Wednesday, July 9, 2008

What is our legacy?

Assalamualaikum...

What is our legacy?

The above question came to me more than a month ago.
At the time, i was in Borders Bookstore, The Curve, immersing myself in a couple of new-released books, fully enjoyed my quality time alone there...
I have this habit of taking 2-3 books at once and bring them with me to the sofa, even though i'm pretty sure i will read only one.
So, at the time i happened to take this one book titled "Three Cups of Tea" with me. What makes me took the book at the first place is because of its striking cover: Three young girls at the age of about 9 years old, sit together while each reading a book. All three girls are wearing tudung, and they have the air of innocence on them that makes us wanting to hug and protect them at the same time.

The writer of this book is the one who i want to talk about; Greg Mortenson.

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he eventually stumbled into an impoverished Muslims Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school.
And return there, he did!

Fast-forwarded years later, and after several life threatening events such as threats from fellow Americans for helping Muslim children, a fatwa from an angry Islamic cleric for educating girls, and 2003 Afghan firefight between opium warlords, he succeeded in his mission - to build the Muslim children a school!

And he didn't stop there. Today, Mortenson had set up over 60 schools and as a result over 25000 children had been educated.



And once again i want to emphasize here that those children are Muslim, and that Mortenson guy is not!

I don't have to ask this, but still i couldn't help myself not to: How in earth this one non-Muslim guy, can sacrificed everything in his life and endangered himself, just to help those Muslim kids? Where are we? Where are the other Muslim?!

This Mortenson guy leave a strong legacy behind him. A legacy i doubt i can top in this life, but nonetheless give me a challenge and inspiration to do something good and worthy for the world.

Let's together make our presence felt, even in the smallest sense. Don't be like what 'pepatah melayu' said, "Datang tak menambah, pergi tak mengurang"

Allah creates each one of us unique in our own way. Let's explore it and use it to do some good in this world! Let's face Allah in the Judgement Day knowing we had use our ability and gift to help others and help the world to be a better place...!



Type rest of the post here

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