SOMETIMES PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN US ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE
Unconvinced by their need to bow before clay idols carved by themselves, Ibraheemعليه السلامasks his father,
(یَـٰۤأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعۡبُدُ مَا لَا یَسۡمَعُ وَلَا یُبۡصِرُ وَلَا یُغۡنِی عَنكَ شَیۡـࣰٔا)
“O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?”
He invites his father to follow a path that is straight,
(یَـٰۤأَبَتِ إِنِّی قَدۡ جَاۤءَنِی مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ مَا لَمۡ یَأۡتِكَ فَٱتَّبِعۡنِیۤ أَهۡدِكَ صِرَٰطࣰا سَوِیࣰّا)
“O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path,”
It might come to some as a surprise that a son is correcting his father.
Sometimes people younger than us are more knowledgeable or have a better understanding of a subject. We should be open to listening to the words of goodness irrespective of speaker’s age, skin color or worldly status. We also learn adawahtip from this story. Kind speech has been a repetitive reminder in the fewayaatthat we have studied.
We should be mindful of our tone and words when we call people to Allaah’s Deen. We need to soften their hearts so that they may actually listen and not repel them with our harshness or disrespect. Moreover, we should be prepared to expect a repulsive or rude behavior from the other person. When that happens we should not lose our cool. Recall the times Prophet ﷺ endured abuse and hostility for Allaah’s sake. If we are truly concerned about someone’s guidance we will let go of their uncouth behavior.
HOLD ON TO YOUR PRAYERS
Straying away from the path of Muhammad ﷺ is not a small matter that can be pushed aside by arguments and justifications. Allaah سبحانه وتعالىsays,
(۞ فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِۖ فَسَوۡفَ یَلۡقَوۡنَ غَیًّاl
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