, consider stereotypes to be energy-saving devices that allow us to make effcient decisions on the basis of past experience; help us quickly process new information and retrieve memories; make sense of real differences between groups; and predict, ofen with considerable accuracy, how others will behave or how they think. We wisely rely on stereotypes and the quick information they give us to avoid danger, approach possible new friends, choose one school or job over another, or decide that that person across this crowded room, will be the love of our lives.

That's the upside. The downside is, that stereotypes flatten out differences within the category we are looking at, and exagerate differences between categories.

All of us, recognize variation within our own party, ethnicity, or nation, bur we are inclined to generalize from a few encounters with people of other categories and lump them al together as 'Them.' Sometimes, we tend to divide the world, as everyone does, into 'us' and 'them.' 'Us,' is the most fundamemal social category in the brain's organizing system, and it's hardwired. Even the collective pronouns, 'us' and 'them' are powerful emotional signals.

A soon as people have created a category called 'us,' however, they invariably perceive everybody else as 'not-us.' Obviously, certain categories of 'us,' are more crucial to our identities than the kind of car we drive, or the number of dot we can guess on a slide—sexuality, religion, politics, ethnicity, and nationality, for starters. Without feeling attached to groups that give our lives meaning, identity, and purpose, we would suffer the intolerable sensation that we were loose marbles floating in a random universe. Therefore, we will do what it takes to preserve these attachments.

Evolutionary psychologists argue that ethnocentrism—the belief that our own culture, nation, or religion is superior to all others—aids survival by strengthening our bonds to our primary social groups and thus, increasing our willingness to work, fight, and occasionally, die for them. When things are going well, people feel pretty tolerant of other cultures and religions, but when they are angry, anxious, or threatened, the default position is, to activate their blind spots. We have the human qualities of intelligence and deep emotions, but we consider that 'They,' are dumb, the are crybabie, they don't know the meaning of love, shame, grief, or remorse.

The very act of thinking that 'They' are not as smart or reasonable as 'Us,' makes us feel closer to others who are like us. But, just as crucially, it allows us to justify how we treat them. We invoke stereotypes to justify behavior that would otherwise, make us feel bad about the kind of person we are, or the kind of country we live in.

Prejudice justifes the ill treatment we want to inflict on others, and we want to inflict ill treatment on others, becuse we don't like them. And why don't we like them? Because they are competing with us for jobs in a scarce job marker. Because we want to presere our positions of status, power, and privilege. Because we need to feel we are better than somebody. Because our country is waging war against them. Because they refuse to assimilate into our culture.

By understanding prejudice as our self-justifying servant, we can better see, why some prejudices are s hard to eradicate: They allow people to justify and defend their most important social identities—their race, their religion, their sexuality—while reducing the dissonance between 'I am a good person' and 'I really don't like those people.' Fortunately, we can better understand the conditions, under which prejudices diminish: when the economic competition subsides, when the truce is signed, when the profession is integrated, when they become more familiar and comfortable, when we are in a position to realize that they aren't so different from us."

"And so," the Moon paused, then connected, "Last night, I saw a certain Widower, in order to amuse his solitary hours, and in some measure supply the conversation of his departed helpmate of loquacious memory, determined to purchase a Parrot.

He knew where to go, and knew an honest dealer. And with his view, he applied to a dealer in birds, as He asked the dealer, 'O brother, show me the parrot that can catch my heart!" 'Certainly!' said the dealer and showed him a large collection of Parrots, of various kinds.

Whilst they were exercising their talkative talents before him, one repeating the cries of the town, another asking for a cup of sack, and a third bawling for a coach, he observed a green Parrot perched in a thoughtful manner at a distance upon the foot of a table.

'And so you, my grave gentleman,' said he, 'are quite silent.' To which the Parrot replied, like a philosophical bird, 'I want to be something.'

'I have decided! I'll take this one!' said our wIdower firmly. 'But... but that's...!' the dealer was rather hesitated. 'No buts, you know, when I said I like it, I like it, even a truckload of money, I'll pay for it!' said our Widower. 'No, I didn't mean like that my brother! How can I explain it huh?' the dealer was more hesitant. 'Never mind, don't be hesitate to offer the price! ... Or this ...' as he put quite a lot of money on the table, then said, 'Now please prepare the parrot, I'll take it home!'

Pleased with the sensible answer, our Widower immediately paid down the price, and took home the bird, conceiving great things from a creature who had given so striking a specimen of his parts.

But after having instructed the Parrot during a whole month, he found to his great disappointment that, he could get nothing more from him than the fatiguing repetition of the sentence, 'I want to be something.'

