Expectation from the Slave

Assalamualaikum wbt

       Year 2018 will be coming soon. What is your expectation for next year? You will start a new job? like me haha InsyaAllah. Well, how I wish I am 'rajin' enough to make a video like Aida Azlin or other inspiring vloggers to talk about this topic. I want to write down my idea about this topic because of an incident that happened to me in Japan recently that made me reflect myself about how far should I have expectation from someone or some circumstances. I choose to keep silence and not telling anyone about that incident but I did 'muhasabah' myself as I realized how I'm so lack of knowledge to put a right amount of expectation on someone or some cases.

       After asking Mr. Google, the word expectation means a belief that someone will or should achieve something. This word also means a strong belief that something will happen or be the case. 

       Last time during usrah, my Naqibah said that human beings are 'beggars' in this world. We keep asking for something and expect that we will always get what we ask from someone. For example, a wife ask for a Gucci handbag from her husband. So, she will expect that her husband will buy a Gucci handbag not a LV handbag for her. If not she will get upset because she did not expect a LV handbag at all. Diva sangat kan. My Naqibah said when we realized that we are just beggars in this world, we will not ask or expect anything from another person because he or she is also a beggar. Should I define beggar? No need lah.

       Her point here is we should keep less expectation towards other people because each one of us is so full of flaws (read my previous blog please) that it is so impossible for us to please others or other people to please us. That is why we should not put blame on other person when it comes to a mistake. Perhaps, that person is actually not capable enough but we put such high expectation to him/her. I give you one example, parents that blame their child for not achieving good result in examination. All parents expect the best from their child because they provide the best facilities for their child to live and study. So, they want the same in return. But unfortunately, things don't go well like they expected. They scold and blame that kid. And that kid also will blame himself. See, when we put too much expectation from someone, we will easily get hurt and that person also will get hurt too. Nobody win.

       So, our highest expectation should be given to the Mighty Allah S.W.T. Why? Because He is Al-Quddus, The Most Sacred. The one who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries. Ask from Him, you can expect anything from Him.
       

"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright." (2:186)

Have you ever noticed in the Quran, Allah always use the word 'My slaves' when He refers to muslimin. Like in Malaysia, we will give high respect and privileges to those people that have title Tan Sri or Datuk Sri right? Then, Allah gives His attention and privileges to His slaves, us, muslimin. The title 'slave' is actually the best title for a muslim as we give our highest expectation to Allah, He will never disappoint us.

"But Allah never fulfill my prayer till now."

"I wanted to further my study to German, but why He put me in Japan?"

"I hate my life, I never asked these bad things happen but why Allah do this to me?"

       Those dialogues are actually mine. Sorry. But I'm sure all of you at least face this kind of stuff once in your life right? One thing that we must bear in our mind, Allah is Al-Alim, The All-Knowing One. The Knowledgeable. The One nothing is absent from His knowledge. The way Allah plans our life and this universe is absolutely out of our control, out of our mind. I expect that study in German will make me be a better person but He knew that by sending me to Japan can help me to learn about His religion, my religion which is Islam in a wider perspective. That's why He is God.

       So, does Allah expect anything from us in return? No. But He likes His slaves to pray to Him, ask Him, beg Him and expect a lot of things from Him. He wants to see how far we depend on Him,  count on Him during difficulties and give all praise to Him during contentment. Before I end with my final full stop, it is okay to have any expectation from other people or any circumstance but prepare yourselves in case you get hurt because of the flaws in each one of us. And also please keep highest expectation to the Creator, Allah S.W.T. because even though things might change according to His plan, but He only plans the best to His slaves.