SALAHUDDIN AL-AYUBI (The Liberator Of Jerusalem) -I
by Dr. Mahmoud Esmail Sieny " The answer to an ill-deed is an ill-deed or the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth his reward is with Allaah. Surely, He does not love wrong doers." (Al Quran 42:40) History tells us that when Sultan Salahuddin regained Jerusalem from the invading and ruthless Crusaders, who had ninety years earlier massacred and savagely treated its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, he met a group of Latin Christian women who addressed him, "O Sultan! You see that we are leaving. Among us are mothers, wives, daughters or sisters to the soldiers in captivity with you. These men are our support in life, and if we lose them we will lose everything. But if you leave them for our sake, you will be giving us back our lives." At this our hero Salahuddin smiled and he gave orders that the sons and husbands of those women were to be set free. He went even further and gave money to the women whose supporters were killed in the battle. An irate Frenc...
My first response was "how creative"! Then my thought, based on own experiences with spiritual disciplines is a question: "How can we turn our obligations and prayer life into something life-giving, joyous and even simplified? That is the question I ask self about three times a week.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I get a few answers. But I'd love to hear first from you, Noor, and your readers. :)
Connie I liked your question. In my opinion; when we are really going to manifest these obligations in our dealings with people, when these obligations are not mere rituals but full fledged indulgence-we are going to have what you said something life-giving, joyous.
Deletebecause you know these obligations (which are performed time to time in all day long) are the reason for us to keep reminding ourselves that there is a Superior Being to whom we have to return to (eventually).
we have to be equally God-fearing when we are out of, say, state of fasting and stuff.
Be conscious of Him.
I hope it answered your question. :)