Knicq

Alhamdulillah.
knicq posted in Knicqisms on January 2nd, 2007

Pendulums, or Penduli if that is the correct plural, are interesting. Tides are interesting too. The wall on which the pendulum hangs is perhaps boring, as is the sand the tides invade and withdraw from. Funny thing is, sometimes boring is not all bad. Roller coaster rides are bad. Perhaps they are not bad, but I do not have the stomach for them. Maybe that is because I have too much stomach. Easy to get hurt in a roller-coaster ride when you have too much stomach.

Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. I am a Muslim. I am a Muslim. I am a Muslim. Alhamdulillah too for Wifey, and Alhamdulillah for TQ and AQ. Alhamdulillah for the most wonderful friends, and Alhamdulillah for their love, patience and wisdom. I live a blessed existence. I have nothing to complain about, and yet I am guilty of nashukri – thanklessness to Allah – through words spoken, and acts committed. May Allah forgive me, may He forgive my innumerable sins, and may He make me His obedient servant.

I love my father deeply. He is the most honest, most principled, and the most straight forward human being I know. He is also the simplest man I know. Diplomacy was never his forte, and it cost him a few relationships and quite a few friends, but it also earned him the respect of one and all, and the fierce loyalty of those friends who survived his straight-talking. All his life, he has been devoted to his family. Not once did I see him get into heated arguments/disussions with anyone over anything. He believed in Allah, and he believed he had a duty – to look after his family.

Life and its challenges were black or white. There were no shades of grey. There were matters which Allah would take care of Himself, and matters he was supposed to attend to. He had his dos an don’ts quite well defined, it used to frustrate all our efforts to drag him into something he did not think he could make a difference in. Politics was one such arena. Perhaps he thought the politics of the world as well as the country would take care of itself in line with Allah’s plan, because he continued to focus on how to ensure we grew up to be good human beings. For three decades he worked tirelessly in this country, and for almost a decade now he has been running his own little set-up back home – just so his children live a most cushioned life.

It is likely that his devotion and love for his family have something to do with the fact that he grew up himself without a father. My grandfather had passed away, when my father was four years old. He grew up making his own choices, and becoming in the process a determined and no-nonsense man. Many a times, life has dealt him a raw hand, as it is wont to do; but he has seldom allowed a set-back to set him back. It was perhaps because of this reason that in an interview when I was asked who my ideal was, I had not hesitated a moment to say: “My father”.

My ideal refused to talk to me today, and told me never to call back.

I need prayers.