About change

Indeed We have explained to mankind, in this Qur'an, every kind of lesson. 

Yet most people refuse to accept anything other than disbelief. {Al-Isra':89}

Their limited perception has failed to appreciate the inimitability of the Qur'an. Therefore, they started asking for material miracles, enlisting absurd requests that only betrayed their childish thinking. Or they spoke with impudence about God Himself. They did not benefit by the expounding of cases and examples in the Qur'an, nor were they satisfied with the wide variety of styles and approaches the Qur'an employed in explaining its concepts, so as to be understood by the people of different standards and faculties. Hence, "most people refuse to accept anything other than unbelief." (Verse 89)

-Tafsir Fi Zilal, Surah Al-Isra' Verse 89

I just feel like sharing this verse because I was so drawn by it. It really made me reflect on how foolish we sometimes are, asking for absurd things so that we may believe. In my opinion, I don't think we need to pray for something bad to happen to us, or something really mystical to happen so that we may begin believing and change to become a better Muslim.

I still believe in this saying, where there's a will, there's a way, but still, not many are given the willpower and strength to overcome their indecisiveness and lack of urgency when it comes to becoming how they pictured an ideal Muslim should be. 

The same goes to smoking. 

I have been going to a village we're assigned to for our second residency. The last time we went in, we were given the task to do a profile on the village so in this residency, now that we know the general health status of the villagers, after lots of discussion, our supervisors decided that 'smoking and its relation to general and oral health' will be our proposal title.

So this time, we were interviewing our selected houses about their smoking status along with their knowledge and attitude towards smoking. We've finished our task yesterday so I'm really glad but today I need to go there again because we have to meet our foster parents who will accommodate us for the third residency which will be in November.

Anyway, coming back to my main point. 

To summarize, I don't think people will be stopping their habit of smoking any time soon, no matter how many interventions came to them. Even when the price rises up to the sky, they will still try to buy it because for them, quoting one uncle, it is not a waste. 

Even when asking them, those who smoke, about their knowledge, they knew all there is to know about effects of smoking and they even knew that smoking will harm others, that would be us non-smokers, MORE than it will harm them. So is it really about the knowledge? I believe the Ministry of Health has done a good job in educating and spreading the message via the TV so I don't think lack of knowledge is really the cause. 

They did have the thought to stop smoking altogether but they still couldn't do it. 

My dad smoked too, once upon a time, but the moment I was born, he stopped. Even when we interviewed the ex-smokers, their reasons of stopping is usually because they have developed the negative effects of smoking and they were scared about it. 

Same goes to change, we only change when something that is really important to us is affected. Maybe our loved ones died, then only we open our eyes to the possibility of us dying early too, not that we are not aware of that. Or maybe we were diagnosed with terminal illnesses with no cure but death and only then we jumped in the change bandwagon.

I am not here to criticize those who changed because of something bad that happened to them, or something that they dreamed of that made them change. I'm telling you again, no, I am not trying to downgrade anyone. Alhamdulillah, it is His decree that you change because of His tests so that means He is giving you the chance to repent. 

But what about us? The ones with no forthcoming bad events that doesn't seem to happen to us soon. 

Do we wish for a tragedy to boost our will to change? 

If it's up to me, I believe we don't need that, and of course, who would want that?

Do we really need something bad or mystical to happen to us then only we will change? 

Honestly, I think I would rather change now than wait for Allah to give me that kind of test so that I might 'open' my eyes.