'I find,' said he, in great wrath, 'That thou art an invincible fool; and ten times more a fool was I, for having formed a favourable opinion of thy abilities upon no better foundation than an affected solemnity.'"

The next day, our Widower, returned the bird to the Dealer, who said, 'Pardon my brother, if you had listened to me, you would have gotten one of the best, but it was sold out. And this bird, only knows one sentence, and even then, my son taught it.'

'Sorry bro, my mistake!' our Widower demand an apology. 'It's OK! Good for you, cause there are people, do not want to admit their mistakes. So, come, I'll show you more interesting birds!'

The moon withdrew and said, "As fallible human beings, all of us share the impulse to justify ourselves and avoid taking responsibility for any actions that turn out to be harmful, immoral, or stupid. Most of us, will never be in a position to make decisions affecting the lives and deaths of millions of people, but whether the consequences of our mistakes are trivial or tragic, on a small scale or a national canvas, most of us find it difcult, if not impossible, to say, 'I was wrong; I made a terrible mistake.' The higher the stakes—emotional, financial, moral—the greater the difficulty.

It goes further man that: Most people, when directly confronted by evidence that they are wrong, do not change their point of view or course of action, but justify it, even more tenaciosly. Even irrefutable evidence is rarely enough to pierce the mental armor of self-justifcation. 

Lao Tzu said,

Agreat nation is like a great man.

When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.

Having realized it, he admits it.

Having admitted it, he corrects it.

He considers those who point out his faults,

as his most benevolent teachers.

"And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), Harcourt
- J.B. Rundell, Aesop's Fables, Cassell, Petter and Galpin

Bahasa

Not Just Feathers (2)

The Moon carried on, "To value ourselves, upon the glitter and finery of dress, is one of the most trifling of all vanities; and a man of sense, would be ashamed to bestow upon it the least attention. They who examine things by the scale of common sense, must find something of weight and substance, before they can be persuaded to set a value upon it. The mind—which is stored with virtuous and rational sentiments—and the behaviour—which speaks complacence and humility—stamps an estimate upon the possessor, which all judicious spectators are ready to admire and acknowledge.

Take a note of the following sketch,

A Peacock, puffed up with vanity, met a Crane one day, and to impress him spread his gorgeous tail in the Sun. 'Look,' he said. 'What have you to compare with this? I am dressed in all the glory of the rainbow, while your feathers are gray as dust!'

The Crane spread his broad wings and flew up toward the sun. 'Follow me if you can,' he said. But the Peacock, stood where he was among the birds of the barnyard, while the Crane soared in freedom far up into the blue sky. He said, 'The useful is of much more importance and value, than the ornamental.'

The Peacock values himself, upon the glitter and finery of dress, is one of the most trifling considerations in nature; and what a man of sense would be ashamed to reckon even as the least part of merit. Indeed, children, and those people who think much about the same pitch with them, are apt to be taken with varnish land tinsel: but they who examine by the scale of common sense, must find something of weight and substance, before they can be persuaded to set a value.

If there be any merit in an embroidered coat, a brocade waistcoat, a shoe, a stocking, or a sword-knot, the person who wears them, has the least claim to it; let it be ascribed where it justly belongs, to the several artisans who wrought and disposed the materials of which they consist.

This moral, is not intended to derogate any thing from the magnificence of fine clothes and rich equipages, which, as times and circumstances require, may be used with decency and propriety enough: but one cannot help being concerned, lest any worth should be affixed to them more than their own intrinsic value.

Next, take a look on this sketch,

A Jackdaw chanced to fly over the garden of the King’s palace. There he saw with much wonder and envy a flock of royal Peacocks in all the glory of their splendid plumage.

Now the black Jackdaw was not a very handsome bird, nor very refined in manner. Yet he imagined that all he needed to make himself fit for the society of the Peacocks was a dress like theirs. So he picked up some castoff feathers of the Peacocks and stuck them among his own black plumes.

Dressed in his borrowed finery he strutted loftily among the birds of his own kind. Then he flew down into the garden among the Peacocks. But they soon saw who he was. Angry at the cheat, they flew at him, plucking away the borrowed feathers and also some of his own.

The poor Jackdaw returned sadly to his former companions. There another unpleasant surprise awaited him. They had not forgotten his superior airs toward them, and, to punish him, they drove him away with a rain of pecks and jeers.

To aim at making a figure by the means of either borrowed wit, or borrowed money, generally subjects us at last to a ten-fold ridicule. A wise man, therefore, will take his post quietly, in his own station, without pretending to fill that of another, and never affect to look bigger than he really is, by means of a false or borrowed light.

