10 things I have learnt over the past year

I have never been one to celebrate new year's or make new year resolutions. The passing years are usually just a day for me. But the past year has been different for me and my family. Looking back at it now, I realise that I have gone through a lot of changes. Changes that wouldn't have seemed possible a year ago and in going through with these changes I realise that I have learnt a few things about myself. Things that I find are of big importance to me.

1. I rediscovered my connection with Allah. I was always a "Muslim" earlier but last year has made me question a lot of my actions and cry out for help. I have gone through a whole spectrum of depression, fear, anger, dejection, joy, hope, contentment etc. There have been many times that I have cried out for help from Him in the night and have been so depressed that I couldn't even eat. My past actions came back to haunt me over and over. I was so fearful of missing out on His mercy and I cried out for His help until I had tears flowing down. Then He helped me see something about myself. I learnt that I was never going to be perfect in my actions and all I could do was to do the best I could within my ability and all my weaknesses, then leave the rest to Him. Insha Allah, He will be merciful towards me. I learnt that it it is easier to put in your best effort when you believe that Allah will help you through all the trials of life.
2. I spent a lot of time away from my wife and son. I learnt how much I missed them both. There have been many times earlier that I have just wanted to be away from them both just to have peace of mind but now I realise that the joy of life cannot be found on a secluded mountain but its with one's family. Its in the daily grind of things that life brings, we just need to look for it. I would not give up my family for the world now.
3. I learnt the sort of difference that the support of my wife made. Her encouragement and constant support even when I was jobless was so very precious. In spite of her own fears, she never let me feel down which I realise is of a value beyond measure.
4. Before last year, I always thought I was a decent father to my son. But after spending the amount of time I have over last year with my son, I realise that being father is something I am very proud of. I share a very deep bond with my son, a bond that is renewed every time he hugs me tight. His cheeky smile lights up my day and even though playing with him is tiring, it is all worth it when he holds onto me tight.
5. Before leaving Saudi, I was very scared of changing countries and moving to a place where I did not have any friends. The thought of starting out afresh in an alien country was always very intimidating to me. But after taking that major step of moving from Saudi Arabia to Singapore, I realise that I still have it in me to do what's right for the family in spite of my fears. I still have the cojones as the Mexicans would call it.
6. Coming from an engineering background, sales was the last thing on my mind. But when the opportunity came knocking, I grabbed it with the belief to make the most out of it. I then realised that I was not that bad at sales anyway. Talking to strangers didn't necessarily come naturally to me with effort and training I was getting better at it. Who knew I had a salesman in me.
7. The holiday in Spain/Portugal was a lot of fun. Managed to accomplish something that I have wanted for a long long time. I learnt that I loved travelling and enjoying good food irrespective of it being Indian or Spanish food.
8. I learnt that it is so very important to have the right atmosphere at work so that people can actually enjoy their work and get better at it. Something that was seriously lacking at my earlier job.
9. Going on a major holiday to Spain/Portugal with the family was a major challenge for me. But that trip taught me that no matter how difficult it seems at the start if you prepare well for anything and take things one day at a time, you will make it through as long as you have your goals in mind. For me the goal was to always have a great time with the family and that is what drove me during the trip. This is also something that drives me in my new career as well.
10. The last thing I learnt is that the amount of time I spend with my family is not always as important as what I do with the time I spend with them. Quality time with the family is always better than lots of time with nothing being done. 

Knowledge - Its nature and importance

The year was 610 AD. The place was Makkah, a rich desert town on the caravan road that ran from Yemen to Syria. The riches it had were not just due to its location but also because it had great religious value to the tribes of peninsula. This was the place that Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Peace and Blessings be upon them) had built the House of Allah so many centuries ago. Their teachings of belief in the oneness of God had been long forgotten and divinity for the people meant that Allah was considered the overall chairman of the gods.

