Once I read the letter, I couldnt help myself from shed a tear. After all, it's all how I supposed to feel.
Letter to the Lord
By Hesham Hassaballa
Most Magnificent Lord and Creator:
Lord, how can I face Your Magnificent Presence? Every day, the weakness of the human condition overtakes me, and I fall short of the standards You called me to uphold. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? You have given me so much, yet so many times, I have sinned against You. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? When I think about all the bounties, and blessings, and mercy You have showered upon me, I am strengthened and inspired to rise above the flesh that so often drags me to this earth. Yet, when I am alone - faced with my demons in the darkness - I frequently fall short of Your Grace. Lord, I don't know how I could face Your Magnificent Presence.
Yet, You are still here for me, Lord. In fact, You have always been there for me, Lord. When I was growing up, my mother tried to instill fear of You in me, and it worked. Yet, the image I conjured up of You - and I ask Your forgiveness - is that of a God waiting for me to fall, so that He can slap me down in punishment. I know that is not You, Lord. I know You are more Loving, and Kind, and Merciful, and Gentle than that. I know this now, but when I did not know this then, still You were there for me.
When I struggled as a teenager to be true to You, and suffering painful and lonely isolation for that fidelity, You were there for me. When I was ridiculed by my peers for staying true to Your Way, You were there for me. You helped soothe me when I hurt so much. When I went to college, and I doubted the truth of the message of Your Noble Prophet, You did not cast me down. You did not turn me away; You were there for me. When I suffered through the depths of darkness and solitude, You were there for me. Even when I flirted with leaving the faith, and calling upon someone else besides You, Magnificent Lord, You were there for me.
When I returned to Your Straight Path and rededicated my life to the worship of You, I became an ugly person, devoid of compassion, devoid of humility. I looked down upon those who did not fit my standard of piety, even though the only One who should look down is You, O Lord. I made forbidden what You made lawful, O Lord. I pushed people away from Your Path, Lord God, and gave them an ugly face at which to look at Your faith. I was arrogant, O Lord; I was intolerant, O Lord; I was narrow-minded, O Lord. Quite simply, O Lord, I was a fool. Yet, You were there for me. You still were there for me.
You have always been there for me, O Lord, and I thank You from the bottom of my heart. And I ask for Your Soothing Mercy. I ask for the Mercy from which Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him) told his sons never to despair. I beg for Your forgiveness, O Lord. I have fallen off your path more times than I want to count, O Lord, and You know about every single time. I am so sorry, O Lord. More times than I want to count, O Lord, I have forgotten that - when no other eyes are upon me - Your Magnificent Eyes are watching me. Lord God, I am so sorry. Forgive me, O Lord.
I need Your Mercy more than ever. Lord, I need to be enveloped in Your Soothing Grace. My God, please don't cut me off. Please forgive my trespasses against Thee. Please overlook my shortcomings. Please pardon my human weaknesses. My God, don't cut me off. For if You were to cut me off, then where would I go, O Lord? What would I do, O Lord? How could I live, O Lord, without the Light of Your Countenance illuminating my dark and hard heart? Lord, don't cut me off! Please, Lord, take me in, even though I have estranged myself from you so many times with my sins.
Lord, I love You with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul. Lord, I ask for Your Love for me. My Most Holy Creator, on the Day when we all will meet You, let me into Your Magnificent and Holy Presence. Let me be with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Let me be his neighbor in Paradise. Let me be able to talk to him there, tell him about my life, and listen to him about his. Lord God, let me see Your Glorious Face in the highest of Gardens. Let me into Your Presence by Your Wonderful, Gentle, and Soothing Grace. Lord God, I thank you for all You have given me, and I ask You to forgive me for never being a fully grateful servant. In Your Most Holy Name, O Lord, I ask all of these things. Amen.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician currently practicing in the greater Chicago area. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, and his commentaries have been published in BeliefNet, the Chicago Tribune as well as other media around the country and around the world. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book, The Beliefnet Guide to Islam, to be pubished by Doubleday. In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and is co-chair of the Media Relations Committee of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Make sure to visit Hesham;s blog at hassaballa.org.
Copyright © 2003-2005 Muslim WakeUp! Inc.The World's Most Popular Muslim Online Magazinehttp://muslimwakeup.comEmail: info@muslimwakeup.com
Thanx Dr. Mirul.
