Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 254
! ! 254 Manual work is not a disgrace, but rather it is the highest honor. King Aurangzeb would do calligraphy of the Holy Qur’ān. The Holy Prophet sa helped the women in the ir household chores. W ork is not a weakness n or is it a disgrace. The women here believe that the purpose of their birth is to eat and drink. God has given [us] hands, feet, tongue, eyes, and a nose. One real izes the importance of an organ when it is lost. If an eye is lost or the nose is cut, only then is their value realized. [In our culture] , having one’s nose cut off is considered a great disgrace. The nose is held in great esteem although it is a small organ. The nose has many functions. One breathes through the nose and e ven the hair inside the nose is not us eless. Simply take the example of our ears. I f they were severed, how unattractive a person would look. Thus, one should ponder over why God has given us eyes, a nose, ears etc. , and thou sands of blessings. Is it o nly so that one w ould eat in thi s world and then die? What benefits can one derive from these blessings? Thus, today I advis e you to make your life useful, so much so , that the people in your town are convinced t hat their survi val is dependent upon your life, or the people in the village s believe that thei r existence is only through you, or that the neighbors feel that they rely solely up on your life. There is a famous Arabic proverb: َﻣ ْﻮ ُت ا ﻟ r ﻌ ﺎ ` ِﻟ ِﻢ َﻣ ْﻮ ُت ا ﻟ r َﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ` ِﻢ [ The d eath of a scholar is the death of the world. ] Thus, make your life constructive according to your individual understanding. By observing the success of other nations, make your life useful. If up unti l now, you have not changed your condition, then transform it now. Sympa thize with the creation of God, consider the probl ems faced by others as your own, sha re in grief. People do not look to wards how many prayers an individual offer s. What good are your prayers when your existe nce is of no benefit to them? Therefore, make your lif e and your existence worthwhile. ( Misbah , January 15, 1929)