Today was the first day of the holy month of Ramadhan. And it fell on a Friday, which adds to the specialness. And, I feel there was another sign, which marks the day even more in my memory. From almost exactly Zuhr time till mid afternoon, and then later in the evening as well, there was rain of every type, from light drizzle to torrential downpour. All of it was awe inspiring. Looking out once, it seemed that the green of the trees had been mixed with a silvery dark greyish colour, such was the effect that the rain was having. It's a sign for sure, but of what? My own leaning would be that as rain is always considered a sign of God's mercy, so must this be considered likewise, further confirming this month as one in which all sins are forgiven. Or maybe its to do with the power and majesty of God. I don't know. But I know today was special - something was different.
As without, so within. The external shift mirrored an internal one. For the first time at work in a long time, I felt odd. I'm quite the conversationalist at work - I know a little about enough things to thoroughly engage pretty much all of my coworkers in decent enough conversation, but oddly, a few times when I tried to talk to people as I normally would, regarding the latest films/tech/etc, it just felt stale to me. There are only so many times one can discuss what the new iPod Touches will be like*, or how awesome Inception was. But it wasn't that. I just felt that I really shouldn't be wasting my time with such talk, and so gave up after a few attempts. And I was also aware of myself trying and failing to be my usual self - as if I was watching myself. And, of course, it is true. This month is far too important to be wasting breath on idle chitchat. And when the month goes, I really shouldn't be doing that anyway. So, one day in, I already have something to work on. I can't wait to see what its like when the month ends. I should also at this point add that when it came to talking about work-related stuff, or stuff that could be useful in the future when it came to work, conversation flowed much more easily, so the lesson relates to not speaking unless you need to.
I wonder what tomorrow's lesson will be, if I'm lucky enough to be given one....
*Ask if you really, really want to know.
6 years ago
It's true; sometime talking for the sake of making conversation is frustrating. People are often mistaken for being quiet or reserved when in fact, they just have nothing worth saying.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I guess there will always be people who find silence unnerving.
All true. What I found unsettling was that I had become so adept at making conversation purely for the sake of conversation. Not good.
ReplyDeleteI did it too at times. I think some people tend to not like silences at work etc, but I've always been a great believer of there being no such thing as awkward silences if people are comfortable in the presence of others. Which at work, depending who I'm with, it's not always comfortable.
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd share something, as this entry is about the holy month of Ramadan: About two months ago, I decided I'd fast to make up for the missing days of past ramadan. When I got back from class, I was exhausted, thirsty and hungry-so I went to bed, (it was about an hour and half prior to zuhr prayer) fell asleep and had a dream I was eating. When I woke up, I looked down towards my roommates bed and told her disappointed, I had a dream I was eating, it felt so real-so how many more hours to go till eftar? Then she told me smiling, it is recommended to sleep before zuhr prayer when you're fasting, because it is said God feeds you in your sleep. I had never heard of that before- it touched me deep to my soul-that I had just been fed by God in my sleep.
ReplyDeleteThis is just to say, it is highly recommended to sleep before zuhr prayer when you're fasting. God feeds you. :)
@J: Agreed.
ReplyDelete@Anon. Thanks for that... It's a beautiful story. I'll try to implement it, iA.