December 11': Throwing Away the Dates

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Throwing Away the Dates
Abdullah Rahim

The heat of the day was intolerable. No matter how much water he drank, the thirst returned after a few moments. The enemy was just a few hundred yards away and to say that he and his friends were out-numbered, was an understatement.

He could hear it in his mind, like a never-ending echo coming from the heavens. It said, “Hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden broader than the Heaven and Earth which has been prepared only for the pious.” As per his habit as a son of the desert, he put some dates in his mouth. Then suddenly, he realised that all that was standing between him and his Lord were these dates. He smiled, and said “Bakhin Bakhin” (bravo bravo!). He threw the dates away and rushed towards the enemy like a drop of rain that falls on dried land. A few moments later, he met his Lord.

Today, I sit on a couch in the comfort of my home with a mug of tea in my hand … my enemy is not any where in front of me, rather is within me ... inside me ... a part of me. It is stronger and more difficult to defeat than any external enemy. I ask myself, what is it that stands between me and my Lord? What stops me from defeating my ego, laziness and greed? Is it only some dates? … or is it much more than that? Do I have enough sincerity to recognise what is standing in between? ...  And most importantly, can I throw it away as easily as Umair ibn al-Himaam did in his last moments during the battle of Badr?

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