LESSON OF THE DAY 434

Ayah of the Day:
Speak to My devotees who believe so they will be constant in prayer and give of what We have provided them, secretly and openly, before there comes a day on which there is no barter and no friendship. [14: 31]

Hadith of the Day:
Beware of avarice, for verily it destroyed the people who were before you. They shed their own blood and severed relations. Injustice, on the Day of Judgment, will be darkness. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
When we follow our heart and conscience within the Quran's light and guidance, God may guide us to the enlightenment for which we are looking. [Fethullah Gulen]

Guidance of the Day:
Avoid the pitfall of pity when dealing with the elders. Too many people, under the guise of caring, patronize and demean the very old by treating them like children. They speak to them loudly, or as if they are simpletons. They interpret the elder's concern for the small details of life as a return to infantile. In actions and in manner they strip the elders of the very respect they claim to be giving them.

Such behavior holds up mirrors in which elders must see their infirmity, not mirrors in which they can see their humanity. True caring and respect serve the weakness, but mirror only the humanity and the strength. Caring and respect listen, laugh, and even challenge. They assume that the words and actions of the elders are to be taken seriously. Even in their infirmity, elders seek and value their dignity. They want, above all else, to feel that their lives are still valued, and that the world they made and the knowledge they gained are not being cast aside.

So love the elders. Honor them. Go to them with a pure heart, unblinded by notions of false reverence or obligation, and unaffected by self serving feelings of pity. Listen to them. Observe them like a far off country that you will someday visit, and learn the lessons that they have to teach. If you can honor and respect them, and allow them to share the fruits of their experience, however simple those fruits might be, you will gain a gift you can get no where else. You will gain the knowledge of your past, and the wisdom to understand your future. [Simple Truths]

Food for Thought:
It is the virtuous and the seeker of virtue who finds the company of virtuous. Keeping the company of bad people will lead to bad opinions of good people.