Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette Vacation is over, and everyone is back to school, back to college, or back to work. Each of us has a mission this academic year, a goal to accomplish, and something to work hard for, whether it is getting straight A's in school, getting accepted into a prestigious medical school, getting a promotion at work, making the house clutter and mess-free, or memorizing 10 sections of the Holy Qur'an. Little did some of us know that during our struggles on the road to education and a better career, if we maintain our integrity, we have Allah on our side every step of the way. Little did we know that the student who had a sleepless night studying for a difficult exam, or the teacher who spent her weekend grading essays for her class, or the janitor who worked 10 hours a day, cleaning the hospital floors – they each have been rewarded greatly by Allah and their position has been elevated in Paradise. If students wake up in the morning and get ready for school or college with the intention in their hearts to seek knowledge to please Allah and to improve the condition of humanity with their knowledge, then Allah has promised to make the road to Paradise easier for them. In fact, going to school is even likened to an act of worship. Write these Hadiths down and make signs and hang them on the walls of your house to prevent grumpy faces in the mornings. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Allah makes the way to Paradise easy for him [or her] who treads the path in search of knowledge.” (Sahih Muslim) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “It is better to learn any chapter of knowledge than to pray 100 rakats of prayer.” (Ibn Majah) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he [or she] does.” (At-Tirmidhi) And there is a verse in the Holy Qur'an which instructed Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and all Muslims to ask Allah to help us gain in knowledge: {And say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”} (Chapter 20, verse 114) To be given knowledge and to pass on knowledge to others are among the greatest gifts and blessings from Allah. How about the teachers who are almost always overworked and underpaid? What is their reward from Allah? Their rewards are plenty. Although not perceived by many in today's society as a prestigious job, a good teacher is, in the sight of Allah, a great person. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah, His angels, and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge. (At-Tirmidhi) That means that the blessings teachers receive on a daily basis are countless. And a teacher's hard work will continue to pay off even after the teacher dies. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, among the good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are these: knowledge which he taught and spread, a righteous child he leaves behind, a copy of the Qur'an he leaves for inheritance, a mosque he has built, a house he built for travelers, a well he has dug, and charity he has given from his wealth while he was healthy. These deeds will join him after his death.” (Sunan Ibn Majah) It seems like nothing in this world is really worthy of collecting and chasing after, except knowledge. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Is not the world cursed and everything in it? It is so, except for the remembrance of Allah and what facilitates it, the scholar, and the seeker of knowledge.” (At-Tirmidhi) Doctors, nurses, and anyone working in health care, and the students on their road to a health care profession, how vast is their reward from Allah? These men and women, and the paramedics and fire fighters, when the pressure at work becomes too intense, and when they have been on-call six nights in a row, they can rest assured that Allah will reward them. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an that whoever saves one life, it is as if he/she has saved all of humanity. A Muslim intensive care unit physician, Hesham Hassaballa, is inspired and motivated every day, and he never allows the stress and exhaustion to get the better of him. Hassaballa said, “When the Lord blesses a person with being a physician, He gives them the opportunity to do His work on Earth: help relieve the suffering of His people. Each and every day, physicians are given the honour and privilege to help people feel better, breathe better, feel less pain, and – through the Lord's healing power-treat and even cure disease. If smiling to one another – as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said – is a charity, then how about helping someone's asthma attack? Or helping someone overcome a cancer diagnosis? Or relieving the pain and suffering of someone afflicted with a terrible infection?” No job in the community should be belittled. The sanitation workers who clean the streets, the seashore, the shopping malls, our homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques - they all hold a very important job. We owe it to them to show them generosity, appreciation, and respect. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was concerned with the affairs of the servants in his household and in the mosque. The Prophet's companion, Abu Hurairah, related the story that once a woman who used to sweep the masjid (mosque) died. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not know that she had died. He (peace be upon him) was accustomed to seeing her in the mosque, and when he noticed her absence, he inquired about her. The people told him that she had died. He (peace be upon him) said, “Why did you not inform me? Lead me to her grave.” They led the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the woman's grave and he performed the funeral prayer for her. We each have a mission in our lives and an important role to play. We need to recognize that whatever job we are performing, we must exert our best efforts. There is no room or time for laziness, apathy, or carelessness. We must start each day with the intention and hopes of gaining the pleasure of Allah and making our homes, communities, cities, and the world a better place.