What we may learn from this fable is, in the main, to live contentedly in our own condition, whatever it be, without affecting to look bigger than we are, by a false or borrowed light. To be barely pleased with appearing above what a man really is, is bad enough; and what may justly render him contemptible in the eyes of his equals: But if, to enable him to do this with something of a better grace, he has clandestinely feathered his nest with his neighbour’s good, when found out, he has nothing to expect but to be stripped of his plunder, and used like a felonious rogue into the bargain. 

And finally, notice this following sketch,

The birds once met together to choose a King, and among others, the Peacock was a candidate. Spreading his showy tail, and stalking up and down with affected grandeur, he caught the eyes of the silly multitude by his brilliant appearance, and was elected with acclamation.

Just as they were going to proclaim him, the Magpie stept forth into the midst of the assembly, and thus addressed the new King, 'May it please your majesty elect, to permit a humble admirer to propose a question. As our king, we put our lives and fortunes in your hands. If, therefore, the Eagle, the Vulture, and the Kite, our unruly brethren, should in the future, as they have in times past, make a descent upon us, what means would you take for our defence?'

This pithy question, opened the eyes of the birds, to the weakness of their choice. They cancelled the election, and have ever since regarded the Peacock as a vain pretender, and considered the Magpie to be as good a speaker as any of their number."

As a closing, the Moon then summarized, "Form and outside, in the choice of a Leader, should not be so much regarded, as the qualities and endowments of the mind. In choosing a Leader, from the king of the land, down to the master of a company, upon every new election, it should be enquired into, which of the candidates is most capable of advancing the good and welfare of the community; and upon him the choice should fall. But the eyes of the multitude, are so dazzled with pomp and show, noise and ceremony, that they cannot see things really as they are. And from hence, it comes to pass, that so many absurdities are committed and maintained in the world. People should, open the eyes and ears, to examine and weigh, the real weight and merit of the person, and not be imposed upon by false colours and pretences. And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Handbook of Research on Islamic Business Ethics, Edited by Abbas J. Ali, Edward Elgar
- Syaikh Safiurrahman Al-Mubarakpuri, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume I, Darussalam
- Abd Ar Rahman bin Muhammed ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, Translated by Franz Rosenthal, Pantheon Books
- Samuel Croxall, D.D., Fables of Aesop and Others, Simon Probasco
- Thomas Bewick, Bewick's Select Fables, Bickers & Sons
[Part 1]

Bahasa

Not Just Feathers (1)

"Last night," said the Moon after greeting the Owl with a salaam, "I have conveyed to you that, in Islamic perspective, the focus of leadership, is on integrity and justice—including competency required to execute the assigned task." The Moon went on, "The concept of listening and seeing—that should give birth to a sharp thought that enters the heart and dominates its opinion—is handy when taking into account of choosing a Leader.

Leadership, plays a pivotal role in defining reality, and designing and shaping events, because leadership, encompasses both practical and idealistic aspects. Indeed, the importance of leadership, stems not only from organizational competencies, but also, from the ability to foster curiosity among followers; the courage to confront abuses and assume responsibility; and the foresight to articulate a purposeful vision, to make change desirable, and to regard new possibilities in a positive light. The importance attached to these functions and roles, however, differs over time and across cultures and civilizations. Nevertheless, leaders have to creatively maintain a balance of priorities, clarify possibilities, inspire followers, and maintain focus on achieving goals.

The Islamic view on Leadership, is influenced by Quranic instructions, the practice and sayings of our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), and the practice of the Sahaba. The people entrusts a leader with the authority to conduct affairs on behalf of and for the benefit of the people. 

Once, Ameer ul-Muminoon, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, radhiyallahu 'anhu, the Second Chaliph, saw a poor lady whose children were crying because of hunger and asked her, if she had any complaints. She responded, ‘My only complaint is against 'Umar!' Then 'Umar asked her, ‘What did he do wrong?' She replied, ‘Became a leader, but ignores the state of his followers. ' So, 'Umar to rectify the situation, compensated her for his shortcomings, and apologized for overlooking the condition of his people.

Here, we understood that, if something bad happened to his people, a Leader, should not be mad if the blame was placed on him. Theologically, the community in Islam, is the source of legitimacy, and that leadership position, is contingent upon the approval of the community. Leaders are, therefore, assumed to act according to people's expectations, otherwise, followers would desert the leader.

