Prescription for Change

“…God will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves …” (Quran 13:11)

An Imam was preparing his Friday sermon. His 4-year-old son was pestering him with questions. The Imam realized that he would not get anything done at this rate.

He struck on a plan to occupy his son. Taking a picture of a map of the world from a magazine, he cut it into pieces and handed them to his son. He told him to paste the pieces together with tape and he’d get R10 if he did it right.

Imagine his surprise when his son brought the picture back after 5 minutes, complete and correct. ‘Son, how did you do it? How do you know all the countries and seas?’ he asked. ‘What do you mean, Dad?’ the son replies, ‘I put together the picture of the person.’ The Imam looked at the reverse of the map and sure enough, there was a completed person!

The boy put together the world by putting a person in order. Put the simplest units of the community in order and the world will become a better place. Change ourselves, work on building strong family units and the ripple effect will bring change for the better in our towns, countries and the world.

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him emphasised the importance of building a sound family unit. At a speech to an audience of over 120,000 people in the year 632, he stated that spouses are partners.

He actively demonstrated the various components necessary for building this strong family unit by praying with his family, sharing light-hearted moments and working with them.

Once the home becomes a base of mutual affection, it serves as a training ground for the members of the home to pass on that cordiality and strength to the society outside.

Muhammad Badsha