Mind
The Only Place Where You Can Read My Thoughts!
World on Fire!

How many times we heard or said that little things do matter and do make a big difference? How many times we saw big changes happen from small twists of faith? How many movies did Hollywood produce to prove that if you can go back in time and change a tiny detail in events, the whole future will alter and turns of events would differ?

Such concepts really fascinate me, because there is nothing absolute in this live. Nothing is 100% right as well as nothing is 100% wrong. Something might be so insignificant to you but could change someone else's life altogether. What you consider to be a big problem and a tragedy in your life might be an everyday event in another part of the world.

Look around the world and look around you, we can say that we are luckier than a large span of the whole wide world. It is true that others' misfortunes make you count your own blessings and look at your life from a different perspective.

 

From the blessings that I have counted in my life; I can see, hear, talk, smell and touch. I have two loving parents and a great family; blessed with a brother, four sisters and seven nieces and nephews. I have a roof over my head; I have clean clothes to wear and a nice comfortable bed to sleep on. I had the opportunity to get the best education and I did get great education. I have food on my table every day and hunger was never a part of my life. I have a car and I get to drive freely. I have a job in a great company and I enjoy the company of wonderful colleagues. I get to live in my home country, enjoy my freedom and live in dignity. My country is safe to live and is governed by laws to protect citizens. I have a great faith and I get to thank God for all these blessings and more.  

Somewhere around the world; there are a lot of people living in misery, war and hunger. They don’t have a constant supply of food; they live day to day. Lots of children do not have mothers or fathers or neither; they don’t get to experience the love of the family and are deprived the opportunity to get education and live in dignity. A lot of people are in a continuous fight for their own lives and their children's. A lot of women get raped and their privacies are invaded in the cruelest way; their lives get shattered in minutes and they are killed afterwards or left scarred with so many physical and mental wounds that will never heal. Some people's biggest worry is how to provide food on the table for the next meal. A lot of people fight death, hunger, occupation, sickness … etc.


Two completely different pictures; two worlds under the same sky sharing the same air; same people here and there; they all cry when sad and smile when happy, they all worry for their kids and the future, they all sleep and wake the same, they all feel fear and pain, they all fall in love the same and most importantly; when they die they die the same as their souls leave their bodies for the last time!

All religions; all prophets taught us that the fortunate must share some of his fortune with the unlucky or less blessed. To acquire a balance in this life; we must learn how to give as much as we learn how to take. God has blessed us with so many things but what are we doing to show our gratitude for all these blessings? Is it enough to pray and say thank you God for everything that you have given me? Is this what God wants us to do? Isn't it a valid point that God has given us so much to pass the blessings to others?


Somewhere in the world; $75 can put someone in a private school for a whole year. This amount of money can be only a lunch bill for a couple or a group of people. What are we doing to give back God and show gratitude? How are we helping to make the world a better place to live in? People die around the world as we indulge in big parties and pour so much in empty celebrations. While we worry what toys to get our kids in their birthdays; other kids do not get a warm loving hug because they don’t have parents; they only think of a loving tap on the shoulder and toys are an impossible dream.

Inspired by Sarah Mclachlan who changed the lives of one million people around the world in just three minutes; inspired by the touching song and video she made; my words come to you in hope they might touch your hearts as much as this work of art has touched me. Under the title "World on Fire", Sarah shot the clip of this song in a $15 cost when a real clip would cost $150,000. Where did the rest of the money go? They changed the lives of one million people around the world.

Listen to the song here and check where the money went here.

The question is now; what can WE do to help and how? Why don’t we start something to help in our own community? There are so many people who could use our help and I am sure that we all can afford to spare something and help the poor and unlucky to get better chances in life and create better futures for them and their families.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "مثل المؤمنين في توادهم وتراحمهم كمثل الجسد إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالسهر والحمى" (البخاري ومسلم)

Our Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said:  “The similitude of the believers in regard to mutual love, affection and mutual-compassion is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body shares the agony, sleeplessness and fever that arises from it.” (Al-Bukhaari & Muslim).

On June, 08, 2006 1:58 PM , Rebecca
from Jordan said:

"Nothing is 100% right as well as nothing is 100% wrong."

Are you sure? Are you 100% sure?


That being said, I agree completely with the spirit of the rest of your post.

First, we are so blessed that we are blind to the blessings. Naturally, as humans, our focus is on what we want next. We must step back and take a look around to remember what we already have.

So the second question is, what can we do about poverty, either around the world or next door? The Jordan Planeteers and their readers are some of the brightest, most creative, and most resource- rich people in Jordan. Surely we can do something that will make a difference. It just takes commitment and determination.

On June, 08, 2006 5:30 PM , 7ala said:

This is what I was going to post about after webex post!

You said every thing I want to say.

On June, 08, 2006 8:20 PM , Peter S.
from United States said:

Khalidah,

You might enjoy this interview with Karen Armstrong, one of the better known public intellectuals in the West whose field is religions and religious cultures.

http://archive.salon.com/books/int/2001/10/22/armstrong/index.html

On June, 09, 2006 1:52 PM , thecaller
from Egypt said:

asalam 3alaykom..thank you khalidah for your great posts..very well written..
i have a question..if u don't mind..
Do you write articles that doesn't need discussion between you and fellow bloggers..or you just don't have much time sometimes to respond to comments..but you occasionaly do??
i hope you don't mind me asking..

On June, 10, 2006 2:13 PM , omar
from United Kingdom said:

Oh I see you featured Sarah McLachlan's World On Fire,
I happen to feature her a while ago if you're by any means interested, check my post: http://omernos.blogspot.com/2006/05/landan.html

We're always surrounded by blessings, have things families and nations can't have, but when it comes to tiny little problems, we keep complaining and hating our lives. I think now it's available for ANYONE to do something good towards such matters in the world.

On June, 11, 2006 6:20 PM , moi
from United States said:

Great post Khalidah. Sometimes I wonder where this sense of community has disappeared to while most people are becoming more well off everyday, yet more greedy as well. Simple acts like the one you mentioned above can make a world of a difference. And we can each do our part. Thank you for this much needed reminder.

On June, 13, 2006 4:52 AM , newc
from United States said:

You are a Spiritual Being, khalidah. Your attitude and post is a testament to what focus should be versus the vitriol. Thank you Gods Child for bringing us back to a point where focus is needed. You have a good heart.

On June, 13, 2006 8:58 AM , Fadi K
from Jordan said:

Hello Khalida , Absolutely true.

So long a post but extremely good.

On June, 14, 2006 3:06 AM , Dalal
from United Kingdom said:

We cant just sit there feeling sorry and pray to god to make things to better unless if we take some action!
this is an exellent site Action Against Hunger! http://www.aah-usa.org/
thanx khalida