Blind But Now I See?

Alhamdulillah, this weekend I got to spend some time with my family. My nephew, who is 3 years old, has just recently gotten some glasses. Aside from the fact that he just looks adorable with them on, he is now able to see so much better--can focus on objects to play with, plus letters and numbers so he can learn much faster now. It turns out he was extremely farsighted, especially in one of his eyes, unable to focus, and his eyes were crossing when he would try. But now he has glasses, and now he can see. His mom said that he won't even take them off--pretty remarkable for a three year old, adjusting to this new object on his face. But they made such a difference for him that he won't take them off except to sleep.

I was talking to one of my friends the other day about how life changes when someone becomes guided--that it is like they could sort of see the world, but it was blurry. Everything was literally out of focus--the purpose of life, relationship with God, family relationships, economic perspectives, morality, etc. And then the guidance from Allah (SWT) is like those prescription eyeglasses, which bring everything in to focus.

When someone has been guided, he can begin to look at the world with new clarity. If a person is trying to live a "good" life, he will still have trouble making the right choices without the guidance from Allah (SWT). From the basics of worship, to how to treat one's parents, and how to deal with money--Islam gives us, the Muslims, this focus, to see what is important in life. We are able (inshaaAllah) to see what is most important, we are able to follow the law. And if the law is like a road (and the word shari'ah is somehow related to the word for street), then how can a person drive without proper vision? He cannot see the signs, the streetlights, the lines on the road, or the other cars. How confusing!

But yet, if a person was born with bad vision, he wouldn't know that anyone else could see the world differently. He wouldn't know that his vision was bad, because he would have nothing to compare it to. Just like somebody who has never been exposed to Islam wouldn't know the difference between having that guidance and living without it.

But then once someone is able to see clearly--once he puts on those glasses--he won't want to return to his previous state of blindness. Just like we as Muslims should cling to our Islam, and cling to the Qur'an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (saaws) which put this dunya, and our lives into focus.

Is then one who doth know that that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth, like one who is blind? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition;- (Ar-Rad 19)