Not far from Makkah, a man climbed up a mountain to find a cave that he used to live in whenever he needed solitude away from the corruption that was prevalent in the city and the society in general. The rich oppressed the poor, the strong abused the weak, the master tortured his slave, the men treated women as property or even worse, blood feuds between tribes would go on for years over some trivial issue and biggest of all was that the House of Allah was now filled with pagan idols numbering over 300.

The man would pack some food and head out to the cave because he felt distressed with the conditions that existed and he wondered how things could change. One night he was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly felt a presence in the cave with him. The presence in the form of a man spoke a single word and the world was changed forever. The word was Iqra and it meant Read.

I am sure students of history and religion would recognize the characters mentioned here. The man who would go up to the cave was the Prophet Mohammed (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and the presence that he felt in the cave was the angel Jibraeel, the same angel that had visited Maryam with the tidings of a blessed son Isa or Jesus (Peace and Blessings be upon him).

The Prophet who was an unlettered man said, "I do not know how to read!" at which Jibraeel embraced him so hard that the Prophet could not withstand it then asked him to read again. The Prophet replied in the same vein, "I do not know how to read." The angel held him again and squeezed hard repeating the command to read. The Prophet this time replied, "What shall I read?"

Jibraeel squeezed him again and this time said:

1. Recite in the name of your Lord who created -
2. Created man from a clinging substance.
3. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
4. Who taught by the pen 
5. Taught man that which he knew not.

Surah Alaq (Chapter 96: 1 - 5)

Doesn't it feel a little weird that with all the problems society was facing at the time, the first command that Allah gives the Prophet wasn't to have faith in one God or not to drink or not commit adultery or whatever but it was to read. The last verse in the first revelation above refers to ilm or knowledge. What is this ilm and why is it so important that Allah tells us about it even before anything else.

Abu ʿAbdillah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i, the famous jurist also known as Imam Shafi'i once famously remarked, "Al-‘ilm ‘ilman: ‘ilmul abdan wa ‘ilmul adyan" which means "Knowledge has a dual nature: One concerning bodily matters, and the concerning religious affairs." In other words, knowledge comprises both religious and secular knowledge. Allah refers to this knowledge many times in the Quran, as per scholars close to 850 times in various forms while encouraging man to use the powers of reasoning that Allah has granted him. Some examples of that are:

And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Surah Al-Jathiyah (Chapter 45: 13)

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.
Surah Aal-Imran (Chapter 3:190)

And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Surah Ar'Rad (Chapter 13:3)

From the examples above we can get a feeling of what Allah wants us to do with the knowledge that we have acquired. He wants us to use it to recognize his dominance over all other beings by recognizing the signs that are prevalent all around us. He wants us to use secular knowledge and understanding to come to the conclusion that He alone controls them all and all these are not by a matter of chance.

With this idea of knowledge and learning, it is no surprise that the Prophet stressed repeatedly on the importance of knowledge and the blessings that one can acquire from pursuing it.

The Messenger of Allah said, "He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion."
Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi

The Prophet said: "The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim."
Tirmidhi

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge."
Tirmidhi

The great Islamic scholars and scientists did not separate the two fields of knowledge but were well versed in them both. It was this drive to understand the signs of Allah in the world around them that led them to make amazing discoveries and inventions. The likes of which are remembered to this day.

• Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, considered the father of Algebra. The word Algorithm is a corruption of his name while the word Algebra is based on (al jabr) one of his methods to compute quadratic equations.
• Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā, or popularly known as Avicenna. He was a polymath whose writings included subjects such as  philosophy, astronomy, alchemy, geology, psychology, Islamic theology, logic, mathematics, physics, as well as poetry. His book, "Canon of Medicine" was used as a textbook in universities in Europe as well for as late as 1650.
• Abu Mūsā Jābir ibn Hayyān, or known as Geber in the west. He was a polymath and well versed in subjects such as chemistry, astronomy, engineering, geography, philosophy, physics, and medicine. He is also considered the father of chemistry.
• Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham, or popularly known as Ibn al-Haytham. He is considered the father of modern optics and scientific methodology.

These are just a few of the great scientists who have left their mark on our lives today and their contributions led to the golden age of Islam which lasted about 4 centuries and ended with the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258.

This decline has affected research in Muslim countries even today has mostly resulted because of forced separation of the two avenues of knowledge. It is considered unreasonable for a man of religion to be a prominent scientist and vice versa. This attitude goes against what both Allah and His messenger have taught us. There has to be a change in our attitudes towards knowledge, a change that would let both religious and scientific knowledge work hand in hand with each other rather than be two banks of a river that never meet.

Proficiency in one aspect without any knowledge of the other will only create a very skewed point of view towards everything around us. And with a skewed view, everything looks crooked even if its the evident truth.

10 things I miss about Saudi Arabia

Saudi had been my home for almost 11 years and I had this strong feeling that it was time to move. I don't want to go into the reasons for that but to be honest, they were very valid. End result was that I packed by bags and moved to Singapore permanently

It has been almost 5 months now since I moved. I knew that I would miss Saudi after being there for so long but I realised how much only after I moved out. The feeling keeps growing about this loss, a loss that I cannot really put my finger on but it is there. 

So without further ado, I'll go into the 10 things I miss the most about Saudi Arabia in no order of preference.

1. Singapore is a lovely city, green and well planned but I miss the sheer size of Riyadh. Its such a big city and it keeps expanding every day. I miss driving down the road without having tall sky scrapers blocking my view of the sky. It made Riyadh feel a lot bigger.
2. I miss the size of the food servings in restaurants in Saudi. They serve absolutely humongous burgers and steaks in Saudi. Not to forget refillable drinks in many outlets. A veritable gorge fest!!!
3. I love food here in Singapore but I really hanker for some juicy kebabs, mandi, shawarma, kunafa, umm ali...I better stop before I start drooling all over the keyboard. Satay, ayam penyet, nasi lamak are all great but there is something so yummy about those khubz fresh out of oven, fattayer, broasted chicken...well there I go again :-)
4. I miss driving on the highways, seeing endless vistas of sand and date trees interspersed with camels walking in no hurry across them.
5. I miss the sound of the Azaan. Here in Singapore, I have never heard one. But in Saudi we lived close to atleast 3 mosques and at the time of prayer, you could never miss the Azaan. The case is the same everywhere in Saudi, kinda gives you the feeling that you are never far from "home"
6. This may sound strange but I miss the traffic in Saudi. The sheer crazy driving on display there with all kinds of cars involved is no less than a visit to the circus. 
7. I miss going on drives around the city at night, drives that we could easily afford because is so cheap in Saudi. 12 US cents for a litre...enuff said :-)
8. I never had problems finding my size clothes in Saudi but Singapore ....well its a big struggle here :-)
9. I miss Ramadan in Saudi, there is such a festive buzz in the air. People shopping out late in the night, taraweeh prayers going on, people handing out iftar on the streets....
10. I miss the two holy mosques. I miss them in a way that I cannot explain in words. I remember my tears when I was last there at the Kaabah. Insha Allah, I will be there again.

Well there you go, my list of things I miss about Saudi Arabia....A place I called home for 11 years, where I set up our first home with my wife, where I made great friends and had so much fun with them. Saudi Arabia, I will miss you always. Masalaam!!!

Yusuf Dhu Nuwas and the People of the Ditch

The Quran has a number of stories in it, not for their entertainment value but to teach us valuable lessons so that we mend our ways and submit out will to the Almighty. One of such stories is about Ahlil Ukhdhoodh or the People of the Ditch.

The Quran says about them: 

4: Woe to the makers of the pit (of fire),

5: Fire supplied (abundantly) with fuel:

6: Behold! they sat over against the (fire),

7: And they witnessed (all) that they were doing against the Believers.

