~If You were A Sand~

Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,-there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,-Men who celebrate the praises of Allah,

standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth,(With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee!Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.

[AL-Baqarah 2:190-191]

If you were sand then be high quality sand. Be high quality sand that free from the dust of sins, free from the mud of dishonesty and the acid of hypocrisy. Be humble high quality sand that always remembers where he came from and where he will be returned.

But when you are already be high quality sand…. you should know where you should put yourself. Doesn't care how great you are,…. you will be just useless dust if you exhibit yourself on the glass of window….or You will annoy other if you show up yourself proudly on the dinning table... or You will make other mad if you hide inside their foods.

Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder,

nor reach the mountains in height.

[Qur'an Al Isra' 17:37]

Even if you are high quality sand you can't live alone... You are nothing if you are alone... You will be wiped out easily if you are stand alone ....you do need to meet other sands.... But also don't just hang out only with your sands fellows.. .don't just be among your own tribe [even if how proud you are with them]... You also should meet other. You do need to meet the stones; you need be friend with the cement and the water, you are lucky if you can be friend with superplasticizers, fly ash, silica fume and their families…

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female,

and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)……

[Qur'an Al Hujurat 49:13]

You perhaps feel they are very different ...but you will amaze... how great you will need them...They are your "brothers"…

Don't be afraid with stones... perhaps he looks so rough, angular, black, and ugly but you will need him more than you ever imagine. Try your best to be friend with good stone…. don't deceive with their appearance.. not all big stone with the smooth surface will be a great friend…… the most important he should be clean, hard, strong and free from the coating of clay…

" Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts"

[HR. Muslim]

Don't afraid with the "cement", he perhaps look too small and pale...... Don't be jealous with the water if the cement always brings water between you and him ...You should understand the cement will feel incomplete without the water. The rule in friendship you should not separate any other existing relationship… … If you want be friend with cement, then you should try to love the water, you should consider them as one unity package....

………remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; …

[Qur'an Ali Imraan 3:103]

Anyway... The water is not that bad.... The otherwise... his present will make your bond stronger.. He will melt you all to be a strong mixture, like the bond of "faith" that will always melt all the differences….for the unity….... cant be separated anymore ... where is sand... where is stone.. .where is cement... all forget who they are because they are one now…..

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.

[Qur'an Al Hujurat 49:10]

You will very lucky if you meet fly ash... he is smaller than cement... seem not worth... but don't be little him... he was perhaps just a waste, a garbage and useless... but his micro size will fill all the micro spaces, create the stronger bond ... he seem don not give any contribution in the beginning.., but through the time slowly but significantly it will make your relationship become stronger

You should meet superplasticizer sometimes. His smell not really good... most of them are very black... Again, don't judge from his appearance…..He will help you more to make your interaction with your friends better... especially If there are any cognations/stuck in your relationships… he will help your relationship work…. as he always help much in workability.....

........Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.

[Qur'an Al Hujarat 49:13]

Finally ...doesn't care how differ you are, the harmony in unity with tolerance, compassion, understanding will make you mix as a strong high strength concrete...

Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.

[Qur'an Ash Shaff 61:4]

You will be more useful sand.... Your quality as a single sand will increase greatly ... the unity change you become stronger creature... You will able to carry very weight burden.... You endure even to the high temperature... You will resist to high impact loading...

Then you will revert to be a magnificence buildings to give shelter for the weak creatures.. .Nobody has courage to annoy you even the sever float, the mad wind and the earthquake…You could appear as a long span bridge that connect the separated islands.... limit the space and the barrier....

A believer is like a brick for another believer, the one supporting the other.

[HR Muslim]

Remember to be a high quality sand which ready to be placed anywhere.... as parth of pillars or as parth of wall or as parth of floor or as parth of roof…. Or…. even hidden inside the deep of earth as the parth of the foundation… no matter nobody cant see you… but the most important thing you can give significant contribution and a real role to the strength of structure…

..... truly the best of men for thee to employ is the (man) who is strong and trusty"....

[Qur'an Al Qashash 28:26]

wallahualam bishshowab…..

Rytha

Bandung 13rd June 2005

O ye who believe!

Fear Allah as He should be feared,

and die not except in a state of Islam.

And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you),

and be not divided among yourselves;

and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you;

for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love,

so that by His Grace, ye became brethren;

and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire,

and He saved you from it.

Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you:

That ye may be guided.

[Qur'an Ali Imraan 3:102-103]