After taking my mother and myself to countless doctor visits, the correlation between doctors and ‘teachers’ becomes palpable.
At the doctor we get tested, pricked, stripped, weighed, measured and lectured. It is all recorded on numerous charts, compared with old records, compared with the records of other patients. Prescriptions are written, instructions are given and patients are told to ‘wait a bit.’ The doctor might come back and ask us to see a specialist; make sure to come back here and tell the results – if you don’t they’ll be faxed over anyway.
Sometimes, the results call for surgery, devices, or diets. Sometimes, the results call for all three. There are questions – do you smoke? There are piercing looks –into the eyes, ears, nose and throat. There is hope for a cure that will allow us to live our lives without pain, without physical problems.
With a teacher, we get tested for talents, skills, knowledge. Our nafs is pricked, our ego; stripped. Our deeds are weighed and our schedule measured. We are often lectured. Our records are laid bare, and we compare.
She prescribes more ibadat (worship), less giving in to whim. She instructs us in new manners of worship, new ways to stand before Allah (s), new ways to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (s). We are often told to wait. Be patient. Wait our turn. Wait for the effects to kick in.
We are sent to specialists – specialists in knowledge, specialists in hearts. There are times we are told to slice and cut out habits, to use new technologies and new tricks to get over attachments, to change what we devour of food, media, music and the like. We are asked questions that we don’t like to answer – but must. We feel eyes as they penetrate our every crevice and corner.
We hope for a cure, that will allow us to be of those who are happy in both homes – dunya and akhira (this world, and the hereafter).
Happy.
Happy hearts, happy souls, happily ever after for real.
Doctors and ‘teachers’ – taking care of us, holding on to us (that pesky secretary that keeps calling you to remind you of your appointment), caring; alhamdulilah for them both.