8: And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in Allah, Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise!-

Quran Surah Al Burooj (85: 4 - 8)

The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) further explained these verses when he said:

Among the people before you, there was a king and he had a sorcerer When the sorcerer become old, he said to the king, "I have now become an old man; get me a boy so that I may teach him sorcery" 

So the king sent him a boy to teach him sorcery. Whenever the boy proceeded to the sorcerer he sat with a monk who was on the way and he listened to his talks and used to admire them. So when he went to the sorcerer he passed by the monk and sat there with him and on visiting the sorcerer the latter thrashed him, So the boy complained about that to the monk. The monk said to him, "Whenever you are afraid of the sorcerer say to him; My people kept me busy And whenever you are afraid of your people, say to them; The sorcerer kept me busy" 

So the boy carried on like that.

Then one day there came on the main road a huge creature, and the people were unable to pass by. The boy said, "Today I will know whether the sorcerer is better or the monk is better." 

So he took a stone and said, "O Allah! If the deeds and actions of the monk are more liked by You better than those of the sorcerer then kill this creature so that the people can cross the road." 

Then he hit it with the stone and it was killed, and the people passed the road. The boy come to the monk and informed him about it. The monk said to him, "O my son! Today you are better than I, you have achieved what I see! And you will be put to trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform them about me." 

The boy used to treat the people suffering from blindness, Leprosy, Leukoderma and other diseases. A blind courtier of the King heard about the boy. He came and brought a number of gifts for the boy and said, "All these gifts are for you on condition that you cure me." 

The boy said, "I do not cure anybody; it is AlIah alone Who cures people. So if you believe in Allah and invoke Allah, He will cure you." 

He then believed in Allah and Allah cured him.

Later the courtier come to the king and sat at the place where he used to sit before. The king asked him, "Who has given you back your sight?"

The courtier said, "My Lord, Allah!" 

The king said, "Do you have another Lord besides me?" 

The courtier said, "My Lord and your Lord is Allah" 

The king got hold of him and kept on tormenting him until he informed him about the boy. So the boy was brought. The king said to the boy, "O boy! Has your [knowledge of) sorcery reached to the extent that you can cure born-blinds, lepers, leukocdermic patients and do such and such?" 

The boy replied, "I do not cure anybody it is only Allah who cures." 

Then the king got hold of him and kept on tormenting him till he informed him about the monk. And the monk was brought and it was said to him, "Give up your Religion" 

The monk refused to turn apostate. Then the king ordered a saw and it was put in the middle of his (the monk's) scalp and ordered it to be sawn, till he fell, cut in two pieces. Then that courtier was brought and it was said to him, "Give up your religion" 

The courtier refused to turn apostate. So the saw was put in the middle of his scalp and was sawn, till he fell cut in two pieces. Then the boy was brought, and it was said to him, "Give up your religion!" 

The boy refused to turn apostate. So the King ordered some of his courtiers to take the boy to such and such a mountain, saying, "Then ascend up the mountain with him till you reach its top. Then see if he turns apostate, otherwise throw him down from its top." 

They took him, ascended up the mountain, and the boy said, "O Allah! Save me from them by anything You wish" 

So the mountain shook and all of them tell down and the boy came walking to the king. The king asked him, "What did your companions do?" 

The boy said, "Allah saved me from them."

The King then ordered some of of his courtiers to take the boy on board a boat into the middle of the sea, saying, "Then if he turns apostate (all well and good], otherwise toss him into the sea." 

So they took him and he said, "O Allah! Save me from them by anything You wish." 

So the boat capsized and all the courtiers were drowned. The boy then came walking to the king. The King said, "What did your companions do?" 

The boy replied, "Allah saved me from them." And he further said to the king, "You cannot kill me till you do what I command" 

The King said, "What is that command?" 

The boy said, "Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: `In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.' If you do this, you will be able to kill me.'' 

So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow, he shot it, saying, "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.'' 

The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed, "We believe in the Lord of the boy!'’ 

Then it was said to the king, "Do you see what has happened that which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have believed in the Lord of the boy.''

