LANALLAH __Islamic BlogZine__: REPEL EVIL WITH GOOD

LANALLAH __Islamic BlogZine__

Saturday, March 05, 2005

REPEL EVIL WITH GOOD

"Repel evil with that which is best" Qur'an Verse 23:96.

There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness. A ficticious story with a moral:

Once upon a time when everything could talk, the Wind and the Sun fell into an argument as to which was the stronger.

Finally, they decided to put the matter to a test.

They would see which one could make a certain man, who was walking along the road, throw off his cape.

The Wind tried first.

He blew and he blew.

The harder and colder he blew, the tighter the traveller wrapped his cape about him.

The Wind gave up and the Sun to try.

The Sun began to smile and as it grew warmer and warmer, the traveler was comfortable once more.

But the Sun shone brighter and brighter until the man grew so hot that the sweat poured off his face.

He became weary and, seating himself on a stone, he threw the cape to the ground.
Gentleness had accomplished what force could not.

"Those who patiently persevere, ......; and turn off Evil with Good: for such there is the Final attainment of the (Eternal) home." Qur'an Verse 13:22.

As a poet said: "Use a sweet tongue, courtesy and gentleness, and thou mayest manage to guide an elephant with a hair." Such is the power of gentleness.

Force more often than not is futile because it offers a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

Force is met with resistance, it represses, suppresses and oppresses.

Gentleness addresses the problem, it alleviates, mitigates and obviates the pain of others.

"Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself", by Max Lucado.

How do I treat my family? Do I try to force them to comply with my wishes, or does the warmth of my smile encourage them to work with me as a team? How do I handle my co-workers? How do I interact with my neighbours? Am I curt and cold or compassionate and caring?

When we treat others with gentleness, it shows that we value and respect them. They may be upset and speak to us angrily, but our gentle persevering response will soothe their irritability and calm them down.

Respect is earned, just as trust is. Should you abuse either, your reward will be neither.
Isn't it true that only those with faults complain about the faults of others?
So, the fewer faults we have, the greater our gentleness, tolerance and compassion will be.

Gentleness is the mark of the spiritual person, one who sees the commonality of all.
It is the recognition that despite our differences, we are all the same, the offspring of Adam (pbuh), travellers of this voyage called life towards our one and only Creator God the Almighty.
It is easier for older people to be gentle, for their long experience has made them realize they are guilty of every fault they see in others; so, how can they hold it against them?

True, we will not always agree with everyone all the time, but sabr (patience) is the understanding that we can walk hand-in-hand without seeing eye-to-eye.
Let's not wait until we are old to be gentle.

"Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me."

We climb the highest peak one step at a time and we make a difference in the world one act at a time.

A gentle smile, an encouraging pat on the back, a word of praise, a friendly hand, a warm hug and a tender look are all small acts, which, when added up, have a huge impact on the lives of others.

To become who you want, you must first become who you are.

Gentleness is a way of life.

It is the conduct of love.

It is a balm that lessens the suffering of others.

Blessed are the gentle who give of their time to help the sick, the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless, the needy, the mentally ill and those in prison.

Whether good or bad and whether right or wrong, our actions affect others.

An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather.

"Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal.
Repel (Evil) with what is better:
Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were they friend and intimate!" Qur'an Verse 41:34.

Patience to faith is like the head to the body. The person who has no patience has no faith. (Ali ibn abi Talib).

¶ 11:34 PM