Change is necessary, natural and normal
The wise suggest, wisdom is achieved when knowledge and experience culminates and the lessons of the past allows a mature person to think before responding. This does not apply to everyone.
Thus mature people are gentler and less likely to partake in activities that are needless or that will lead to confrontation. Life teaches that it is better to avoid futility and historically prophets said that people will be led to Hell-fire and they will ask the angels why they were damned. Understanding this is vital as many wicked people actually believed they were good/decent humans.
What am I talking about?
You may be the type of person that prays, fast, gives charity etc. but you have some dangerous qualities that prevent your good deeds from benefitting you. Example, when you enjoy the pain, suffering of other’s or partake in making life difficult for others, you have a serious problem.
It may seem small but often the results of an individual’s behaviour has far reaching effects that he/she is not entirely aware of. Example, you work in a government department where people need consent to do a job and earn a legitimate income. It could be a building plan or something as simple as permission to lower a curb/ construct a carriage way, install a water connection etc. All you must do and get paid for, is to sign a document. However, for some reason you delay permission without explanation and thus everyone’s work awaits your approval. Often, since you believe in your own self-importance, you believe others must wait for you without giving a logical reason. This is common in South Africa where pedantic officials find relevance in making others suffer, needlessly.
Those officials/individuals who hide behind the red tape of the administration etc. must understand that their behaviour is not limited to their day job or work ethic. According to the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, we will all be questioned in the grave even before judgement day.
A specific question that will be asked is, how did you earn your income/living? Since we have angels recording our deeds, our good deeds are used to balance out bad deeds. So, although you may pray/give charity/fast etc. but your work ethic harms others, you will have a problem in the grave.
The point is simple, when you are paid to do a job, do it as fast and efficiently as required. Do not waste other people’s time/energy/money since you do not know their health/financial condition etc.
When you can, voluntarily help whosoever. These good deeds will cancel out your bad deeds. Do not be among those, shocked/confused on judgement day, just do as much good for as long as you can.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress