My Son a true heart at peace…
In an effort to bring my family closer together, my wife and I had agreed to have a few minutes after the Maghrib Salaah (Evening Prayer) made available for every member of the family to share what had experienced during the day, and to share what is planned for the next.
Some weeks had passed, and this was beginning to bear fruit, in that we as a family had some idea of what was happening to each of us. This was an absolute miracle, as we had a few months before not even talked to each other. We heard voices asking for stuff and demanding stuff and planning stuff and doing stuff that needed to get done. There had been so much of stuff happening in our lives, yet we had not been fulfilled. You know when there is that little ache in your heart that says to you ‘THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO THIS LIFE’.
As a reader, I had received a book from a work colleague. This book has influenced me in ways that are unbelievably profound. The book is by the Arbinger institute, titled Anatomy of Peace. The core of what this book brings forth for me is two fold.
First, we seem to spend too much on the little that is going wrong, whereas we should be spending more time on what is going right. There are more things going right in our lives than there are not. Secondly, we should follow our hearts more often, for the choices we create for ourselves can lead us to either honor our hearts or not to honor our hearts.
Back to the family story.
So one night, we had guest that join us, in our family discussion. We had somehow managed to get to the question. If Allah had to allow you to return to earth after your death, what would you do?
As we had given everyone a turn to share their thoughts and desires, every one of us, said we would return and be better that we were. On reflection it had to do with stuff, and very little with heart. Then my son Yaseen says to us. I will not return, for Allah is merciful, and I don’t have a guarantee that I will be better if I return. Allah is merciful.
This touched my heart, in that his heart was truly at peace, as his conviction in the mercy of Allah was unwavering. My Son, the teacher with a heart at peace.
