A slice of Ramadan dipped in a bowl of forgiveness
This is the second instalment of the threepart series of articles - the middle ten days of this beautiful, glorious and bountiful month called ‘Ramadan’ - the days of forgiveness. Islam teaches that Allah is Al-Ghaffur “The OftForgiving”, and is the original source of all forgiveness. Seeking forgiveness from Allah with repentance is a virtue.
This blessed month of Ramadan is an honored guest. Its virtues are clear and its blessings manifest. Let us grab this opportunity today and welcome this month of great rewards that has come to us in all its glory and beauty and thank God for giving us life to live it. Life is far too short, and the time we waste can never be regained. So let us make Ramadan a season and reason for forgiving and seeking forgiveness.
With its own unique spiritual air, enthusiasm, and excitement - its communal prayers and its Iftaar and Suhoor meals to which friends and family are invited - Ramadan has always been a very special month as it still is today. Muslims spend a month in an atmosphere of spiritual union and unity and by the end of this blessed month they experience the spiritual abundance of the Night of Power (Lailatul-Qadr) and together enjoy the festivities and peace of ‘Eid al-Fitr’ that follows. Join me to enjoy the joyful spirit of unity and oneness, love, respect, friendship, sincerity of speech and forgiveness.
Allow me to share a little story with you. Once upon a time there lived two neighbours. Those people living in this particular luscious and arable land had only one source of income which was crops. There were two such citizens. One was Sami (who was well-to-do because he was hardworking and did not cringe from putting in his own effort to grow fruits and vegetables) and the other was Fadi (who was lazy and possessed a temperament that was opposite to that of Sami). However, both neighbours were close in age and thus became acquaintances. Sami’s helpful nature and God-given touch to heal (using the locally available herbs) made him popular and soon he was surrounded by people. As days passed he was considered a Good Samaritan by the people.
Seeing this, Fadi became jealous of his neighbour’s wealth and fame. Sami, being a kind soul, did not want to disturb his neighbour further by his ‘Good Samaritan’ status and thus decided to move away from Fadi’s place. He went away to a distant village and settled there comfortably as a teacher of goodwill. And once again, because of his helpful nature, he was sought after by the village folks. His fame spread far and wide.
The king of a nearby kingdom also heard of Sami’s healing touch and decided to seek Sami’s help to cure his daughter. Sami agreed to do so and so went around the palace gardens and collected the herbs he would need to prepare the right concoctions. He succeeded in curing the princess. On seeing this, the king presented Sami with plenty of wealth and made him his Wazir. Sami lived in the palace happily for several years.
A few years later, Sami was curious to see his former dwelling and people. So he went back to his former home. When he walked towards his old dwelling, he saw a beggar. As he closely watched him, he realized that he was none other than his old friend Fadi who had pushed him into the well. However, Sami did not hold a grudge against him. In fact he went to him and asked in a rush, “Can you recognize me Fadi? What happened to you? I am your old friend Sami.” Now Fadi opened his mouth slowly with wonder and said, “You! You Sami! I had forced you to move away from your home.” Fadi bent his head with shame and wept for a while with sorrow. Fadi said, “Sami I have realized my mistake. I am no more jealous of you. Forgive me for my sins against you my friend. This illness is my punishment because I got it the day after you departed and has not left me since.”
Sami welcomed Fadi into his abode, embraced him and also cured him. He stayed in his old dwelling with Fadi for a few months and then when it was time for him to return to the kingdom, he gave Fadi enough money to start a business and permission to continue to stay back in his house.
This short story and my experiences in life have led me to believe that although learning to say ‘sorry’ is difficult, the act becomes easy if we are sincerely repentant. An apology will not destroy us but will make our hearts lighter. On the other side of the apology is the forgiver. That can be just as difficult to master. Truly forgiving isn’t just uttering a few words and moving on. We have to cease holding on to the past because it will only be a roadblock to future harmony. Learning to forgive can help us move forward in life. A good and strong person’s most powerful attribute is the ability to forgive. Forgiveness can be a powerful opportunity for reconnection both with the offender and with ourselves. May God bless us all with the strength to forgive others and courage to seek forgiveness. I end here with Alexander Pope’s legendary quote (which most definitely says it all) To err is human; to forgive, divine.
—Courtesy of the TIES Center: the TIES Center aims at empower Kuwait’s expats through social and educational services that promote a positive and productive role in society, and to facilitate opportunities for intra- and interfaith interactions that promote social solidarity. For more information, please call 25231015/6 or e-mail: info@tiescenter.net.