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DISGRACE |
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The other day our house was being cleaned. I said to my wife: - Our house is already clean. . .Besides, we don’t have company very often anyway. - Why does the house have to be cleaned? She responded: - We don’t want to be disgraced in case someone should visit us.
As human beings, we always feel obliged to do certain things just not to be disgraced in front of others.
During our school years we study just not to be disgraced in front of our friends, teachers or families. If we are accepted into a mediocre university, we keep it secret as if it were something to be ashamed of. We act according to “what will others say?.”
At the work place, we work to the end of our might in order not to be disgraced in front of our superiors, to prove ourselves to them, and to win their appreciation. In fact, in order to please these people and excel among our colleagues, we relay their unfavorable characteristics to our superiors without any hesitation. . . just to impress them that we are better and to gain favor in our superior’s sight.
If yellow is the mode, we paint our houses yellow to give the impression to our neighbors that we are following the mode. . .even though yellow may not appeal to us. . .
In a close circle, just to leave a mark as an intellectual, we butcher the Turkish language. . .we use words of foreign origin just to prove that we are not less informed. . even in technical matters of which we may know nothing, we spin as if we were well informed. . and even if we have never been abroad we anecdote our memoirs in France. . .
We are careful to get along well and please people with whom we have interests to do so. While doing all this in order not to be disgraced in front of people in our circle and to gain their admiration: there is one thing which we never consider. . .
That we may be disgraced in front of God Almighty : Our creator, the provider of the blessings of Earth, the procurer and savior. We never think of this. . .or ever want to. . .
The great disgrace which will fill our soul when we are asked at the great council : “What have you done for God? “ does not seem to interest us. . .
It is for this reason that. . .instead of being in quest of God’s appreciation, we are in quest of the appreciation of others. . .
It is for this reason that the disgrace we feel in front of people exceeds the disgrace we should feel in front of God. . .
Because, we don’t dwell very much on death. . .
We must not clean our houses in order not to be disgraced in front of company, instead we should clean our hearts not to be disgraced in front of God.
Inasmuch as our payrolls bear the name of our employer, actually it is God Almighty who pays our salaries. That being the case, we should not subject ourselves to other subjects but instead subject ourselves to God.
AS IN ABRAHAM’S PRAYER::
77. “For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;” 78. “Who created me, and it is He who guides me;” 79. “Who gives me food and drink.” 80. “And when I am ill, it is He who guides me;” 81. “Who will cause me to die, and then to live (again); 82. “And who, I hope , will forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgment. .” 83. “My Lord, bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous;” 84. “Grant me honorable mention on the tongue of truth.” 85. “Make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss;” 87 “And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men)will be raised up;- 88. “The day when neither wealth or children will avail.” 89. “But only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart;”
THE POETS (Shu’araa) SURA 26
MAY GOD BE YOUR BELOVED AND COMPANION
SHOWING THE WAY (AKIN ÖRSMEN 11.13.2006)
* The Coranic verses have been taken from the Holy Qu’ran, A. Yusuf Ali, 1975 publication, Pitman Press, Great Britain
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