So he ordered that ditches be dug at the entrances to the roads and it was done, and fires were kindled in them. Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire.'' 

They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a woman and her baby whom she was breast feeding came and it was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire, so her baby said to her, "Be patient mother! For verily, you are following the truth!'' 

So she threw herself in the ditch of the fire along with her child, to be with the martyrs in paradise.

Muslim

Yusuf Dhu Nuwas was the last king of his line to rule Yemen from 517 - 525 AD. His ancestors followed a form of Monotheism but he can be confirmed to have converted to Judaism. Some say he had usurped the throne from the ruler, but whatever the case, the fact cannot be denied that after his ascension to the throne, he embarked on a  campaign to capture and destroy Christian cities and churches. These were generally a mix of Christian Ethiopians and Yemeni Christians. After he captured Najran in present day Saudi Arabia, he massacred all the inhabitants who would not give up Christianity with estimates speaking going up to 20,000 killed.

Ibn Ishaq in his book of Seerah says that the People of the Ditch and Dhu Nuwas' army were the same. The people of Najran began following the religion of the boy after he was killed which was Christianity but when Dhu Nuwas captured Najran, he gave the captives a choice of either converting to Judaism or keeping their Christian faith and when the captives refused, they were forced to die in a ditch filled with fire. News of this slaughter flew fare and wide, reaching the Byzantine emperor as well. This lead to the invasion of Yemen by armies from the Christian Axum kingdom with support from Byzantium. And Allah knows best.

May Allah grant us the courage to face adversity with faith like all those people who were killed did. May Allah grant them paradise and forgive our sins so that we can join them in paradise as well. Ameen

Abu Bakr's (May Allah be pleased with him) inaugural speech

The Prophet (PBUH) in his lifetime had given enough hints in this regard and based on that the Companions had chosen Abu Bakr as the Khalifa. But it did not mean that he was accepted by default. The general public still needed to take the oath of allegiance to him to show that they approved of his candidacy. Isn't that a form of democracy? 

The speech that Abu Bakr delivered before people took the oath is an eye opener about the qualities that he brought to the office and where he clearly defines his duties towards the people and what he expected from them in return. It was going to be a contract between him and the people based on the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. It also tells us about his own personality and beliefs that were based on his love and devotion towards Allah and His Messenger.

Abu Bakr began by praising and glorifying Allah. He then said, 

"O people, I have indeed been appointed over you, though I am not the best among you. If I do well, then help me; and If I act wrongly, then correct me. Truthfulness is synonymous with fulfilling the trust, and lying is tantamount to treachery. The weak among you is deemed strong by me, until I return to them that which is rightfully theirs, Allah willing. And the strong among you is deemed weak by me, until I take from them what is rightfully someone else's, Allah willing. No group of people abandons Jihad in the path of Allah, except that Allah makes them suffer humiliation. And wickedness does not become widespread among the people, except that Allah inflicts them with widespread calamity. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and Messenger. And if I disobey Allah and His Messenger, then I have no right to your obedience. Stand up now to pray, may Allah have mercy on you."

Ibn Kathir

We can gather the following points from the speech:

1. Abu Bakr's humility where he says that he isn't the best among the people and asks people to correct him if he goes wrong. This also establishes the concept of people having a say in how the nation would be run.
2. His love for justice and equality where he treats both the weak and the strong equally without prejudice towards or against anyone.
3. His emphasis on encouraging people to do good deeds and desist from evil.
4. His oath to govern by the laws that have been laid down in the Quran and use the Sunnah of the Prophet as an example.

We can see from his life after he became the Khalifa that these were not just words to him, he did more than what was enough to go beyond what he spoke about in his inaugural speech. If only our leaders would do the same, our society would be so different.

