HUMANITY

LIFE

My people, I bring unto you today, the story of a man who found himself in a jungle, he went into the jungle to ponder upon life and creation. He focused his gaze on nature, everything around him and asked himself, "What is life?" "What is death?" He was very fascinated about the combat against death which people around him engage in. "Oh yeah, we've got so much life span now", he said to himself. "I think we can still improve this, or even push death away one day." But he was so confused about the differences people around him have concerning this that he went into the jungle to ponder upon this day after day for a weeks and four days.

Then came the day when he was visited by the king of the jungle whilst he had dosed off. The roar of the lion scared him and upon seeing it, he began to run. He ran so fast that the lion could not catch up with him until he fell into a pit. Well, fortunately for him, there was a rope in this pit which he was able to hold on to. He was very tired, panting repeatedly. He held the rope for a long time wishing that the lion be gone in a short time. But to his surprise, the lion sat up there waiting for him to come out, he could see it. What could he do? So he thought of freeing himself from the rope and jumping into the pit, maybe by this the lion will be assured that it has no other choice than to leave. Then he can later find his way out. Whilst he was looking down into the pit, he found the most wired thing he could ever imagine: a serpent, a big serpent with its mouth wide open waiting for him to release the rope so that he can be a source of food. He immediately held back tight to the rope. As he held on tight to the rope, he heard a sound. He raise up his gaze and found two mice, a black and a white, biting the rope. "Oh my God, this too?" he thought. Then he calm himself down, and he thought. He thought and thought, "What is this that is happening to me?" "Up there is a lion, down there is a wild serpent, and here these two mice are biting the rope?" He could not stop them because he could not leave the rope. He thought, again and again he thought. But as time goes on, the rope got close to being cut. Just then, he saw a honey cube in front of him, he dipped his finger into a honey, tasted it and he felt so relieved. So relieved that he forgot all his problems. A moment later, the rope got cut and as he was falling, he woke up. I think I will have to present him to you at this moment.

Yes! My friend had spoken the truth. My dear ones, verily I say unto you, the truth is clear. This is life. This story I brought unto you explains the concept of life. We've only got to open our heart in other to recognize the fact. For verily the truth I say unto you, that the lion represents death which is always chasing you. The black and white mice represent the night and the day. Every moment you live is always bringing you closer to your grave, which is the wild serpent waiting for you to fall, and you will definitely fall in one day. No doubt! The honey? This is life, this...is...life. The deceitful world which man tasted once and he forgets death, he forgets the grave, he forgets that a day will come when he will be placed inside the earth. He forgets that a day will come when he will be brought in front of his Lord to account for his deeds.

(Inspired from an example given by Imâm Ghazâli about life)