" I wish I had a thousand tongues to sell, just to buy one more ear"
"Rumi"
Listening is one of the best qualities God gave humans. But we rarely use it as we should.
We are not listening to the signs we can hear everywhere from God. The signs that shows his greatness, his great power.
Universe is a beautiful symphony. A beautiful symphony in harmony. The birds chirping, the sound of oceans waves, sounds of winds, tress branches songs, even thunders and tornadoes are beautiful. And so on.
Now lets come to human relations:
You know what always been the problem with human race?
We always talk past each other. I talk and you talk, without any of us pay attention to what the other side says.
All the wars in history could be avoided if one side listen to other. If they would understand their so called enemies point of views. Listening is not just hearing. Even though we don't even do that.
When we listen to others, we should discover the meanings, the sensation behind their words. We have to try to understand what they are saying.
Conflicts between tribes, races, colors, religions and countries can be solved just by listening, by respecting others points of views. Most of the time different people saying the same things. Just the way they say it is different. All religions want to worship God. It is nobody business how they do it. If we don't listen to them, at least we should leave them alone. But if we do listen, believe me we will learn a lot from the ideas that at first seems that is opposes our ideas. Others points of view make us smarter, teach us stuff that we didn't know before.
If Israel will listen to Palestine and Palestine to Israel, there will be peace in Middle East. That simple. Governments don't listen to its citizens, as a result, citizens live in hardship, sorrow, poverty and disease. Neighbor country , don't listen to its neighbor and they fight over territory. Banks don't listen to its customers. Corporations don't listen to the people who create that fortune for them. Employers don't listen to their employees. An extremist like Talib catches you, you say that you believe in God and Islam, they are still going to chop your head.
I will tell you a little story about Mohammad, that everybody knows:
There was a Jewish old man in Medina, everyday Mohammad gets out of house, he would time it and open his window, throws garbage on him and spit on him. He would wipe his face and continue where was he going, without even looking.
One day Mohammad was out, the Jewish person didn't do what he would do everyday. Second day the same, third day the same. In the third day Mohammad went to the door, knocked. Somebody opened the door, asking what he wanted, because they got surprised. They thought maybe he came for revenge. Mohammad with his calm voice said: I have a friend here, he used to check everyday on me. Today is the third day he hasn't checked on me. I am worried about him. I am worried that he is not sick or anything. The person said he is sick. Oh than definitely I should visit him in bed. That's what friends are supposed to. Thee were puzzled and let him visit the guy.
How are you my friend? What is wrong? Mohammad said to him.
Oh my God Mohammad, all year long , everyday I throw garbage on you and spit on you. And you come and visit me in my bed? What kind of person you are? What kind of heart God has given you?
Don't worry my friend he says, just tell me how are you doing.
The Jewish person cried and cried and felt sinful and asked if he could be forgiven?
Of course Mohammad said and the Jewish converted to Islam in the spot.
We all know that story, every Muslim does, but do we act on it? Look what we are doing, what extremists do? Worst imaginable crimes against people who believe on their religion and those who believe on other religions?
Listening is communication, It is discovering other people's point of views, their senses, and making your own soul rich by learning from their wisdom.
If we do that, there will be no wars, not as much pain or poverty and suffering. Everybody will be helping everybody else, and when you see someone cares for you and everybody is there to help you when you need it, even the worse pain disappears.
