AS LIFE TEACHES US…

Abstract

If we carefully study Qur’anic stories about the past peoples and early prophets we will notice that the intention is to teach us various lessons. Wisdom of the prophets recommends that we learn through the lessons from the past. It is in this context that Cicero said two-thousand years ago: “History is a teacher of life”. Life experience teaches us that, very often, we face the consequences of our actions even in this world. Abu Huraira transmits that Prophet p.b.u.h. kissed his grandson Hasan, while Akre’a b. Kabis at-Tamimi was sitting with him, and so he told him: “O Messenger of God, I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them!” The Prophet p.b.u.h. replied: “One who is not merciful towards the others, Allah will not be merciful towards him.” Some other life lessons with clear examples in this article are: life is teaching us that injustice leads to grief and sorrow, that building something useful takes a lot of time while destroying it could take no more than a blink of an eye and that desired results come only through sincere efforts. Life is also teaching us that with hardship comes ease and that the worst of enemies are not those who openly display their animosity but those toadying up to us.