Being A Good Muslim By # 3.4

Good Muslim

      It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and I had finished doing all my chores for the day. I was sitting in my room when I decided it was a wonderful day to read. I reached over for my book when all of the sudden...

      "Annisa!" My mom exclaimed as she barged into my room, "Your cousin Fitri finished memorizing Juz Am'mah!"

      My first reaction was, "Oh my gosh that's amazing!" But then I remembered I was over five years older then her.

      "How much of the Qur'an have you memorized?" My mom asked, teasing me.

      I held up my fingers and counted in my head, "13," I said abashed. Mom laughed a sympathetic chuckle and said, "That's ok, I know you try," before she turned and left my room.

      I remember seeing Fitri a few times in Indonesia. I liked her because she was such a cute and friendly little kid. It shocked me to think that a few years later she would have memorized a whole juz! Then I thought to myself, "What did I do in those years? Did I ever do anything that makes a good Muslim like Fitri did?" Sure I wore a veil and prayed five times a day, but compared to my little cousin, that was nothing! I know my parents would consider me a good person, but I don't know if they would consider me a good Muslim.

      Realizing how bad of a Muslim I am, I went to the bookshelf and picked up A Thematic Commentary of the Qur'an. My parents had bought me that book a while ago and even though I don't read it as often as they liked, I read it every now and then. Perhaps reading this would make me feel like a better Muslim.

      I opened to the page where I had left my book mark; it was at the surrah Al Asr.
"By the flight of time, Man is at a total loss." I shuddered, "What a terrible way to start a surrah!" I thought to myself.
I couldn't help feeling that this surrah was written specially for me. Despite my uneasiness, I read the last next. "Expect for those who have faith and do good works; who exhort each other to uphold the truth and to perseverance." I like this ayat better.

      Following the surrah was an explanation of it. From all the paragraphs I read, one sentence stood out. "The renowned scholar, Al-Shafa'i, was reported to have said, 'If this was the only surah to have been revealed, it would have been sufficient.'"

      I smiled to myself. I haven't memorized a Juz from the Qur'an like little Fitri, but I will work hard to achieve it. But if the essence of the Qur'an is to believe in Allah, do good deeds and encourage others to do the same, then I will work even harder to do so.