A person has a wholesale hardware store selling hundreds of items from doorframes to nails, cement to bolts. If anyone steals a few items, it’s very difficult for the owner to determine what exactly was stolen. After much stock-taking he might be able to find out what was taken. But at a glance the owner cannot pick out the missing items or even tell if anything is missing.
Imagine if all the items in the hardware store were to be used in building one, massive building. Now when the owner enters, he will notice straight away if a doorframe was missing, or a brick or a light fitting. Even the smallest of missing items will leap to the eye because everything is built up in order. Any deficiency disturbs the harmony.
This is the parable of a Muslim. He has an entire way of life enshrined in Islam. This encompasses acts of worship like Salaah and charity, social dealings, business transactions, the spirit of Islam, beliefs and everything else that makes up a complete Muslim. He has all of this scattered loose. If the devil steals away some part, or a part is missing in our life, it’s very difficult to pinpoint what exactly it is. At times, a person doesn’t feel that anything is missing.
We need to bring together all these components by learning a little of all the branches of Islamic knowledge and putting it all together in our practical life. Then anything that’s missing will immediately make us uneasy.
The Wholesale Hardware: Story
Inspired by Moulana Yunus Patel
