In today’s gathering, Arif (A wise/learned godly person) was narrating an incident that he saw at a barber shop last night. The audience was listening to him with full attention.
“The age of the child will be about one year. The innocence of children of this age is already so charming, but this chubby and red and white baby looked even more adorable. But at that time he was crying loudly. His grandfather was holding him on his lap and the barber was busy trimming his long hair with great speed and skill. At the request of the barber, the grandfather also held both hands of the child so that his resistance could not turn the barber’s scissors away from the hair and towards his skin or head.
At this, the child’s wails increased and tears flowed from his big eyes. Grandfather did not loosen his grip. He tried to distract him by laughing and talking, but the child kept crying. Finally the haircut was over. The child immediately went silent. Now his beautiful face was enhanced with trimmed hair. It was a difference that everyone understood except the child. It won’t take much time for the child to understand this too.”
Saying this last sentence, Arif started smiling and then said:
“This incident of trimming happens to each of us in a different way. At more than one occasions in life, our “trimming” begins. This “trimming” is sometimes caused by suffering and illness and sometimes by hardship and deprivation. Sometimes it is the result of a distressed situation, sometimes it is caused by the wounds inflicted by our own and others. Every time this trimming happens, we get anxious. Yearn and weep. But there is no hearing, rather the iron hands of circumstances take hold of us in such a way that they eliminate all possibility of resistance.
In these moments of emptiness and helplessness, we do not understand anything. No comfort is enough and no consolation gives peace to the heart. Inner peace is ruined. In these moments of restlessness and impatience, neither prayers nor supplications solve the problem. But if we remember this lesson of trimming an innocent child, we can understand that this suffering, illness, worry and deprivation are temporary events of life. Their purpose is to make us better.”
There was silence. If there was any sound, it was the sound of this waterfall of wisdom.
“Human life is full of joys and blessings under normal circumstances. But blessings lead to negligence and sin for most people. These things make the moral existence of man disgusting and ugly. The people of the world may not feel this moral abomination, but the eternal goodness of the Lord, when He sees His servants wallowing in such filth, His compassion boils. He makes circumstances scissors and starts trimming of slaves. This trimming is for them who are closed to Him. He leaves others in the swamp of moral impurity and becomes unconcerned.
Therefore, when ‘trimming’ begins in life, one should not be disappointed. Be sure that this is a temporary phase. It will pass soon.”
At this point a gentleman spoke up “But I would never want to have such trimming. Is there a prescription for this too?”
“Yes, and there is a very simple prescription. Take deep care of your moral being. Keep it away from greed, lust, arrogance, hatred, bigotry and negligence. Keep asking Allah for forgiveness often. Then be sure you will always be treated with a very ligtly.”
The gathering ended and another lesson of knowledge was imprinted on the hearts of the listeners.