Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume II — Page 123
123 may be taught his p arents’ names. What is history? History tells you who your father was, who your paternal grandfather was, who your mother was, and who your maternal grandmother was. History tells you wh o your forefathers were and who you are today. Turning one’s back on history or considering it to be a tedious subject, is tantamount to one being unwilling to listen to what one’s forefathers have to say. Although, if there is any worldly subject worth fighting to acquire, it is the subject of history. The Importance of History Running from your history signifies a dejected nature. It is similar to a weak man who is wounded and says do not show me [the scar]. I won’t look at it. My heart is afraid. T he nation which runs away from its history is that nation which becomes cowardly. It is afraid that if I am confronted with my ancestor’s history, and I see a disfigured countenance [history], and I discover who I am, my heart could not stand it. This is because he believes he will find his own face [ looking back ] within the reflection a nd because he believes and imagines that his face will be hideous , he tries to refrain from looking. It is intrinsic within human nature to w ish to see one’s own likeness in his forefathers, his children, and his relatives. If an unattractive child is born to the parents due to some illness or an accident, even his own mother begins to dislike him. Those unattractive children begin to hate their siblings , thinking that the siblings are better than them. In the same way, when a man views the history of his ancestors, their accomplishments and how glorious they were , he compares himself to them a nd thinks about himself. H e sees the way of life and manner that he and his friends have adopted and is compelled to admit that his own negligence of duties and pursuit for a life of comfort and luxury are enough to make him guilty. He sees his own loathsome face in the mirror of history. He realizes that when he studies the history of his forefathers, he will discover that they detested these very habits , and so he will have to undergo a dramatic change from within. He grows anxious over comparing his unsightly face to their beautiful ones, and hence, flees far away from h is own past. When a Muslim of today looks back into the mirror of history, he sees that his father and mother reached past the heights of th e Himalayas. The sky itself would quake with their influence. And in comparison, when he thinks of h is own reflection , he is dwarfed a nd his example is not even