The Power of Words

In the Name of Allah , the Compassionate , the Merciful.
Dear Ones,

Salam to all.

In my ELIT training we learn about the power of words. We learn how what we tell ourselves daily is what shapes how we feel, how we think and how we act.

Words are the expression of our inner truths and when we hear the soft gentle words someone says to us, we feel encouraged in our hearts. When we hear harshness and criiticisms and when we hear severe admonishments, our heart shrinks, we feel downcast and low, we feel bad.

It is not in man's nature to want to be fearful, neither is it in man's nature to respond positively to constant harangues and criticisms and hellfire and brimstone.

I have often wondered why I turned deaf when I hear a person speak in a certain tone of voice, whether the person was a religious speaker or my teacher, When the pitch became high and scolding , and holier than thou, I found that my ears switched off, my face became blank and I no longer registered what was being said. Now I understand it is my natural mechansim to stop the words from wounding my heart.

One of my patients health was improving , he was having a very low self esteem, and was a highly anxious individual who, although highly intelligent , always failed to perform up to expection. I had counselled, treated him with my brand of healing using prayers and zikr as well as positive affirmations and healing energy. It so happened that the last time he came was pre elections and he had planned to attend some political rallies. I' m afraid I had to stop him from going, for I had said to him, if the rally involved cursing and bringing people down, if it involved resentment and hate and mudslinging, then it may undo all the progress that we had achieved with his condition.

My most favourite political figures as I have said before are those who can speak their truths without having to villify others and this of course includes my most adored Abu Urwah ! I m afraid I have not been to any recent poltical rallies so cannot compare this with any recent politicians, which is why I have not expanded my favourites list beyond Abu Urwah because I know this brother well enough to have a high opinion of his ability to speak his truths without having to incite hate and anger.

On another Muslim list, one of the subject lines was Friday kutbah. There was a serious discussion about whether or not one could be excused from attending the kutbah since many thought that the kutbah they had been exposed to was more hurtful than productive , with it's curses on people, damning to hell and mudslinging.

Surely in the words we often utter, BismillahiRahmanni Rahim are the words compassionate and merciful. Surely it is Allah's right to punish and surely it is also Allah 's right to forgive and to reward. I have been taught and often told that God's compassion exceeds God's punsishment and , I remember a surah from the Quran that has words that went
Famahilil Kafirina Amhilhum ruwaidah....And towards the Kafirin deal with them with gentleness.

I remember words of a song I learnt from one of my favourite movies, the Sound of Music when the new governess was going to her job to teach and look after seven children and one of the things she was reminding herself was

"I must be firm but kind!"

How can we learn firm kindness?
How can we learn to hate the deed but not the person , for people are all God's creatures and hate is not a fire that should exist in a peaceful heart. Anger should be directed towards righting wrongs , not wasted in the form of burning resentments, as in a saying in my beloved languange, "seperti api dalam sekam". ( like a fire smouldering in the chaff)

IN surah At Tin, God said of man, Laqad Khalaqnal Insana Fi Ahsani Takweem, Thumma radadnahu Asfalasafilin, Ilallathina Amanu wa amilsalihat Watawa saubil Haq , Watawasaubil Sabr.
which means and I am only loosely translating acording to my understanding:

We created man in the best of forms, and then we caused man to be the lowest of the low, except those who have iman, and do good deeds and remind each other about Truth and remind each other to be patient.

I have not translated iman, because I believe this special word means more than faith . To me iman is a deep sense of being Godly of having peace in the heart, of having love and compassion, a longing for communion with God and, from this, also a longing to lovingly help and guide his fellow creatures as best we can without harbouring any manipulated hate in our hearts towards any group of people . God has a right to be angry with nations, with groups of people , but do we have the same right?
When I say manipulated hate I mean hate that is planted in our hearts by well meaning people who believe that hate is part of iman.

In this I have a story to tell, I have a relative who taught his son to step on the photo of a certain Prime Minister and taught his son to hate this man. When this son grew up, he stepped on his father's authority and hated his parents . When we teach a person to hate, the hate becomes a part of the personality , and who knows where the hate will be directed.?

Yes there are devilish people in this world, and God put them there so that the ones whose humanity is still intact can through their experience with these devilish people grow in spirit, wisdom and angelic qualities.As the Quran say,

Ma Khalaqta Hatha Batila, Nothing was created in vain.

Everything has a reason, a person who understands this will find the silver lining in every cloud, will rise above any suffering and find his humanity , at the same time raising others to experience humanity with him/her.