In Islamic teaching, the approval of followers, is a prerequisite for effective leadership. Once leadership is established both followers and leaders have reciprocal obligations and entitlements. The fourth Caliph, Ali, stated, 'When both the constituencies and leaders observe each other's due right is strengthened, religion tenets are respected, justice prevails, and the society will benefit.’

So, these assumptions, constitute the foundations for leader selection and the nature of leadership. In terms of leader selection, the qualities of leaders, are given considerable attention in Islamic teaching and early tradition. The Quran repeatedly prohibits oppression and calls for justice and kindness. An additional quality, is the mandate to be, ‘Competent and Trustworthy.’

Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), paced considerable emphasis on three qualities: Rahima (mercy), Ihsaan (excellence) and Adl (justice). These are considered prerequisites for leadership without any consideration to age or ethnicity. For example, when the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Zaid bin Thabit to lead Muslims, Thabit placed under his command senior members of the Muslim community. In terms of ethnicity, the Prophet (ﷺ) asserted, ‘Listen to and obey whoever is in charge, even though he is an Ethiopian.'

Almost all Islamic thinkers agree on the qualities. There are variations, however, in details and additional qualities that are specific to certain tasks, or events. For example, Ikhwan-us-Safa (a tenth century intellectual society) asserts that, leaders must be intellectually sound, display an unwavering commitment to justice, and should have the following qualities in order to sustain power and governance: the ability to follow up on, and be concerned with, the affairs of the people; to treat people according to their deeds; to apply justice with no exception; to avoid brutality; to reward the knowledgeable and uneducated people accordingly, in terms of position and compensation; to select and appoint subordinates who have the best reputations and are independent; to supervise and conduct people's affairs; to select advisers from those who share his/her faith and outlook; to select a chief of staff in terms of faith and worldly affairs; to protect the rights of the weak and the oppressed people and to make certain that people who have been wrongly treated, are given justice.

The collapse of Baghdad, and the end of the Abbasid era after the Mongol invasion in 1258, left most Muslim societies in total disarray. This event was a turning point in Islamic history as it represented the end of rationalistic thinking and the beginning of the domination of a doctrine of Qadariyyah in all its gloom and pessimism. One of the few Muslim thinkers, who emerged after the demise of the Islamic golden era, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE). He attributed the decline of Islamic culture and state, to the absence of group solidarity and thoughtful leadership. He argued that Excellence (Ihsaan) and an inclination for collective or group feeling, are prerequisites for any leader. These are necessary qualities, and the absence of these qualities, he asserted, ‘would be like the existence of a person with his limbs cut off.' Ibn Khaldun made a powerful argument that, the decline of a nation, is linked to absence of leadership. And when a nation persists in its rejection of its leaders, its virtues subside, and eventually, leadership ceases to exist. He prescribed several qualities needed by leaders to ensure acceptance by followers. These are: generosity, forgiveness of errors, tolerance toward the weak, hospitality toward guests, support of subordinates, maintenance of the indigent, patience in adverse circumstances, faithful fulfilment of obligations, generosity with money for the preservation of honour, respect for the religious law and for the scholars who are learned in it, high regard for religious scholarship, belief in and veneration for men of religion and a desire to receive their prayers, respect for the elderly and teachers, justice for those who call for it , fairness to and care for those who are too weak to take care of themselves, humility toward the poor, attentiveness to the complaints of supplicants, fulfilment of the duties of the religious law and divine worship in all details, and avoidance of fraud , cunning, deceit and shirking of obligations.

The Prophet (ﷺ) looked at leadership as a process of shared influence. In his (ﷺ) general conduct of affairs, whether religious or otherwise, the Prophet (ﷺ) maintained two-way communication with his followers. He utilized both open public debate and sermons to introduce desired changes and reiterated that every person, regardless of his or her position, is a leader.

It appears that, the Prophet (ﷺ) recognized, that leadership is a shared influence process, and that such influence, must be goal oriented to serve the community. He (ﷺ) says,

أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ

'The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people.' [al-Muʻjam al-Awsaṭ; Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani]

That is, leadership is valid only when it results in a benefit to the society, regardless of the setting. When linking leadership to societal contribution, the Prophet (ﷺ) appeared to underscore the significance of shouldering responsibility to achieve cohesiveness and the prosperity of the community. Furthermore, the Prophet (ﷺ) highlighted two necessary qualities for leadership: persuasion and moderation. In terms of persuasion, the Qur’an instructs,

اُدْعُ اِلٰى سَبِيْلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُۗ

'Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best ....' [QS. An-Nahl (16):125]

In terms of moderation, seeking the middle way is considered a virtue as the Prophet (ﷺ) asserts, ‘The best way is the middle-way.’ The Qur'an declares,

