Forgiving...

I still want to share about what had happen yesterday. It was such a great day for me. I am not good public speaker but I take a challenge to give a talk on health yesterday in front of big crowd. I already take my first baby step. No doubt it is a small step to a long journey but I felt great about it.

I always felt nervous when I need to do something but not yesterday. I practiced visualization that has been teaches by Prof Dr M when I attend her motivational talk.

For example, if you’re afraid about exam, just visualize in your mind everyday that you will sit in the exam hall, you will answer all of it correctly and you will left the hall happily. Always visualize it and you will encounter whatever things that happen in your life accordingly.

I practice it. I visualize that I will give a good talk in front audience, I visualize that I am a good speaker and I visualize all the good things that I will do on that day. Alhamdulillah, I manage to go through it.

I always believe that I am sick before this. But now I never think that I am sick. I believe that I am healthy. Beside that, I always felt that I am fat before this. But by starting to have a good visualization about myself, I manage to lose 4kg.

I always felt that I will never get married before. But now I always visualize everyday that I will married someone that can accept me as I am and will understand me in whatever things I do. I will have 10 cute and beautiful children. I visualize everything. I think visualization is such a good practice as you will face life positively. Beside that, I think visualizing a good thing is like making a prayer to Allah. It makes us to have good perception towards Allah.

Prof Dr M also said one thing that was so important. What should you do to make sure that you get everything that you want in life? You need to forgive others.

There is a great story in Islam about forgiving. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most forgiving person. He was ever ready to forgive his enemies. When he went to Ta’if to call the people to Islam, its people mistreated him. They abused him and hit him with stones.

He left the city humiliated and wounded. When he took shelter under a tree, the angel of Allah visited him and told him that Allah sent him to destroy the people of Ta’if because of their sin of mistreating their Prophet. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed to Allah to save the people of Taif, because what they did was out of their ignorance. He said, “O Allah, guide these people, because they did not know what they were doing.”

When he entered the city of Makkah after the victory, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had in front of him some of his staunchest enemies. Those who fought him for many years, persecuted his followers and killed many of them. Now he had full power to do whatever he wanted to punish them for their crimes. It is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked them, “What do you think I shall do to you now?” They pleaded for mercy. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Today I shall say to you what Joseph…” (referring to Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, as mentioned in the Qur’an, Yusuf 12:92) “…said to his brothers, ‘No blame on you today. Go, you are all free.” Soon they all came and accepted Islam at his hands. He forgave even Hind who had caused the murder of his uncle Hamza, may Allah be pleased with him. After killing him she had his body mutilated and chewed his liver. When she accepted Islam, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, even forgave her.

"Those who control their anger and are forgiving towards people; Allah loves the good." (Qur'an, 3: 134)

History...

Yesterday has already become history for me. For the first time in my life, I give a health talk in front villagers in such a huge hall. When I was invited to give the speech, one of my friends came and said that Prof want it to be fast. I plan to talk a lot but the time given for me was limited.

I don’t felt regretted for what had happen. Why? Because my other friends already deliver all the things that I want to say during their presentation. The night before, they asked a lot of things and I just give them all the ideas.

“Ummu, what can I say about breastfeeding?” (The topic on breastfeeding was really close to me because I was the one that has been given the task to talk about it during pediatric posting. I was also asked to demonstrate using a model the right way to breastfeed child during obstetric and gynecology posting).

“Ummu, how can I correlate between stress and solat?”

“Ummu, what are the 5 things that Rasulullah asked us to grab? The hadis that said that we must grab something before something? What is the hadis?”

“Ummu, what Islam said about health? What are the verses in the Quran that said about health?”

And whatever I said to them that night, they deliver it during their presentation.

Do you want to know who my friends are? They are the one that has been said as IRRELIGIOUS by one of my lecturer.

When I heard to their presentation yesterday, I felt that I want to cry. Allah teaches me a lot of things yesterday.

I can’t tell much but there was a time in my life that I am giving up with my group. My group was recognized as the worst group among the all the groups in my batch. The dean of clinical wants to meet my group since our first posting because of the problems that we create.

Whenever I gave a tazkirah in front of my colleagues, I always felt that I want to cry. I always wondering, where is the syabab like Mus’ab that will talk and do a lot of things about Islam? I am always wondering about my male colleagues.

I and one of my usrah mates met my lecturer and ask that we want to have a tazkirah (reflection) session every morning. My lecturer agrees with it. I create the timetables. Everyone in the group will have to give reflection. The reflection sessions really benefit everyone and I can see the changes in my friends right now.

When they deliver their speech in front of the villagers yesterday, I felt that my colleagues will bring back Islam. I felt that I was like looking at Mus’ab at that moment. I always believe that Islam will become victorious one day.

Allah has put me in the best group ever. There is great ajr (reward) in every difficulty. Sometimes I felt that the journey of dakwah is full of bitterness. But when I look at all these things, I can felt such a great feeling that I myself can’t describe it.

Yesterday is history but it teaches me something. Don't judge people, regardless of what the do or say, look for the good in them and keep your duty to them as a Muslim sister/brother. Love your brethren Fi'sabilillah, and don't worry about the rest. Insha'Allah Allah will take care of it; after all He is The Best of All Judges, The Most Knowing, and The Most High.

Thank you Allah for teaching me such a great lesson yesterday!