The Teacher and the Student
Cont'd from page 3
NOT by berating yourself. Rather, it’s by realizing that yes, I made a mistake, repenting, and asking God to remedy my worst fears. Maybe I broke a precious glass vase that belonged to a friend, and I feared that person will hold a grudge against me and ask me to pay an amount that I cannot afford! None of that happened of course, because God put love and care in their hearts towards me, and all was forgiven! However, it’s the negative self-talk that is the energy drain. And negative self-talk puts the focus on the self instead of God. Let’s put the focus back on God.
Trusting that God will NOT punish me, rather teach me by use of my mistakes, and allow me grace to try again, and believing that I can learn from my mistakes and move forward, are better uses of my energy than beating myself up.
Also, learning rather than punishing makes for a more positive experience of life and consequently, Submission, than punishing oneself. I find myself more eager to learn, not afraid to make mistakes, more trusting of God, with more energy, and a more positive outlook on life! My focus is NOT on bringing myself down, rather it’s on learning and moving forward. I realized, that beating myself up is a waste of energy, and you will feel that energy once you stop! God willing!
As long as we have our eye-on-the-ball, are walking the path, and are referring to our Teacher (55:2), we can trust God to guide us. So, look at your mistakes, learn what you can, and TRUST that you will learn, and that GOD WILL TEACH you, forgive you, and give you another try. Afterall, isn’t that what a Most Gracious, Most Merciful Teacher would do?!
[55:1] The Most Gracious. [55:2] Teacher of the Quran.
[2:282] …You shall observe GOD, and GOD will teach you. …
[4:147] What will GOD gain from punishing you, if you became appreciative and believed? GOD is Appreciative, Omniscient.
[33:48] Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites, disregard their insults, and put your trust in GOD; GODas an advocate.
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Charity Water 2024
[2:267] O you who believe, you shall give to charity from the good things you earn, and from what we have produced for you from the earth.
[2:272] … Any charity you give is for your own good. Any charity you give shall be for the sake of GOD.
Any charity you give will be repaid to you, without the least injustice.
Praise be to God. Our 2024 Charity Water campaign was the most successful ever. Our world-wide community contributed over 65,000 dollars for the wonderful work of this organization that will help provide clean, convenient drinking water for over 1600 individuals. We all give charity because we know how it benefits so many people, but as the verses remind us, it is also for the good of our souls. God is always aware of any good we do, and while we expect no thanks, Masjid Tucson wishes to thank all who donated—whether $5.00 or $5000. The Charity Water people let us know that there were 76 unique donors. 76=19x4! Another sign from God. Check out the Charity Water site https://www.charitywater.org/masjidtucson-org to follow all the great work they do, and see how your contribution will benefit so many.
May God continue to bless us and allow us to continue to help others every chance we get.