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنٰكُمْ اُمَّةً وَّسَطًا

'And thus We have made you a Wasat Nation ....' [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):143]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said,

‏ وَالْوَسَطُ الْعَدْلُ

'... And Al-Wasat is 'Just' ....' [Recorded in Fath Al-Bari 8 :21 , Tuhfat Al Ahwadhi 8 :297, An-Nasai in Al-Kubra 6:292, and Ibn Majah 2 :1432]

The immediate successors to the Prophet (ﷺ), seemed, in general, not to deviate from the Islamic view of leadership set out in the Qur'an and the teachings and examples of our beloved the Prophet (ﷺ). During their era, the newly emerged Islamic State expanded, acquired more resources, and in the process, faced more complex challenges. In fact the leaders, who for a long time were under the supervision of the the Prophet (ﷺ), had to answer questions related to managing the State and coping with existing military threats while being responsive to a much larger, more vocal, and diverse constituency. In meeting these emerging difficulties, these successors articulated a vision of leadership that captured the essence of Islamic thinking and energized followers to participate actively in building new institutions and vibrant communities. Their vision of leadership, is based on four interrelated assumptions.

First, Leadership Responsibility is a Civic Duty. In the early years of Islam, Muslims viewed the role of Caliph as a position that represented a successor to the Prophet (ﷺ), but that was neither an heir to his right nor a replacement for him (ﷺ). In Islam, the government is considered a civic system, that is entirely built on the will of the community. Community approval of how things should be done, and who should assume the leadership position is needed to ensure legitimacy and continuation.

Second, Leadership is a Shared Influence. Leaders are influenced by their followers’ expectations and demands. Thus, consensus in the decision-making process, is the foundation for governance. During that time, public debate and transparency in decision making, were a policy choice. This was exemplified by an incident that took place between the Second Caliph, 'Umar, radhiyallahu 'anhu, and a community member in a public meeting. The individual criticized the second Caliph, and some in the audience thought the criticism was harsh. 'Umar’s answer was that it was the duty of the leader and followers to listen to each other, and to voice concerns. He said, ‘When followers do not participate and provide input, they are not contributing something useful. And we are not useful, if we do not consent to their contributions.’

Third, Leadership is a Reciprocal Relationship. In line with the first two points, Islamic teaching asserts that leadership is reciprocal. The philosophical assumption is that there will be neither leaders nor leadership without followers. The followers give meaning and legitimacy to leadership. The First Caliph, Abu Bakr, radhiyallahu 'anhu, argued that, ‘When a leader is good in conduct, followers will be sincere for him.’ The fourth Caliph, Ali, radhiyallahu 'anhu, articulated the nature of reciprocity between a leader and followers and argued that it was essential for legitimacy, 'Allah has made it an obligation for His creatures, to observe their obligations toward each other. He made them equitable and interdependent. The greatest of those obligations are the mutual rights of the ruler and the ruled. Allah has made them reciprocal so that they constitute a basis for their cohesion.'

Fourth, Leadership is an Attribution Phenomenon. Followers attribute certain qualities to leaders. These attributes are mostly behaviour based; followers observe leaders and make corresponding relations between observed behaviour and character. Accordingly, followers make attributions whether the person is a leader or not."

[Part 2]

Bahasa

People are People!

The wind blew stormy and cold, the clouds flew hurriedly passed, only for a moment, now and then did the Moon become visible. She said, "The unusual things that happen in this world, are the work of the Omnipotent, Who tells us that everything is an example of His creative powers. He gives the power of hearing to whom He chooses, and the power of speech to whom He likes. He may, if He wishes, withdraw the ability to speak from a healthy person and grant that ability to a mute animal.

The incident you are about to listen, is an example of His powers which we have just spoken of. The Creator and Bestower of speech, enabled a Cow and a Wolf to converse with man. Imam Al-Bukhari, rahimahullah, reported the following authentic hadeeth,

