Forbearance [1]
On Virtues of Knowledge,
Magnificent Benefits Due To Its
Superiority
Allah Almighty said,
Koran [58:11]:
“Allah will
raise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees),
those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge”
And again, Koran [39:9]:
"Are
those equal, those who know and those who do not
know?”
Prophet Peace Be Upon Him
said:
“The
scholars are the inheritors of the Prophethood.”
“Seek
knowledge even as far as China.”
“The sleep
of the scholars better than the worship of the
ignorant.”
There are two kinds of
knowledge:
The physical knowledge and the
Spiritual/religious knowledge
The knowledge wafts towards
the gates of the Lord, not
towards the wealth, desires and pomp. What knowledge you possess (no
matter how
insignificant) [2] put into useful action, seek
more knowledge even
while at
daily work.
Forbearance first—A must! [3]
Then follows the knowledge…
Let the book-knowledge benefit
your forbearance [4].
Knowledge without forbearance the dust of the valley, knowledge with
forbearance the respect and honor.
Life without knowledge
shall murder the heart; a barren
branch shall only bear the fruits of deception [5].
The ignorant
benefits from
power and wealth, thus the reward for impatience arrives fast.
A man without knowledge is a
sea-sponge for the pain [6]
The pearl of wisdom only found
in depth of the oceans
One without knowledge
definitely lost and misguided, his
hands shall never reach the other hearth. Knowledge guides Mankind to
bliss,
ignorance guides Mankind to fire of hell. Knowledge the cause for
prosperity
and comfort, at peace indeed found the one in company of knowledge.
Hard at work each day the
people of knowledge and arts
Each night their bosoms the
galaxies and their reason the
stars
Once Mankind’s endurance
couples with knowledge, then they
recognize all that is left only the folk and forbearance. [7]
Forbearance begets the
knowledge
Just like the hardness of
rocks begets the jewels [8]
End.
Haitian student, that heart
pulsating the wheel of cosmos
and that reason the glittering of stars. Aweless stands upon the edge
of the universe, the very edge of infinite misery where the humanity
paused,
when the
most brave hearts lost to the horrors of ignorance and infamy…
Haitian student, that jewel
the garnet of humanity the
crystal of forbearance glittering underneath the glance of the Beloved…
Haitian student, that blossom
upon the soundless branches of
endurance, blooming with odoriferous light within the abject darkness
of
amnesia…
Haitian student, that Noah’s
Ark sailing the vexed waves of
adversities, anchoring upon the lofty Ayiti (mount) of the Beloved…
[1] The
Koranic/Arabic word for forbearance is ‘Helm’.
‘Helm’ is the attribute of a soul that is not moved by anger easily,
and if
hate or denial comes his way is not defeated.
[2]
Allah loves people who are useful and provide service
for others. No matter what knowledge you have, say you know how to make
coffee,
on a cold day offer hot coffee to people. If you know how to clean, if
you have
an old neighbor clean their lawns. The man who puts the knowledge in
practical
use for fellow man, shall fall madly in love with the Beloved.
[3] Is
there hate within you? Anger and animosity? Then your
heart empty of mystic spiritual knowledge! Are you facing the betrayal
and hate
of people with clemency? Are you rising above your ego and arrogance to
see the
true/beautiful face of your brother and sister? Then knowledge is
pouring into your
heart.
[4]
The reverse is to wallow in gentleness and clemency,
when even the secular knowledge enhances your spiritual enlightenment
into more
forbearance.
[5]
Human heart without knowledge is like a barren branch.
Deception is the only fruit it can bear. Deceiving one’s own self that
there is
something useful on this branch or deceiving others that the person has
something valuable within.
[6]
‘Sea-sponge for pain’ means a) unlike pearl the
sea-sponge is so common all over the ocean; b) It absorbs pain for its
owner
and washes off on others much pain.
[7]
When a man endures the pain and betrayals of this life,
when the denials and deprivations cause the transparent welding of
knowledge
and forbearance, suddenly the lover’s heart enlightened with the
fragrance of
cognizance: There is only people—their misdeeds of no importance—and
the lover
drowned in forbearance.
[8]
The immense hardness and pressure of rocks form the
crystal of jewels. The same way the harshness of trials and their
immense
pressure on the heart causes the crystallization of forbearance into
knowledge.
Background:
Haitian students study under a
streetlight outside one of the few homes that can afford to operate a
gasoline-powered electric generator.
©
2003-2002, Dara Shayda
