A believer and his environment

"A true believer is not influenced by his environment,
 but rather he influences it."

[Habib Kathim al-Saqqaf]

Back to my hospital placement tomorrow, after the winter holidays. SubhanAllah, it is a thing difficult upon the self. The atmosphere is difficult to breathe in sometimes. An education system more based on highlighting how little you know, rather than how you can be benefited. The competitiveness, the ambition..

Comparatively.. sitting in class with our shuyookh, one can almost feel the touch of angels' wings as they surround us; almost see the light eminating from the words of the mouth of our teacher; the almost tangible diffusion of knowledge from teacher to student. If one could, one would stay there forever.

May Allah make all our institutions of knowledge and education enlightening, pure, and well-intended environments, and may He forever purify and increase our intentions. May we become of those righteous people who instead of being affected by the situations in which they find themselves, change those environments for the better.

One supposes that one of the purposes and intended benefits of sitting with masters of the sacred sciences and the knowers of Allah, is that they can teach you correct adab and perception in and of, non-Islamic environments. In sha Allah.

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع

O Allah: I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit.