Standing out

Salaams all,

Thank you for the reminder...cough cough Bilal cough...at least it wasn't Nabil :P.  Anyways, I'm halfway done my research stint at Henry Ford, and it's been great so far.  It's nice focusing on a few disease conditions and actually expanding the knowledge base of that condition.  I was never really into bench research, so it's nice to do research that actually involves seeing patients.  I'm waiting on the match for residency, so please keep me in your duas.

I heard this hadith mentioned in a lecture a few months ago, so I thought I'd share it:

Abdullah b Mas'ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) addressed us and then supported his back (by reclining) against a leather tent and said: Behold, no one but a believing person would enter Paradise. O Allah, (see) have I conveyed (it not)? Allah, be witness (to it that I have conveyed it). (Then addressing the companions) he said: Don't you like that you should constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise? We said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He again said: Don't you like that you should constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise? They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: I hope that you would constitute one- half of the inhabitants of Paradise and you would be among the peoples of the world, like a black hair on (the body of) a white ox or like a white hair on the body of a black ox.

There are a lot of lessons in this hadith, but the part I want to point out is the last statement, which mentions how we should be "among the peoples of the world".  The stark contrast that is mentioned between a black hair on a white ox (and vice versa) is how we should strive to stand out in this life.  It should be easy to tell who amongst the people is muslim based not only on appearance, but also on behavior.  Even though being pointed out as muslim these days usually means you get an extra pat-down at the airport...we should convince everyone that being muslim in reality means being best in morality, behavior and piety.

--Zain