Changing the condition of a people

On how small actions can have a huge impact...

We recite to you from the news of Moses and Pharaoh in truth for a people who believe.  Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters. (Qur'an 28:3-4)

This is the story of a people who were subjected to the oppression of one of the worst oppressors who had ever lived.  Fir'aun divided the Bani Israil, he suppressed a group of them, slaughtered their sons and enslaved their women.  It's hard to imagine a more oppressed community than the
Bani Israil at this time.

And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.  And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Haman and their soldiers through them that which they had feared. (Qur'an 28:5-6)

But Allah wanted to change the situation.  He wanted to grant them bounty and power on Earth and make them leaders of humanity.

Given their conditions under Fir'aun's rule, what sort of change would be required to take this community from being the most oppressed people to to being leaders of humanity?  It must be something extraordinary.  So what did Allah do next?

And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers."  (Qur'an 28:7)

The first step that Allah takes to to reveal to Musa 'alaihi salaam's mother to nurse him and throw him in the river if she is afraid for him -- such a seemingly insignificant step in relation to the huge task ahead...

We should never belittle our roles in the process of change.  The entire process may take a long time -- generations in the case of the Bani Israil.  Allah's promise to them was not fulfilled until the time of Sulaiman 'alaihi salam.  But indeed Allah's promise was fulfilled.

Our position now is not worse than the position of the Bani Israil.  And as we have seen Him change their condition, we have confidence that He will change ours.  How and when and by who is up to Him, not up to us.  Our job is to submit to Him and do our jobs in whatever position He has placed us in.  And just as we learn from the example of the mother of Musa 'alaihi salaam, we should never belittle our role in the process of change.

When dreams meet reality

I pulled up an old email a while back.  It was written four years ago.  I wrote it to one of the leaders in  my community, telling him about some of the things I hope to work on and achieve, so that he could assign me tasks accordingly.  Looking at what I wrote, I realize how much things have changed -- or how much I have changed.

It's not that I'm now opposed to the goals and plans I wrote about.  No.  I still believe that these are good things to do.  But what I see in that email was a tremendous amount of hope and optimism that I have since lost.  Reading that email, I'm almost astounded by the naivete of this girl who had and expressed these dreams just a few years back.  It's sad.  I couldn't imagine writing the same thing now -- or even anything close to it.

Maybe that's just how things go.  We have dreams, we try to implement them and when they encounter reality, they get changed, or lost, or broken, or crushed.  Then what are we supposed to do?  Do we find our dreams again, put them back together and try again?  Just the thought of doing that puts a knot in my chest.  Or do we stop dreaming -- put these dreams back on the shelf where they will be safe from the hazards of reality and where they will remain as mere dreams?  No.  I can't do that.  What is the point of the day to day struggle if there is nothing to strive for?   No, I won't shelve my dreams.

No, I'm going to find those dreams again.  I'm going to put them back together and nourish them back to health and try to bring them to reality again.  The alternative is just unacceptable.