Abou ben Adhem

During one of our family tea time, I recall my father once said,

“..there are hablum minallah and hablum minannas. The relationship between Man and Allah and the relationship between Man and Man. We think we have scored, we have pleased Allah by wearing out the floor praying, or having a black mark on our foreheads. No, not that.. It will still come to nought if we hate and envy people, all these bad-mouthings, back-stabbings..and be hated by other human beings..”

“A true mukmin obliges to do his very best in both relationships. And sometimes, a great relationship with people is the very path to lead us towards a greater relationship with God. An excellent hablum minallah through a great hablum minannas. You know where it all starts..?”

He pointed to his chest, merely on the left side.

“Here”

I slowly nodded. A good heart. That’s where it all starts.

I watched my father sipping his tea, some tiny crumbled bits of ubi keledek cicah kelapa he was having stuck on his long beard.

My father. He’s not a religious teacher. He’s not an ustadz.

He’s a thinker, a philosopher, an educationalist, a retired principal and lecturer.

That was just an excerpt from one of our teatime conversation. That’s all.

***

When I was 8, I found this poem from an old book and fell for it. It’s so beautiful, moving, inspiring. Now this is a short poetry everyone should read at least once in his entire life.

It gets you in touch with your inner self. It interprets the wisdom of hablum minallah and hablum minannas. Menarik kan?

Abou ben Adhem

James Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight of his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold:-

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said,

'What writest thou?' - The vision raised its head,

And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered 'The names of those who love the Lord.'

'And is mine one?' said Abou. 'Nay, not so,'

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerly still; and said 'I pray thee then,

Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names who love of God had blessed,

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.