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ ‏”‏ بَيْنَا رَجُلٌ يَسُوقُ بَقَرَةً إِذْ رَكِبَهَا فَضَرَبَهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّا لَمْ نُخْلَقْ لِهَذَا، إِنَّمَا خُلِقْنَا لِلْحَرْثِ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بَقَرَةٌ تَكَلَّمُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ فَإِنِّي أُومِنُ بِهَذَا أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ ـ وَمَا هُمَا ثَمَّ ـ وَبَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ فِي غَنَمِهِ إِذْ عَدَا الذِّئْبُ فَذَهَبَ مِنْهَا بِشَاةٍ، فَطَلَبَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ اسْتَنْقَذَهَا مِنْهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الذِّئْبُ هَذَا اسْتَنْقَذْتَهَا مِنِّي فَمَنْ لَهَا يَوْمَ السَّبُعِ، يَوْمَ لاَ رَاعِيَ لَهَا غَيْرِي ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ ذِئْبٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَإِنِّي أُومِنُ بِهَذَا أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ ‏”‏‏.‏ وَمَا هُمَا ثَمَّ‏.‏ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated, Allah’s Rasool (ﷺ) offered the Fajr prayer, then faced the people and said, ''A man was driving forward a cow but soon he mounted on its back, and began to beat it—to hasten it. The cow said, 'We were not created for this, but only for tilling the ground.'

The people said, 'Subhanallah! A cow speaks!' Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) said, 'I believe it, as also do Abu Bakr and Umar.' While they were not there when it happened.

Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) then said, 'A man was shepherding some sheep when a wolf attacked and seized one of them. The shephered caught up on it and rescued it and the wolf said to him, 'You have solved it today, but who will look after it, when the beast of prey's day comes and it has no shepherd but me?'

The people said, 'Subhanallah! A wolf speaks, indeed!' Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) said, 'I believe it, as also Abu Bakr and Umar—although they were not thereat the time.' [Sahih Al-Bukhari nos. 3471, 2663, 2324, 3690; similar hadith also found in Sahih Muslim no. 2388]

In this hadeeth, Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) told about some of the miracles and uniqueness, happened to some people, during the time of the previous Ummah. He told of a man riding on the back of a Cow, just as people ride on the back of a horse, a donkey and a mule. The Cow, was rather slow, so the rider, beat him to hasten it. Unexpectedly, the Cow turned to him, then said with the words of men, denied what he had done, because it violated Allah's decree on His creatures, "We were not created for this, but only for tilling the ground." It is as if the Cow was saying to the rider, "You have committed Injustice on me, by riding me, because you have used me for something that Allah created me, not for this.' The cow as if to say, that the rider had done Injustice, not only by riding it, but also torturing it. The cow said to its rider, that they were not created to transport people from place to place, or to work as beasts of burden. They were created to till the ground, and the rider, did not perform accordingly. Injustice is putting something, not in its suitable place.

Allah has created different animals for different purposes and they have different characteristics. Every animal has its own peculiarity, and it seems that, it has been created for a particular work. Thus, cows and oxen, are not used generally as beasts of burden and for riding. They are not comfortable to the riders, too. Horses, mules, etc. are beasts of burden and riders find them comfortable as riding animals. Cows and oxen and their kind, are used to cultivate fields where horses and mules would be out of place. Allah has given the animals, different abilities and characteristics, and they must be used accordingly. The cow that we have spoken of, said the same thing to its owner.

The Sahaba were amazed, indeed, the news was inviting amazement. And they said, 'Subhanallah! A cow speaks!' It was an unbelievable fact and they expressed surprise. Their words were not an attitude of denying the Prophet (ﷺ). There's no way they could deny him (ﷺ). However, the Sahaba had heard something out of ordinary.

So, Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) reaffirmed this news and confirmed it, with saying, 'Surely Abu Bakr and Umar too, believe it.' Although, at that time, they were not there.' He (ﷺ) said it very confidently, because he (ﷺ) was sure that they had full faith in him (ﷺ) and they knew that whatever he (ﷺ) said, was not a false, even if it was very unusual and seemingly impossible. This, indeed, is the level of belief in the unseen that is demanded from the Faithful Muslims. They are expected to believe in the unseen, even though it may be difficult for the intellect to grasp, but which' the Qur'an and Hadith confirm. These people are described in the Quran,

الَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْغَيْبِ

'Who believe in the unseen ....' [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):3]

What is meant by the unseen, are unseen matters, conveyed by authentic evidence by Allah and His Rasool (ﷺ).

Allah's Rasool (ﷺ) also told another story, where the speaker was a Wolf. This Wolf, attacked a Shepherd's sheep. It took a sheep. The shepherd was a strong and courageous man. He chased after the Wolf and saved the sheep from it. So the Wolf looked at the Shepherd and denied what he had done to take the sheep from it. The wolf said remarked, 'Today, you have taken it away from me, but, who will look after it, on the day when the beasts of prey, will have a field day and only I will be its shepherd. You will then not be able to take it from me.'

The Wolf hints at the coming day of the Beast in the future. On that day, the cattle are left free, so the wild beasts attack and destroy them, because there is no one to guard and protect them. Apparently, this happened before the arrival of the Hereafter at the peak of Fitna.

