It was not too long ago, there lived a President in a huge palace built on the banks of the River Tigris. He claimed that he had in his possession weapons of mass destruction. The countries of the world took notice of this fact and decided to destroy his stockpile of weapons. They sent in inspectors to do the job. The inspectors stayed there for eight years disarming the President. In the end, he was left without any weapons of mass destruction.
Bisons position themselves ready to gore if other wild animals try to molest its calf. A smudged mother draws back her child away from the cooking heat. A bird feeds its fledgling. And other such same old stories….
Flying rapidly and throwing itself on to the hands of a man, naturally this unusual incident raised the fellowmen’s eyebrows. This parent bird seems to say, “Please spare my child and take me instead.” Seeing this, the fellowmen astonished, what kindness, what mercy!...
Once the members of the Security Council gathered in the United Nations and held a meeting. They always had their meetings there once or twice in a year. When the United Nations was not in session the building would be thrown open to the public for sightseeing. The seat near the window was always reserved for the Chairman of the Security Council.
They began their meeting by settling a few disputes and complicated cases of the world quickly. Being wise and just people, they took much less time to dispense justice than the judges of today do to settle disputes and cases. The session over, they got down to the most important matter that had brought them together for such an important meeting. They had gathered to discuss ways and means to save themselves from being called away often to the U.N Headquarters to solve the trifling problems of the world...
Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from evil). (Holy Quran 30:41)
The last World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, brought to the fore more questions rather than answers for the problems confronting the world community. For many, the summit provided for an introspection that questioned the very need or efficacy for such mega conferences when little was being done after each of these ‘get togethers’ of world leaders. “Why are there so many who cannot read or write when, every day, human intelligence breaks through to the seemingly unknowable parts of knowledge?”, asked Thabo Mbeki, the president of South Africa. “Why does the accumulation of wealth produce human misery? Who and what is to blame? What shall we do? What should we do? A message must come from this original home of all humanity that we are ready and prepared to be judged not by the number of resolutions we adopt but by the speed and commitment with which we implement our agreements.”
Ramadan has ended but only for 2003. Allah remains even in Shawwal and after. After Ramadan the spirit wanes but should it be allowed to die? Keeping the momentum of Faith and the joy of righteous deeds is the Struggle of Ramadan. The Sahabah would grieve with the passage of this holy month for months thereafter. The case of wishing “she was still here” and the sentiments of being disappointed the way we treated this guest is well useless. The poet says:
Do you neglect your beloved while you are their neighbour?
Then seek them out once their visitation requires travel and labor?
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