By Farooq Kperogi My nature resents small talk and repetitive, almost ritualistic greetings, such as formulaic birthday messages, predictabl...
By Farooq Kperogi
My nature resents small talk and repetitive, almost ritualistic greetings, such as formulaic birthday messages, predictably mechanical Jumma'a greetings on WhatsApp, and the like. I prefer meaningful, context-rich, and reason-driven communication.
Yet, I recognize that most people are not like me, so I've learned not to be irritated by the predictability and hollowness of formulaic greetings. Birthday greetings are the exception. Their sheer volume overwhelms me. That’s why I've disabled social media notifications that alert friends to my birthday.
However, today something happened that profoundly shifted my perspective on the significance of routine Friday greetings. There was a gentleman I had never met who nonetheless unfailingly sent me Jumma greetings every week.
As with other such messages I received, I always acknowledged his greetings with an emoji. When three consecutive Fridays passed without receiving his message, I found myself unexpectedly thinking about him, even though I had no idea who he was.
Today, curiosity compelled me to call his number. His wife answered and informed me that he had died three weeks earlier. I cried. I was genuinely broken; broken for someone I had never met, never spoken to, and knew almost nothing about.
This painful realization made me see that those didactic, preachy Jumma’a messages on WhatsApp from friends, family, and even complete strangers are more than bland religious exhortations (though some indeed carry profound, introspective wisdom).
They are also unintentional relational glues. They connect us in ways we don’t realize. They subtly communicate: "I am alive, and I am thinking of you. You crossed my mind today."
The cessation of the messages can silently signal that they are no longer here on earth. Or that they are sick. Or busy. Or maybe even angry with you. They are multi-purpose.
After today, I promised myself: I will never again take Friday messages for granted. Jumma'a Mubarak!
Yes, that's quite true. I also used to find them irrelevant, but I had a rethink later, because of the underlying meaning they convey, "I am alive, and you have crossed my mind at the moment. However, I don't take them seriously if they're forwarded.
ReplyDeleteDear Prof, praises and thanks be to God, Lord of all, for you. That "for you" is pregnant with meaning. May peace and blessings of God be on whom after him no more prophets, Muhammad.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the fifth paragraph of your notes above, I had to pause to pray for the departed soul of our fortunate fellow Muslim brother, using the received words meant for every Muslim corpse during the ritual prayer for such before laying them to rest. God knows his name.
In Ta Ha (20):114, wherein God counselled the Prophet (may peace and blessings of God be on him) - and by extension the generality of believers - thus; "... and say: "O my Lord, increase me in knowledge"", that your experience as related above practically suggests a prayer answered instance of an other than core theology knowledge increase in you. Very much also in me.
Your writing depicts you as very well imaginative, but as to positiveness of what exactly the cause of that cessation of an otherwise regular compliments, you never had had until you had called. Then that the "unseen value".
By your Islam and scholarship of, I regard your dad as still reaping the fruits of his labour, his already having been in the grave notwithstanding. I do not think anything the sort of filial piety as further enjoyable by a deceased father exists in any religion other than Islam and its eschatology. The raison d'être as conceptualised by Islam is not only wholesome but also consummate.
May we be practically submitting to God while that the inevitable which befell our fellow in faith in Muhammad (may peace and blessings of God be on him) - as contrasted with just being nominally so - eventually becomes our lot too one day. Further importantly, may our offspring take after us, not because it was their father's religion but very well because they would have had theological scholarship in no less way than they would, that which is atheological.
Hallowed be God, praises too. I testify, there's no deity except God. I ask that He forgive me. I turn repentant to Him.