Just as the Sahaba amazed at a talking Cow, they were amazed at a talking Wolf as well. They said what they said, and the Prophet (ﷺ) answered them with the same answer. Something strange for the companions was, the speaking of animals to humans, in human language. As for humans talking to animals in their language, this was another matter. Prophet Sulaiman, alayhissalam, understands the language of birds and animals. Some of the animals, once spoke to Allah's Rasoll (ﷺ), and he (ﷺ) understood what they were saying. A camel once complained to him (ﷺ), about the bad treatment of his master, who always beat it.

As for animals speaking to humans in human language, it has happened. Abu Nu'aim narrated that this incident happened to Sahabi, Uhban Ibn Aws. He was a shepherd and used to take his flock of sheep to eat and graze. One day, he was sitting on a rock watching and guarding his animals near the beautiful and blessed land of Madinah. The flock spread out eating and grazing.

Soon, a big wolf attacked one of the sheep. The sheep's sound caught Uhban’s attention. He quickly went after the wolf waving his stick. The wolf ran away letting go of the sheep, which returned to its flock. By the will of Allah, the wolf spoke, 'O servant of Allah, you try to come between me and the sustenance, Allah has provided for me.'

The Shepherd could not believe his ears. He said loudly, 'Wonder of wonders, a speaking wolf!?"

Then the wolf spoke again, 'What is so astonishing about you is that, you sit there, pasturing your flocks and neglect a prophet in the city between these palms.' And the wolf pointed to Madinah, said, 'The Prophet (ﷺ) tells the people about some of the things that had been and things will happen in the future. He calls them to worship Allah alone, but some of them do not follow him.'

Uhban became curious and began to wonder about the matter that the wolf spoke of regarding the Prophet (ﷺ). He quickly gathered up his flock and went to Madinah where he put the animals in a stable. Then he planned to see the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) and would expexted to hear what the Prophet (ﷺ) would say about what occurred.

When Uhban ibnu Aws reached Madinah, he asked about the Honorable Prophet, and he was led to him. He entered the house of the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him what happened with him and the wolf. The Prophet (ﷺ) was very happy to hear this event. He (ﷺ) taught Uhban about Islam. Uhban, the Sheppard, embraced Islam. He was very delighted. Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked Uhban to tell the people what happened with him. So Uhban started telling people about the story.

Although it's seemingiy improbable that animals speak to men, yet it is not against intellect or impossible. Allah is able to give speech to animals. On the day of the Gathering, Allah will seal the tongue and give to the other limbs of man, to bear witness against him. And if Allah can make the limbs of man, talk, then He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, can also bestow the animals, eloquence.

Another lesson to be taken from this miraculous incident is the respect shown to the rights of a living being. The Islamic concept of Excellence, or Ihsaan, is mercy and compassion towards other creatures, even small animals that do not serve humans in any way. Animals are living creatures with feelings and connections to the larger spiritual and physical world. We must consider their lives as worthwhile and cherished. However, it should be noted, in some cases, such as the problem of keeping dogs, lion, wolves, and some other wild animals as pets, it's better to consult with a competent Ulama about how to treat them, because it is necessary to consider the pros and cons. There are rules in the Shari'a that must be obeyed in caring for or treating animals. It is understood that every one of us, wants to take all that is good, but, at some point, it is not always someone has to take it all, yet sometimes, he has to choose the best between two good choices. At one time, he could also be faced with two bad choices, so that he had to take the lesser one.

But generally, our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), exhorted Muslims to show kindness and compassion towards animals and birds, and repeatedly forbade cruelty towards animals. Muslims are instructed to avoid, among others, over-working or over-loading animals, neglecting animals, hunting animals for sport (hunting for food is permitted if the animals are killed humanely i.e. following the guidance of Sharia), cutting the mane or tail of a horse, animal fighting as a sport, factory farming, etc.

Once, the Companoins asked the Prophet (ﷺ), "O Allah's Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He replied, 'Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate (living being).' [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported,

'We were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he went out to relieve himself. We saw a red sparrow that had two chicks with her and we took her chicks, so the sparrow started to flap her wings. The Prophet (ﷺ) came to us and he said, 'Who has upset her by taking her children? Give her children back to her.' The Prophet (ﷺ) also saw an ant colony which we had burned and he said, 'Who burned this?' We said that we did it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'No one should punish with fire except the Rabb of the fire.' [Sunan Abi Dawud; Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Nawawi]

Being just, not only to animals, Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), commanded Muslims to treat every human being, justly, because humans, are humans. This is a very important and valuable right which Islam has given to man as a human being. The Quran has laid down,

