I came across this piece and I think it is topical enough to share with your good readers.
An incident transpired when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing. Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:
“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us.
We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.
My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected.
Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.
Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.”
He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.” From the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes.
Aji Amie Njie
Bakau new Town
Piety and faith should continue after Ramadan
Dear editor,
Thanks for allowing me space to express concern pertaining to people’s alacrity in forgetting the commands of Allah as soon as Ramadan finishes. I would like to enjoin your readers to think how fast the seconds, minutes, hours, days and nights and weeks are passing. They should see how quickly time is moving. Indeed, there are wonders that we can see in the passage of time. It passes by us and it makes no distinction between the pious and the sinner. This is the way of life in this world. Allah said: “Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.”
It is already two weeks since Ramadan has ended and we praise Allah for all He has bestowed on us during the period. Those who have done acts of sincere worship during this period will achieve paradise as their reward.
In Ramadan and also in its aftermath, there are some points of reflection for Muslims. It is indeed an excellent period of reflection if one ponders over the sincerity of his or her intention and appropriateness of their acts of worship. In The Gambia, the uniqueness of Ramadan is celebrated with the dressing of most women in proper attires, and the bringing of all musical jamborees and social festivities to a stop.
Though fleeting, this month presents an opportunity to showcase this country’s embrace of Muslim values of piety and generosity to promote the welfare of our fellow human beings. Nonetheless, a lot of people in The Gambia are lax in continuing such acts of piety kindness after Ramadan. If we say good deeds wipe out bad ones, well it is not also impossible that bad deeds may destroy good deeds. So let those who are determined to go back to their old ways and sins after Ramadan know that Allah is always pleased with those who obey Him regardless of the month the obedience takes place and is angry with those who disobey Him irrespective of the month the disobedience takes place.
The essence of piety lies in the conduct of good deeds and a person’s continuation of good deeds without restricting it to a certain period, particular month or special day.
Barely three weeks after the month of Ramadan, most of the piety have also gone with it. The number of people giving charity has fallen and telling of untruths is resurging. Night clubs and other sources of entertainment have reopened with renewed vigour attracting people like moth to light. It is the duty of us all to do more in stopping the coarsening of cultures that has seen our young and growing adopting immoral habits.
Fatimaah Nget
Fajikunda, KMC
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