The Forgotten Jewel

Posted under Seeds, Teaching by Radiant Light

“Men are respectable only as they respect”

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

Assalamualaykum WaRahmatuAllah

Respect is something we all try to have, It starts from within us and then extends out.
First comes self respect … then respect for the people and things around you.

Respect truly is one of the things that when sown is reaped. Respect brings about harmony in differences. But unfortunately quite often this is not the case, in many a situations, respect is either one sided, or not given at all.

But what causes this total lack of respect?

Allah has created us all with a sense of ghira, which is basically self respect, this stops us from doing wrong. Then He also taught us the necessity of respecting each other, and that utmost He is the one who gives and takes respect.

Allah is the embodiment of respect.
Allah being our creator still respects “us” … even though in comparison to our lord we are nothing. Allah still respects us. How?

Think about it … even though Allah has mapped out our destiny (Taqdeer), Allah still gave us free will … respecting that us as humans need this.
Then Allah granted us His mercy and forgiveness, knowing that we are insaan (humans) and we forget and commit sins, Allah granted us that much respect and honour that He would forgive us for the sins we commit and not hold us accountable for our mistakes.
Our Lords mercy upon us is His respect for us, Did we not have this where would we be?

Allah has always commanded that we live amongst ourselves with respect for each other, Islam teaches to have respect for ones brother, ones wealth, ones belongings, It teaches us to respect everything and everyone around us down to the small insects that travel the ground (Remember the story of Sulaymaan and The Ants)

But we as Muslims seem to have forgotten this great aspect of our religion. Instead of respecting differences what seems to come about are more quarrels and fights.
We have all been made individually different, unique, no-body will ever 100% hold the same opinion or thoughts as anybody else.

It is necessary for us as an Ummah to learn to respect one another in all situations.

In our dealings with another we must remember not everyone sees eye to eye all the time.
In times of argument, respect that others have a different argument, and even if you are right, have some self respect be the better one and leave the argument.
At times of disappointment in some one remember everyone makes mistakes, and if Allah can forgive us day in day out, who are we to hold grudges and judge.

If we embodied the respect that Islam teaches us in all our dealings and in our day to day life, we truly would be a more successful ummah :)
Take heed from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), that was a society carved upon respect, were they not the greatest of people? Were they not the best of the Ummah?

WaAlaykumAssalam WaRahmatuAllah