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُوْنُوْا قَوَّامِيْنَ لِلّٰهِ شُهَدَاۤءَ بِالْقِسْطِۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَاٰنُ قَوْمٍ عَلٰٓى اَلَّا تَعْدِلُوْا ۗاِعْدِلُوْاۗ هُوَ اَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوٰىۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ۗاِنَّ اللّٰهَ خَبِيْرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ

'O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is [fully] Aware of what you do.' [QS Al-Ma'idah (5):8]

So, Muslims have to be just not only with ordinary human beings, but even with their enemies. In other words, the justice to which Islam invites her followers is not limited only to the citizens of their own country, or the people of their own tribe, nation or race, or the Muslim community as a whole, but it is meant for all the human beings of the world. Muslims therefore, cannot be unjust to anyone. Their permanent habit and character should be such that no man should ever fear injustice at their hands, and they should treat every human being everywhere with justice and fairness.

Similarly for the Leaders, they should be just to their people, because people, are people, they have their own characteristics. Leaders should realize that power is not everything. Power can be humiliating. When the Leaders and their colleagues have gone too far, just like animals, Allah allows them to protest, even less, the people. Leadership in Islam is a trust. Often, it takes the form of an explicit contract or pledge between a leader and his followers, that he will try his best to guide them, to protect them and to treat them fairly, and with justice. Hence, in Islam, the focus of leadership, is on integrity and justice—including competency required to execute the assigned task.

A just person, good at the Concept of Seeing and Hearing. The substance of the tongue in man’s mouth and in the mouth of an ox and other living beings is the same: a piece of flesh. And it is a known fact that, animals have ears—made of the same substance as the ears of human—that can hear like humans, and that some of them, can hear even better than humans.

Consider the case of a human who is deprived of the sense of hearing. A person who is deprived of hearing, misses the skill of communication and talking, and misses consequently the exchange of ideas and the pleasant experience of melodious sounds. People will be reluctant to communicate with him and will express annoyance at his presence. He will be cut off from people’s news and conversation; he is present, but not really present, alive, but it is like death-in-life, close by, but really far.

Similarly, consider the case of a human who is deprived of the sense of sight. He does not see where to put his step, does not see what is in front of him, does not distinguish colours and agreeable and disagreeable sights; he does not benefit from the scholarship of books; he is unable to reflect and contemplate the wonders of Allah’s creation. He cannot take note of much of what is advantageous or harmful to him; he may not be able to avoid falling in a hole in his way, nor protect himself from a wild animal, or an enemy intent on assailing and killing him. He cannot flee if attacked, but will have to beat the mercy of his adversary. Had it not been for special care from Allah, in some was similar to that given to the newborn, he would be much more likely to perish than to survive. He is like a mass of flesh and bones, and that is why Allah promises him, if he is resigned and patient, that he will be rewarded with Paradise. It is an illustration of the immensity of the Rabb’s kindness that He compensated a blind person’s vision with a mental vision, and so, he has the sharpest intuition and insight.

Another grace is that, he enjoys clarity of objective, so that he is not distracted or scatter-brained. In this way, he can enjoy his life, and take care of what is good for him, and is not depressed, indignant or frustrated. This is true of those born blind. As for the one who lost his sight after he had been sighted, he is like all those who have had catastrophes, who have transferred from a state of well being to one of suffering. He takes it very hard, because he is barred from what he had always enjoyed of sights, scenes, and ways of using his vision; his case is different."

Take a look at the following sketch,

Moles aren't blind, but they are colorblind and see very poorly. They can only see light and movement. They use little movement and scent sensors on the tip of their nose to find prey and other moles.

So, a little Mole once said to his Mother, 'Why, Mother, you said I was blind! But I am sure I can see!' Mother Mole saw she would have to get such conceit out of his head. So she put a bit of frankincense before him and asked him to tell what it was. The little Mole peered at it. 'Why, that’s a pebble!'

'Well, my son, said the Mother, 'that proves you’ve lost your sense of smell as well as being blind.'"

The Moon concluded by saying, "Glorified be Allah, who bestowed on man all aspects of honour: mind, knowledge, expression, speech, appearance, good looking, impressive aspect, fair stature, the acquisition of sciences through inference, reflection, and the upholding of righteous, decent ethics, such as loyalty, obedience and responsiveness. And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Mohammad Zakariya Iqbal, Stories from the Hadith, Darul Uloom
- Capt. Anas Abdul-Hameed Al-Qoz, Men and The Universe - Reflections of Ibn Al-Qayyem, Darussalam

- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons

Bahasa