'Alright, I'll see you all next week' their teacher said, as they all packed up their books calling it a day.
Aisha's mother had arrived 10 minutes earlier & had decided to wait for her at the hall way She was seated on the bench opposite their classroom door, so she got to hear when the class was dismissed.
She stood up & prepared a bright smile as she keenly looked out for her daughter.
'Assalamu Alaikum sweetheart' 'wa Alaikumussalaam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu Umma!' Beamed Aisha in response as she hastened to hug her mother.
'I hope you had a splendid day' Her mother asked. 'Yes umma, Alhamdulillaah!' Aisha replied while they both walked down the hall towards the parking lot.
'I couldn't help but overhear your teacher asking for a Volunteer to represent your school & give a speech at the upcoming Youth Development Summit'
'Yes umma, its coming up next week in sha Allaah, we're all invited but one person gets to speak in front of all those thousands of people on any relevant topic regarding challenges facing the youth of today'
'That's superb, but why didn't you offer to volunteer?'
'Me? Ummaa, umm...I don't knowww, I mean, what do I know, plus, there are lots of others better than me, & I didn't want to seem like I was being proud choosing myself to give the speech, was hoping my teacher would choose me on his own or something, thought i should be modest..'
'hmm, may Allah bless you Aisha. But you have misunderstood what it means to be modest and what it means to be proud. You for one, are gifted by Allah with such eloquence & wisdom & this is an area you have always been passionate about, sharing your knowledge & ideas with the world. It has always been your dream to pass inspiring messages to the world and be a part of it's betterment, so why would you let such a golden opportunity pass you by?
My darling It is far from modesty to refuse to utilize the gifts you have been granted by Allah, & it is far from pride to acknowledge that you have certain skills and to use them to benefit yourself and others, it is infact a form of showing gratitude for that gift!
Pride is looking down on others and thinking you are better off because of the gifts you have which they don't have, forgetting that everyone is gifted in their own way. And modesty is the exact opposite of this, not denying your blessings altogether.
And about whether or not there is someone better than you at this, perhaps there is, or about how you may not do it well enough, you wouldn't know until you try. And if you make mistakes you learn from them, if you find others who are better, you learn from them too. But you must never use others as yardsticks to measure your own value or growth. Ramember what I said about everyone being gifted differently? Always remember that & feel grateful.
So whether it is solving math problems, giving speeches, writing, sewing, cooking, coordinating, you name it, if you have the ability, go for it!
And one more thing, as Muslims we must always remember that being ambassadors of Islam requires us to strive towards excellence in everything we do. Let your voice be heard, as a voice that speaks truth & wisdom, let your actions be virtuous & exemplary. Let us be upright & bold in striving for the best in this life & the next so that we are walking messages to others, attracting them towards to this beautiful way of living which is Islam.
So give me your word that you will never let an opportunity like this pass you by?
'In sha Allah I wouldn't umma' smiling sincerely at her mother.
'BarakAllahu feeki my darling' umm Aisha said as she smiled right back!
Aisha's mother had arrived 10 minutes earlier & had decided to wait for her at the hall way She was seated on the bench opposite their classroom door, so she got to hear when the class was dismissed.
She stood up & prepared a bright smile as she keenly looked out for her daughter.
'Assalamu Alaikum sweetheart' 'wa Alaikumussalaam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu Umma!' Beamed Aisha in response as she hastened to hug her mother.
'I hope you had a splendid day' Her mother asked. 'Yes umma, Alhamdulillaah!' Aisha replied while they both walked down the hall towards the parking lot.
'I couldn't help but overhear your teacher asking for a Volunteer to represent your school & give a speech at the upcoming Youth Development Summit'
'Yes umma, its coming up next week in sha Allaah, we're all invited but one person gets to speak in front of all those thousands of people on any relevant topic regarding challenges facing the youth of today'
'That's superb, but why didn't you offer to volunteer?'
'Me? Ummaa, umm...I don't knowww, I mean, what do I know, plus, there are lots of others better than me, & I didn't want to seem like I was being proud choosing myself to give the speech, was hoping my teacher would choose me on his own or something, thought i should be modest..'
'hmm, may Allah bless you Aisha. But you have misunderstood what it means to be modest and what it means to be proud. You for one, are gifted by Allah with such eloquence & wisdom & this is an area you have always been passionate about, sharing your knowledge & ideas with the world. It has always been your dream to pass inspiring messages to the world and be a part of it's betterment, so why would you let such a golden opportunity pass you by?
My darling It is far from modesty to refuse to utilize the gifts you have been granted by Allah, & it is far from pride to acknowledge that you have certain skills and to use them to benefit yourself and others, it is infact a form of showing gratitude for that gift!
Pride is looking down on others and thinking you are better off because of the gifts you have which they don't have, forgetting that everyone is gifted in their own way. And modesty is the exact opposite of this, not denying your blessings altogether.
And about whether or not there is someone better than you at this, perhaps there is, or about how you may not do it well enough, you wouldn't know until you try. And if you make mistakes you learn from them, if you find others who are better, you learn from them too. But you must never use others as yardsticks to measure your own value or growth. Ramember what I said about everyone being gifted differently? Always remember that & feel grateful.
So whether it is solving math problems, giving speeches, writing, sewing, cooking, coordinating, you name it, if you have the ability, go for it!
And one more thing, as Muslims we must always remember that being ambassadors of Islam requires us to strive towards excellence in everything we do. Let your voice be heard, as a voice that speaks truth & wisdom, let your actions be virtuous & exemplary. Let us be upright & bold in striving for the best in this life & the next so that we are walking messages to others, attracting them towards to this beautiful way of living which is Islam.
So give me your word that you will never let an opportunity like this pass you by?
'In sha Allah I wouldn't umma' smiling sincerely at her mother.
'BarakAllahu feeki my darling' umm Aisha said as she smiled right back!
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