The Etiquette of the Veil and the Blessing of the Hidden
When a Bedouin asked a servant girl about the covered dish she was carrying, "What is in it?", she did not grant him an answer to satisfy his curiosity. Instead, she offered him a wisdom to refine his intellect, saying:
"Why then did we cover it?!"
In those profound words, she summarized the entire philosophy of life: whatever is veiled and hidden from your eyes was concealed for a wisdom, and probing into it is a curiosity that compromises proper etiquette.
So too are lifetimes and provisions—they are dishes covered by the wisdom of the Unseen. They are measured neither by their outward size nor by the duration of their stay, but rather by the beauty bestowed within them once opened.
Thus, the wise person does not preoccupy themselves with asking for long years or abundant wealth—as if insisting on lifting the cover before its time—but rather hopes for Barakah (divine blessing) in whatever has been allotted to them. For how many a short lifespan, encircled with blessing, has encompassed the world in impact and benefit! And how many a modest provision, blessed by God, has overflowed with generosity and contentment!
"O Allah, as You have taught us the etiquette of dignity in concealed things, grant us the grace of contentment with our destinies. We ask You not for a length of years that weighs us down, nor an abundance of wealth that leads us astray; rather, we ask You for blessing in our breaths to revive our hearts, blessing in our provisions to enrich our souls... and make, O Lord, our little much through You, and our short lives deep and devoted in Your obedience and pleasure."
Add comment
Comments