Letter to the Lord
By Hesham Hassaballa
Most Magnificent Lord and Creator:
All praise and thanks is due to thee, O Lord, the Light of Whose Countenance illuminates the heavens and the earth. All praise and thanks is due to thee, O Lord, Who created everything out of nothing, and Who created me, even though You did not need me. Lord, I know that You know everything that is within me, yet I do not know all that is within You. Yet, it helps me to "write" You a letter, and so I ask Your merciful indulgence as I write this to You.
Lord, how can I face Your Magnificent Presence? Every day, the weakness of the human condition overtakes me, and I fall short of the standards You called me to uphold. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? You have given me so much, yet so many times, I have sinned against You. How can I face Your Magnificent Presence? When I think about all the bounties, and blessings, and mercy You have showered upon me, I am strengthened and inspired to rise above the flesh that so often drags me to this earth. Yet, when I am alone - faced with my demons in the darkness - I frequently fall short of Your Grace. Lord, I don't know how I could face Your Magnificent Presence.
Yet, You are still here for me, Lord. In fact, You have always been there for me, Lord. When I was growing up, my mother tried to instill fear of You in me, and it worked. Yet, the image I conjured up of You - and I ask Your forgiveness - is that of a God waiting for me to fall, so that He can slap me down in punishment. I know that is not You, Lord. I know You are more Loving, and Kind, and Merciful, and Gentle than that. I know this now, but when I did not know this then, still You were there for me.
When I struggled as a teenager to be true to You, and suffering painful and lonely isolation for that fidelity, You were there for me. When I was ridiculed by my peers for staying true to Your Way, You were there for me. You helped soothe me when I hurt so much. When I went to college, and I doubted the truth of the message of Your Noble Prophet, You did not cast me down. You did not turn me away; You were there for me. When I suffered through the depths of darkness and solitude, You were there for me. Even when I flirted with leaving the faith, and calling upon someone else besides You, Magnificent Lord, You were there for me.
When I returned to Your Straight Path and rededicated my life to the worship of You, I became an ugly person, devoid of compassion, devoid of humility. I looked down upon those who did not fit my standard of piety, even though the only One who should look down is You, O Lord. I made forbidden what You made lawful, O Lord. I pushed people away from Your Path, Lord God, and gave them an ugly face at which to look at Your faith. I was arrogant, O Lord; I was intolerant, O Lord; I was narrow-minded, O Lord. Quite simply, O Lord, I was a fool. Yet, You were there for me. You still were there for me.
You have always been there for me, O Lord, and I thank You from the bottom of my heart. And I ask for Your Soothing Mercy. I ask for the Mercy from which Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him) told his sons never to despair. I beg for Your forgiveness, O Lord. I have fallen off your path more times than I want to count, O Lord, and You know about every single time. I am so sorry, O Lord. More times than I want to count, O Lord, I have forgotten that - when no other eyes are upon me - Your Magnificent Eyes are watching me. Lord God, I am so sorry. Forgive me, O Lord.
I need Your Mercy more than ever. Lord, I need to be enveloped in Your Soothing Grace. My God, please don't cut me off. Please forgive my trespasses against Thee. Please overlook my shortcomings. Please pardon my human weaknesses. My God, don't cut me off. For if You were to cut me off, then where would I go, O Lord? What would I do, O Lord? How could I live, O Lord, without the Light of Your Countenance illuminating my dark and hard heart? Lord, don't cut me off! Please, Lord, take me in, even though I have estranged myself from you so many times with my sins.
Lord, I love You with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul. Lord, I ask for Your Love for me. My Most Holy Creator, on the Day when we all will meet You, let me into Your Magnificent and Holy Presence. Let me be with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Let me be his neighbor in Paradise. Let me be able to talk to him there, tell him about my life, and listen to him about his. Lord God, let me see Your Glorious Face in the highest of Gardens. Let me into Your Presence by Your Wonderful, Gentle, and Soothing Grace. Lord God, I thank you for all You have given me, and I ask You to forgive me for never being a fully grateful servant. In Your Most Holy Name, O Lord, I ask all of these things. Amen.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician currently practicing in the greater Chicago area. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, and his commentaries have been published in BeliefNet, the Chicago Tribune as well as other media around the country and around the world. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book, The Beliefnet Guide to Islam, to be pubished by Doubleday. In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and is co-chair of the Media Relations Committee of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Make sure to visit Hesham;s blog at hassaballa.org.
This item is located at:http://www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2005/03/letter_to_the_l.php
Copyright © 2003-2005 Muslim WakeUp! Inc.The World's Most Popular Muslim Online Magazinehttp://muslimwakeup.comEmail: info@muslimwakeup.com
Thanx Dr. Mirul.
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