The winter camp's theme was Beautiful Patience, where the main lessons were extracted from Surah Yusuf. Did you know that Surah Yusuf is the only surah in the Qur'an that tells a complete story of a person (i.e. Prophet Yusuf AS). If you read the whole surah carefully, you'll learn so many things! Even much more if you read or listen to the explanation of it. This is one of the videos I found on the explanation of the surah: click here.
The story of Prophet Yusuf AS is from the best of stories because of what it relates from varying phases in life; from trial to tribulation, from being tested to being blessed, from humiliation to magnificence, from slavery to kingship, from division to unity, from grief to joy, from superfluity to famine, from famine to glut, from hardship to ease, and from denial to affirmation. So blessed be the One who revealed it in the best manner possible.
Here, I'm writing a number of lessons I learned from all the talks and the activities at the camp, not only those related to Surah Yusuf, but also other things during the camp. These notes are reminders for myself first and foremost. If you get benefits from this post as well, Alhamdulillahi rabbil 'alamin. :)
- In everything we do, purify our intention! We need to make sure that it's solely for the sake of Allah SWT. We don't start doing things or leaving things for the sake of people (recheck our intention!).
- Whatever we do in this life, as long as it's good, be the best in it, and then give back to the ummah, insha Allah.
- 'Ilm and Amal (knowledge and action) are the twins of faith. They need to go hand in hand. After that, the third thing to do is to share the knowledge we got to others, insha Allah. Be like the first type of ground: absorb and pass to others!
- If you're asked this question: "What would you think of a 55 year old black man, has no job?" Most people might answer, "He's lazy, dumb, etc". If that's the answer you would give as well, then you have some portion of negative thinking in your mind. The truth is that this man is rich and retired earlier as a millionaire. Always think positive as we might not know the complete story of someone or something!
- Reading the story of Prophet Yusuf AS makes us realised that every calamity that strikes us is nothing compared to that happening to him. How he handled it and how he had a strong patience in facing it should make us reflect upon ourselves. Calamity is actually a test from Allah SWT. Just like the tests at school, the higher the level, the harder the test.
- A person can go from 0 to someone really great, very important. So, never assume, never judge, and never lose hope on someone! Only Allah SWT knows how someone's life will turn out.
- The only thing you will bring after death is our deeds. So, think smart!
- Leave the duniya before it leaves you. Utilise this duniya as a means, not our goal.
- There are 3 types of patience:
- patience on the commands (what to do),
- patience to stay away from prohibition,
- patience on calamity we don't have control about.
- "A little that suffices you is better than a lot that spoil you." (Muhammad SAW)
- Being good is to do good to the people who do bad to you, do not oppress those who oppress you, and do not betray those who betray you.
- As you know, the position of parents in Islam is very high. If you die at the night when your parents are angry or crying because of you, two gates of hell are opened for you. If you sleep at night and your parents are smiling because of you, two gates of heaven are opened for you.
- Number one in men's list is respect and number one in women's list is love.
- If you want to disobey Allah SWT, do it outside His kingdom, do it where He can't see you. Where? How?
- Some people say that they will get closer to Allah SWT when they are old. The truth is we never know if we're still alive then, even we never know if we're still alive tomorrow. Do it now! If we want to die in the state of gaining His pleasure, we have to live in doing what pleases Him, insha Allah.
"Patience's position to faith is similar to the position of the head to the body. If the head is cut off, the body dies." Then he raised his voice saying, "There is no faith, for a person who doesn't have patience." - Ali ibn Abdul Thalib RA -