The Story of the Elephant - Surah Al-Fil (Elephant)

The Quran consists of 114 chapters or surahs that are arranged with the longer chapters coming before the shorter ones, at least in a rough manner. The 105th chapter of the Quran comprises of 5 short verses. When kids are being taught the Quran, this chapter is usually included in the list as well because of its small size and I was no exception. For me it was of special interest because of its name, Al-Fil or The Elephant in English. What sort of surah is this that talks about an animal? Surely a religious book isn't supposed to name chapters after silly things like animals? Well at least that's what I thought when I was memorizing it.

As I grew older and I started to read the translation of the Quran, this surah was I believe one of the first that I read. And what I found made me interested in it even more up to the point that it became one of my favourite Surahs.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1. Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
2. Did He not make their plot go astray?
3. And He sent against them birds, in flocks,
4. Striking them with stones of Sijjil (baked clay)
5. And He made them like (an empty field of) stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).

Being a school kid at the time, I was obviously into action movies and the story told in this chapter seemed right out of one those movies, kind of like the movie "The Ten Commandments" where Charlton Heston parts the sea for the children of Israel and the Egyptians drown while chasing them.

But now at this point in life I an attempt to fully understand what this Surah is all about. Even though the surah is not a big one, the small size doesn't take anything away from the themes it. The themes of Allah's power over everything, of man's arrogance against Allah, of Allah's justice where He uses a small bird to defeat the largest land animal, the elephant. I am sure there are more themes but at least these are some that spring to my mind easily.

The incident that is related in this surah is not just amazing but is of great significance to the world. But more on this later. The incident of the Elephant is really the story of one man, Abraha. Abraha had come to Arabia around 520 AD as part of the Christian Aksum army that set out from modern day Ethiopia to punish the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas for crimes against the Christians of the region (A subject matter that deserves its own post, Insha Allah). After Dhu Nuwas was defeated, Yemen became a colony of the Aksum empire with Abraha as its governor. In time Abraha rose to become the de facto ruler of Yemen paying nominal tribute to the King back home while setting up his capital in the city of Sana'a.

Abraha was a zealous Christian and he had constructed a great church in Sana'a called Al-Qullays which quickly acquired widespread fame. He encouraged the idea that Al-Qullays was purer than any other house of worship in the region because of never being defiled by the housing of idols. But even then noticed that the pagan Arabs continued visiting Makkah rather than the church in Sana'a. Religion in Arabia at that time was mostly pagan with some pockets of Jewish and Christian faith. Ibrahim along with Ismail (PBUT) had built the Kaaba centuries ago based on a monotheistic belief, a belief that had now changed into something that included idols and many gods. The pagans of the time believed in Allah as well but they had this concept of Allah being the "president of gods" with other gods such as Hubal, Lat, Uzza etc being on the godly panel which was why they still visited Makkah even though now the Kaaba was filled or surrounded by idols that numbered around 300.

Abraha either due to his zealous nature or realizing the loss of trade revenue because of Makkah was already in a bad mood when one of the Quraish, the ruling class of Makkah slipped into Sana'a and defiled the church, some say by defecating in it. This act of defilement incensed Abraha so much that he set off to destroy the Kaaba with an army of forty thousand that was led by an elephant called Mahmud along with other elephants. Many Arab tribes tried to fight him but were all defeated, the elephants being the main architect as no one had ever seen huge creatures.

When the army neared Makkah, they captured some livestock that belong to Abdul Mutallib who was one of the prominent leaders of Makkah. Abraha then sent an envoy to Makkah to explain his terms. This envoy said, "

"The king has sent me to tell you that he did not come here to fight you unless you fight him first. Rather, he came to destroy this house (meaning the Kaaba). Then he will leave you."

Abdul Mutallib replied, "We do not have the ability to fight him. We will not try to confront him."

