The Story of a Dog Called Faith

A few days back I had the opportunity attending a congress that featured speakers from all over the world. It was MashaAllaah, a fantastic event where I meet thousands of wonderful people and was introduced to amazing new friends.

 During one of the sessions, a renowned international millionaire gave his one-hour talk, telling us the importance of embracing challenges, determination in facing the odds and not to make excuses in our lives. When there is a will, there is a way. The water can dent a rock if it drips long enough on it. A carbon will become a diamond if it can withstand the pressure.

 I remembered this quote by Titus Livy…

 We survive on adversity and perish in ease and comfort.

He shared on how he came from a disadvantaged background and a dysfunctional family which had made him having to face life practically on his own from a very young age. His life story was an inspirational one, MashaAllaah. From rags to riches kind of story.

I thought about his speech long and hard that day. His witty yet brilliant delivery successfully triggered my mind with many mind boggling questions. Needless to say, his stories really hit me hard that day.

I started wondering about things around me.

As my sister just gave birth to the sweetest baby girl, my wondering mind first stop was babies. Yes, babies.

Have you ever wondered how babies could learn how to walk? Okey, don't give me 'on two feet answer! That's not what I mean. What I mean here is, how do babies move from stage one which is just lying down on their back to the next stage of turning around, then learning how to lift their neck up, doing their 'little push-ups', then trying to lift their cute butt-cheek and then starting to crawl on fours.

You have to admit, it wasn't easy for those babies to progress from one stage to another, right? Yet, have you ever seen a baby giving up and said "It is too hard. I keep on falling, so, I am going to stop trying to walk and will crawl for the rest of my life?" Have you ever heard that?

No, right? A baby moves from one stage to another despite facing much difficulty at every stage. After a baby learns how to tip toe, he then naturally decides to continue accepting the challenges to walk. After much hardship, the baby who now could walk decides to try running.

Babies never blame their wobbly feet as an excuse not to walk. In fact, they decide to continue practice standing on those two shaky and unsteady feet in order to get their muscles stronger, right? No excuses, no blaming. Babies just naturally try and keep on trying. The most babies do is cry a bit due to the pain experienced from falling.

In the end, all babies in the world would go through the stages successfully, you agree?

Truly, the verse below is so true.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity" (Al-Bukhari and others).

Clearly, Allaah wants the baby to have stronger muscles so that he can walk, run, jog, sprint, march, jump, hop and leap in the future! That's why babies have to go through the 'hardship'. Make sense, right? SubhanAllaah.

So, if we could naturally understand this principle before when we were babies, why can't we apply the same concept as we are facing challenges when we are teenagers or adults? Why do we sometimes like to blame and make excuses for any disadvantages we have instead of facing it head on like how we used to do when we were babies?

"You are lucky because you dad is rich, so, he can afford to provide you education," said a kid who didn't get the chance to go to school. 'You are lucky because you dad is often at home and pays attention to you' said a kid with busy father. 'I can't speak English well because my parents are not native speakers', 'I can't do well at work because my boss always looks for my faults', 'I am always late because my home is far', 'I can't study because my parents are always fighting', 'I can't score in exams because my mother didn't buy that workbook for me', 'I can't lose weight because it's genetic'or 'I don't know how to cook because my mother never taught me' are just a few of millions of excuses that human can come out with.

Let me share with you a video clip about a dog who denied the odds and let all of us embrace its disadvantages.

Subhana Allah. If we have to be shaken by a dog, so be it, right?

Faith, the dog has just taught us a valuable lesson in life. Accept our conditions, learn to cope with it and continue living gracefully and happily. This is the formula given by this little dog. And you heard what the clip says, a movie producer wanted to cast this little doggie in his next movie project!

If faith-the dog had given up before, I am sure he wouldn't be able to get to be in the movie, right?

This really reminded me of what Allaah had told us…

It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

Reflect on this verse and of the things that are happening in your life. Remember, that Allaah knows and you do not know.

Think about it…

Copyright (c) Sis Zabrina 2007