Another Kind of Pilgrimage (4)

The Precious Being

Now, we all know that gold is considered as precious metal. Its preciousness is because of its unique characteristics and its rarity. As mentioned in wiki, there are three characters that made gold is considered to be precious metal; it is ductile, luster and less reactive that most metals. Let's make comparison of these characteristics into our being.

Another word of ductile

According to free dictionary ductile (-adj.) is
1. capable of being hammered out thin, as certain metals; malleable.
2. capable of being drawn out into wire or threads, as gold.
3. able to undergo change of form without breaking.
4. capable of being molded or shaped; plastic.
Ductile in another word is having flexibility as its character.

Being precious in human term is also about having flexibility. Flexibility in interacting with other people means that we can adjust ourselves at any situation without loosing our core value. We adapt to the situation and people but still hold on to the principle that made us who we truly are. Flexibility is then very different from hypocrisy. For hypocrisy is for those who do not have principle value in taking advantage over situation or people.

What did Tao Te Ching said about flexibility?
76. Flexibility

A newborn is soft and tender, 
A crone, hard and stiff. 
Plants and animals, in life, are supple and succulent; 
In death, withered and dry. 
So softness and tenderness are attributes of life, 
And hardness and stiffness, attributes of death. 

Just as a sapless tree will split and decay 
So an inflexible force will meet defeat; 
The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground 
While the tender and weak dance on the breeze above.


And how did Qur'an relate us to this flexibility? It was by given us the story of the dead tree of Pharaoh against the living tree of Moses (prophet Musa AS) and Aaron (prophet Harun AS), as He sent them to him with the command "And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]." [QS. 20.44]. So being flexible is about being alive whilst being inflexible is about being death.

The Cave of Seven Sleepers

And as I searched through Qur'an to get the word of flexibility, there is one very interesting and unique story. The position of the word itself is very precise and meaningful. The background story was about the seven young men who decided to take refuge inside the cave at the time when the outside situation was against their favor in keeping their faith to worship their Lord. They're put to sleep for 309 years [QS 18: 25] then returned to life. As they're awakened from their sleep, they wondered how long they had been sleeping. And to ascertain their situation, they asked one of them to go to town and buy something using a silver coin they had. And he was told to "Wal yatalattof" which has several meaning in English from be cautious, be careful, be courteous, behave with care and courtesy, behave with gentleness. In the Quran this word is located in the middle of all the words that existed in the Quran from the beginning word of 'bi' - which means in until the ending word of 'naas' - which means human. The word itself is located in the surah 18 (al Kahfi - The Cave) verse no.19 which is the number of letters that construct the words of Bismillahirrohmanirrohiim - in the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and Most Merciful.

The way I reflected to it is: that being flexible in life is about outwardly being gentle, courteous, care at the same time cautious while inwardly holding on to the essence of Life. As it is placed in the middle, it means we are to find the balance between the two opposites attributes of things such as beginning and ending, hard and soft, high and low, right and wrong, life and death, gentle and harsh, hidden and obvious. And as it happened in the cave, the place to look for flexibility is by looking deeper into our inner cave of heart. There is where we can find the serene balance as our firm hold when outwardly we live our life with the flexibility of a new born.

So indeed, learning flexibility is about learning to be a child we were once. And we don't call the flexibility of a child as hypocrite because of their innocence and sincerity of their heart. Flexibility is in pursuing the life of our spiritual being and returning to our original source.

Luster

Free dictionary give definition to luster (n.) as follow :
1. the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss: the luster of satin.
2. a substance, as a coating or polish, used to impart sheen or gloss.
3. radiant or luminous brightness; brilliance; radiance.
4. radiance of beauty, excellence, merit, distinction, or glory: achievements that add luster to one's name.
5. a shining object, esp. one used for decoration, as a cut-glass pendant or ornament.
6. a chandelier, candleholder, etc., ornamented with cut-glass pendants.
7. any natural or synthetic fabric with a lustrous finish.
8. an iridescent metallic film produced on the surface of a ceramic glaze.
9. the nature of a mineral surface with respect to its reflective qualities: greasy luster.

This character is inherent in the gold. It doesn't need any coating or plating process to bring out its shine. It doesn't need to any chemical reaction to combine it with other chemical to bring out its shine. It is its nature to shine. How do we relate this character to our existence?

First, we need to understand the true state of us as human being in this whole universe. And how did our Lord state it? "And We have certainly honored the children of Adam." [QS 17.70] In the first stage of our creation we had been created as a precious being in this whole universe. Yet, we don't realize this. We tainted ourselves in such a way that we no longer recognize our preciousness and look for our value in something else; in the credential we acquired from other, in the acceptance of others, in our attachment to the worldly things and so on and so forth. All this action is like coating or plating the purity of gold with something less precious. Unfortunately most of us do not realize it.

We need to know our true value, we need to know the reason of our being here, we need to know to whom we devote ourselves. So that nothing can taint the preciousness of our being-human in relation to our Lord.

And truly the teachings of Islam is about mining our preciousness as human being and bring out our most beautiful light to the world. And how do I come up with such statement? I am quoting my great spiritual teacher here: In the darkest night at the darkest era of human civilization in the darkest place inside the cave of Hira when the great prophet Muhammad SAW received the first revelation of Qur'an, surah Al Alaq 1-5 from His Lord, Allah SWT through archangel Gabriel was light upon light.

The revelation itself is the light came from An Nuur (The Light) - as one of His Beautiful Names, delivered by the Archangel Gabriel - that is made of light, received by nur (the light of) Muhammad in the cave of Hira' which is located in Jabal Nuur (the Mount of Light).

So, won't we consider that anyone who gets in touch with the core of Qur'an will find themselves to be the most precious being in the universe?

Less reactive than most metals

Less reactive means that the metal isn't easily bonded by other substance to create new compounds. Because it is less reactive, its purity and preciousness stay longer compared to other metals. Look at the gold coin from Chinese Dynasty or Aztec or Ancient Egypt. They are as they were made thousand years ago.

So, how do we relate this to our existence?

It means that in keeping our purity and sincerity, we have to be less reactive to anything that will take away our focus and attention from our Lord, Allah Ta'ala. He has created all kind of things between heaven and earth for us. He has created both paradise and hell to see which one is His true servant. Less reactive to the worldly things will help us to be in the state as He had command us in the Qur'an:
- that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. [QS.57:23]

Less reactive is not the same as no action

- Be not deceived by the [uninhibited] movement of the disbelievers throughout the land. [QS. 3.196]

Being less reactive is what differs the brave from the bold. How Tao Te Ching said it?
Who is brave and bold will perish; 
Who is brave and subtle will benefit. 
The subtle profit where the bold perish 
For Fate does not honour daring. 
And even the sage dares not tempt fate.

Being less reactive also means that we aren't easily let ourselves be influenced by anything or anyone. That we look into the situation deeper before making any reaction. That rather than letting other people or situation or circumstances control us, we take control of ourselves by making initiative and responsible of our choices. That rather than be influenced by situation / circumstances, we choose to influence the situation to let our existence meaningful.

So get in touch with our true value as a precious being in this universe and remain as gold.