Abraha's envoy returned to Abraha along with Abdul Mutallib and other leaders of the Quraish. Abraha knew about the prominence and prestige of Abdul Mutallib, on top of which his personality was very impressive. When he entered Abraha's tent, Abraha rose to greet him and seated him on the carpet beside his throne. During the conversation, Abdul Mutallib asked Abraha,

"My request is for the 200 camels that were taken from me during the attack to be given back to me"

Abraha was shocked at this request. He replied, 

"When my eyes fell upon you, I was so impressed by you that had you requested me to withdraw my army and go back to Yemen, I would have granted that request. But now, I have no respect for you. Why? Here I have come to demolish the House which is the religious centre of yours and of your forefathers and the foundation of your prestige and respect in Arabia, and you say nothing to save it; instead, you ask me to return your few camels back to you?!"

Abdul Mutallib simply replied,

"I am the owner of the camels therefore, I tried to save them, and this House has its own Owner Who will surely protect it."

Abraha was shocked to say the least, who wouldn't be? He handed over the camels to Abdul Mutallib and let them go. 

The next day Abraha readied his army to enter Makkah and destroy the Kaaba. The Quraish on the other hand had already left Makkah and gone to the hills to protect themselves. Before leaving Abdul Mutallib who sources say was a believer of Ibrahim's faith or Hanif held onto the door of the Kaaba and while crying asked Allah to protect His house.

Abraha ordered his army to march into Makkah but Mahmud, the elephant refused to move despite being being beaten and ordered to. When they ordered Mahmud to move towards another direction, he would do so immediately which surprised them immensely. 

Then Allah sent small birds in small groups from the west carrying two pebbles the size of lentils in their claws with one pebble in their beaks. These birds descended on Abraha's army and let loose a shower of pebbles. These pebbles were such that when a man was struck by them, they would simply pass through him killing him in the process. Within minutes, Abraha's huge army was destroyed with Abraha himself being seriously wounded. The survivors fled towards Yemen taking Abraha with them but he died on the way before reaching home.

The year this incident happened was 570 AD, and it became so famous in Arab history that afterwards it came to be known as the Year of the Elephant. For Muslims, the significance goes even further, because it was in this year that a boy was born to Abdullah, the youngest son of Abdul Mutallib. This boy would grow up to bring great changes in the world, changes that are evident to this day. The boy's name was Mohammed (PBUH).

Courage - What does it mean in our everyday lives?

Maya Angelou, the poet famously stated that, 

"Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you cant practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically but nothing consistently without courage."

While Winston Churchill said that,

"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities ... because it the quality that guarantees all others"

What is this Courage? This quality or virtue that is so highly rated from the ancients all the way down to modern philosophers. Is it a virtue that is embedded in everyone or is it something that an individual needs to develop based on his or her own own interest? And most importantly, how do we develop it?

These questions are such that there is no easy answer for them, which it makes it even more important for us to examine them closely.

1. What is Courage?

Nelson Mandela said, 

"I learned Courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear"

The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was once asked, "Which struggle is the most beloved to Allah?" 

The Prophet replied, "A word of truth in front of a tyrannical leader."

Ahmad

That in a nutshell is what Courage is all about. 

So Courage is not just a virtue that is restricted to its physical manifestation but its greater manifestation is its mental or emotional aspect. We all have gone through events in life that have challenged this very virtue of ours and we go through them on an every day basis. Most of the times, our Courage is tested by our own emotions. 

How easy is it to give into temptation and take that bribe someone is offering you? How easy is it to cheat on your spouse? How easy is it to spend your last dime gambling? How easy it to give into temptation and do drugs? How easy is it to fall into the clutches of porn? How often have we done something wrong, just because everyone was doing it or because it was convenient? These are some of the many innumerable questions that we all face everyday. In most cases than not, it is far more easier to lie down and let things go on as they have been rather than be strong enough to accept our shortcomings and try to change them.

The ability to stand up when everyone is urging you to sit down, the ability to speak up when everyone is urging you to be quiet, the ability to act when everyone is pushing you to surrender, the ability to accept your faults and correct them with or without anyone knowing about them and the ability to keep your emotions under check when everyone else is losing their head. That is Courage.

