An online mirror

Today I had the honour and privilege (although before I used to call it a headache ) to teach a few kids for a few hours. I was a substitute. Since I have not done that for quite a while I was taken away by the fun time I had with these guys. It was a cool time, but more importantly I learned a few things by just watching them and listening to them that are amazing that as older people don’t sometimes pick up from them we are usually in the midset of “we are older” so we pass over these lessons and these  young teachers while we are unaware.

1- In professions that are highly stressful it is highly advised for professionals in this field to seriously take part of hobbies outside their career that will recharge them for work so they do not burn out. Ever watch kids play their bodies out in a play groung although 2 min ago they were all writing quietly in class?

2-Trust is one of the key feelings we hope to express and feel with others. It opens up the doors to friendship and help, because without trust there is no talking. Kids come and tell you stories that analogous to things we as adults keep reserved at many times because of embarassment, or we think no one is interested, or it is a waste of time, or whatever. Although they obviously would make comments like “eww” or “that’s a dumb story” when they are listening to one another but overall they open up way faster compared to us.

3-One of the worst feelings to feel after you have helped people for a while is that they are not grateful back and forget totally how you stood by them oneday. Walking in the hallway and meeting kids I have not seen in a year and they come with a big smile just to say salam and say the miss you is lots of fun. Its amazing really how they are grateful that one day you took the time for them. All of us are hopefully grateful to people who have bee on our side but really kids do it beautifully and innocently.

To cap this off read what Ibn Qudama mentions as an etqiuette of a teacher towards a student in his book Mokhtasr Minhajul Qasideen (rough translation is done by me just to get the idea otherwise for real appreciation go to an official translation):

“… does not see from himself a grace towards the students, but sees the due is owed to them because they prepared their hearts to get closer to Allah the Most Exalted by putting knowledge in them, so they are like the person who lends a land for someone to plant in it…”

I was very fortunate to attend a great workshop yesterday by br Ahmad Deif, who is really good at presenting the topic. One great thing he mentioned about the way we apporach our actions and assess them is to be like Omar ibn Al Khattab. During the incident of the treaty of Hudaibiya Omar ibn Al Khattab was furious, he saw that the treaty went againt everything Islam stood for and what he believed. He could not stand still trying to convince the Prophet peace be upon him, talking to Omar, and while thinking in his head. The key here is contradiction.

Although obviously there was greater wisdom in what happened, the lesson here is very interesting how many of us feel that kind of emotion when we feel our own actions are contradictory? Or do we just go along in life without any feeling of guilt or sadness?

The other day as light hit my textbooks from the window I was thinking about the relationship between worship and nature. It is amazing that the majore rituals in Islam make a very strong connection between people and nature. Ritual Prayers have a precondition of ritual purity, in which a person must be pure using water or its substitute from the earth. The timings of prayer are measured by changes in nature and when we pray we put our head on the ground as well.

If we move to Prayer’s sisters worship the spending of obligatory alms giving (Zakah) we find that you give up natural things that God created for you to others who don’t have them.

Fasting is an appreciation of nature because you give up natural habits for a full month. It makes you more sensitive, conscienctious and perhaps reflective (If you dont believe me read the Prophet peace be upon’s brilliant supplication when he sees the Crescent of Ramadan)

Finally Hajj… what a journey. A long journey by land and sea… and appreciation of Allah’s beautiful creation as you go and perform the prilgrimage and seeing various kinds of people from all over the globe.

Worship then should make us look at nature differently and live with it with a different attitude. The connection with the Creator of nature along with constant connection with nature should facilitate that feeling in us.