Smile and the World Smiles With u...

I received one of the magazines I am subscribed to. Quickly, I tore off the wrapper to read what was on the cover page.

Interesting article, I whispered to my self.

This issue was mainly focusing on war and peace. Yup, the two words that could never co-exist together just like day and night, heat and cold, black and white , left and right, and life and death. u agree??

On the cover was a photograph of an unnamed women in a war-torn country, standing in the middle of rocky rubble.bricks and wreckage, which i could only assume were once homes to many happy families, and possibly a happy families, and possibly a happy home for her family too. The first thing that caught my eyes about this women was her sweet smile, Mashaallah....

I remembered whar Lee Mildon said:

"People seldom notice old clothes of u wear big smile."

Totally! What she wore didn't matter to my eyes as what I saw her smile was something more precious.She made me wonder about her - this young women face seemed to be so positif, delightful,pleasent and peaceful, despite her unforgiving surroundings and the clear hardship she is going through .Needless to say, she has inspired me so much with just one smile. I really wish I knew her. I truly do.

Perhaps Anthony J.D'Angel's observation has truth in it:
"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart."

Absolutely! I could feel she went 'knock,Knock Who's There?' on my heart and by just seeing her smile, I opened the door. But then, I remebered what happened to me and freinds when we werw having tea together one afternoon and a lady walked into the cafe. Coincidentally, at the very momment, my friend lifted up her face and their eyes locked. So, being the charming girl my freind is, she gave the sweet lady a freindly smile. To her amazement, the lady looked puzzled and confused, stopped walking for a few seconds and quickly turned her face away. And, Oh yes, she totally forgot to smile back!

Thoroughly annoyed,my freind grumbled - How rude is that? The least u can do is to return a sister's smile! WOW, that incident really opened up my eyes.

Steven D.Woodhull once said this:
"You've got a lot choises. If i getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basic, try another choises."

It was then I began wondering about this incident art of an upwards curve on the face - the art of smiling.

Is smiling to others really dificcult to do,my freinds? I chuckled as I recalled the tme when I had to do some chores over the counter and the lady serving me was wearng tag that had a 'Big Smile' on it and it said 'Have a Great Day!' Hurmmmm....The problem is just one - I don't buy is that she really wanted me to have a great day, as her face really looked like she would rather me rolled over by a car instead!

And no, I am not kidding ok! Have u experienced that before?

But then I knew this was not the way our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him)wanted us to behave, u agree? I recall one of the habits of Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) as told by Lady Aisyah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace be upon him) would enter the house with a pleasing disposition and a smile on his lips.
Suhanallah...How sweet was that? Could u imagine how happy Lady Aisyah felt every single time she saw Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) walking through the door entering their house?

Imagine having our husband, wife, children, father, mother, sister, brither, aunt, uncle, relatives and guests smiling so sweetly with their Twingkling Colgate Total's Smiles upon entering our home every time. And imagine to having our teachers, lecturers, students, bosses, classmates, and subordinates giving their Sparkling White Ultra Brite Smile seeing us!





Is that great feeling or what? (And nope, u cannot choose 'what'!) Don't u just love harmonious, peaceful. glad, delighted. and relieved that would make us feel? Yup! Totally!

Now, trying visualing how it fells like if a grumpy, angry, sulky, irritable and smile-less person entered our homes! Anxious? Uneasy? Uncomfortable? Tense? Nervous?
Duh! Of Course, u all agree? We would quickly stay away from this person, lock ourselves in our rooms and would rather talk to the walls than to them, right? Yeah, I think that sounds just about right!

It was then that I realized something-how a 'simple smile' versus 'no-smile' face could actually affect our lives and the lives of those around us! Pehaps that is why our beloved Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) once said:
" Do not belittle even the smallest act of kindness, even if it were no more than meeting your brother with smiling and cheerful face."

Subhanallah! This is so interesting.

I am amazed that to be kind to others the very least could do for others is to actually have a smile and cheerful face when i meet them! I could actually hear a new jingle in my head that says 'Do a Kind Deed Today' SMILE to someone! Totally!

Hey3, I think I can do that,Insyallah..It sounds so do-able, u agree? But them I become curious-why is smiling regarded as an act kindness? How is it that smiling s equal to being kind? Do u wonder too, all my beloved freind? This is was when it hit me! First, let us look at this verse in which Allah said:
(Do people think that they wll be left alone because they say: "We believe." and will be not tested."
(Al-Ankabut29:2)
So,regardless of who they are and where they came from, no matter if they are rich or poor, young or old, everyone would their own set of issues to deal with. Everyone I meet has their own personal episodes that could potentially Dallas. Dynasty and Betty La Fea (a.k.a Ugly Betty)!

No wonder Plato said:
"Be kind, for everyone u meet is fighting a hard battle."
Indeed, we are. I know that at this very moment, I am standing right smack in the middle of my own battlefield(s?), and I know many people around me who are in their battlefeilds too!!

For example, for a teenager,his battle could be to survive a school bully or how to cope with ever increasing peer pressures; for housewife, her battle could be running her house with 6 hyper-active kids; for working ladies,finishing off her work in the office and rushing home to cook and clean could be their battle; for husbands, the constant choise between family versus work commitments and demands could be their battle; for business persons,survive of their business and handling their compititors,employess and costumers are the daily battle; for creative people, constantly looking for inspirations to spark new ideas are their battle; for grandparents having to stand up and walk to the toilet in the middle of the night counld be their never ending battle and for little cute babiies, trying learn hoe to make sense of what can be put into their mouth could be the battle they can never talk about.

So...yes,everybody is in a battle, do u agree?

no wonder the Prophet(peace be upon him) asked us, at the very least,to be kind by smiling having cheerful face on! It is for all the "wounded warriors" who are battling out there to feel better when they look at us.Amazing isn't it?

But, then I started thinking - what if I am in a really foul mood that day? What if I am at a rosck-bottom-than-me situation? What if what I felt is really like the fans of Liverpool losing their Robbie Fowler and Micheal Owen? What if what I truly feel like doing is strangling someone instead of giving the, a cheerful face?
Then, I remebered what Jarir (may Allah be pleased with m) said about our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
"Since I embraced Islam Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) never refused to see me and he did not see me but smile on his face." (Muslim)

I felt so ashamed when I read this hadith. If I was an ostrich, I wouldn't take my head out hole! I asked myself, if don't feel like smiling because of the adverse situation I am facing - am saying that the hardship I faced in my life is much greater than him (peace be upon him)? am i saying that my life challengers are worse than his(peace be upon him)? Am i saying that my suffering are more than his(peace be upon him)??

Let me see - the Prophet(peace be upon him) was born without the father to love him, his mother died when he was only six, lived at the mercy of his loving grandfather and uncle, boycotted by his own community,thrown out of his own country, been thrown with dirt little children, lost a spouse who loved, spported and believed in him, lost all his beloved sons at very young age, accused of being a liar, was being ridiculed and humiliated by his own people, saw his freinds being tortuned and killed; and was so poor that he used to tie stones to his stomach to reduce his hunger.

Even then, he.....our beloved Prophet Muhammmad(peace be upon him) always had smile on his face.



So....again....Ouh Atiqah...I asked my self - what are the challenges that I face which I claim make me unable to smile???

Ya Allah....Forgive me,my Lord for making axcuses.....(~_~)