2. How do we get Courage?

No pharmacy sells Courage as a magic pill and neither does any library stock it on its shelves. It isn't taught in any universities and neither it can be handed down to us from our parents. I believe that with like every other virtue, Courage is a mix of two actions. We all possess Courage in whatever quantities that have been assigned to us by a higher being but how we manage it is something that has been left to us. If a person does not possess a shred of Courage, there is no way possible for him to develop it out of thin air. At the same time it is a virtue that needs constant nurturing for it to develop to its complete potential. Not everyone has the same "amount" of Courage and that is something beyond one's control but what is in our control is how do we make sure that this virtue doesn't grow weaker, if not stronger over time.

3. How do we develop Courage?

From all that we have seen earlier, we now come to the million dollar question. How do we develop it this elusive virtue on which seemingly rests the fate of mankind? The answer is actually easy and difficult at the same time. 

• Difficult because it is human nature to hate change. It loves absolutely loves status quo. It resists anything that will cause it to get up and make an effort, any effort. The first step would be to overcome this nature of ours, not to destroy it and turn into an emotionless machine of a person but to mould it so that we are its masters and not the other way round. Once we are our own master, we are open to what comes next.
• Easy because Courage is all around us. People that we meet or read or hear about all possess Courage and during their lives they demonstrate it in their actions, either explicitly or otherwise. Second step would be to use the people around us to inspire ourselves to change. See how their every day is a struggle against life itself and how do they manage to get through one day after the other. The mother who is battling an abusive husband and still managing to send her children to school. The father who is struggling with health issues but still managing to work so that his family does not suffer. These are some of the people we walk past every day at the bus stop or on the street.

History is littered with people who have displayed great Courage in the face of danger and adversity. None more so than a man named Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him). 

Abu Bakr is a famous figure in Islam but unfortunately not many know about him outside the Muslim world. Abu Bakr was one of the closest Companions of the Prophet and was his closest friend. Abu Bakr was known for his generosity and gentle nature. He was prone to crying especially when he recited the Quran. That was the character of Abu Bakr. And it is important to keep that in mind when we discuss the incident in question which is that of the Prophet's death. 

When the Prophet died, his Companions were so shocked, bewildered and confused that some sat down and were not able to stand, others lost their ability to speak, and yet others were in complete denial, refusing to believe that the Prophet had really died. Among the people of the last group was Umar ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him).

Umar was a man of forceful nature. He was tall, strong and firm in his resolve. He had completely rejected that the Prophet had died. Umar said, "The Prophet has not died, but rather he has gone to his Lord, just as Moses (PBUH) went, remaining absent from his people for forty nights. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah will indeed return to us, just as Moses returned to his people." Umar also threatened to cut the cut the hands and legs of anyone who claimed that the Prophet had died.

When Abu Bakr heard about the news of the Prophet's death, he rode to the Prophet's house and after confirmed his death, began to cry. He came out of the Prophet's mosque to find Umar still speaking to the people whilst in a fit of rage. 

Abu Bakr, "O Umar. Sit down", after which he started speaking those famous lines that are testament to his Courage.

He said, "Whoever used to worship Mohammed, then indeed had died. And whoever worships Allah, then indeed Allah is alive and does not die."

He then recited a verse from the Quran:

"Mohammed is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude." Chapter 3: 144

Umar later said, "By Allah, no sooner did I hear Abu Bakr recite that verse, than I fell down to the ground, for my two legs could no longer carry me. And I came to know that the Messenger of Allah had indeed died."

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said, "By Allah, it was as if the people didn't know that Allah revealed this verse until Abu Bakr recited it."

How did such a mild mannered and gentle natured man get this sort of resolve to manage a crisis? What did he possess more than anyone else at that time? The answer may be in what the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said, 

"Being loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

Abu Bakr's firm resolve and Courage were because of this love, the love he had for Allah and His Messenger. The same love that had inspired to make innumerable sacrifices all through out his life.

If we could do the same with our lives, try to take one simple step towards Courage before us and follow it up with the next and the next, we would truly be a people that would make a difference in not just our lives but inspire change in others too.