The people we meet....

I start in the name of God The Most Merciful, The Most Kind.
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted." - [Quran 49:13]

I believe that God puts certain people on our path for a reason. Whether it was to learn a lesson or as a blessing (a blessing in itself is also a lesson - for those who reflect).
Two people don't just come across each other for no reason. It's no coincidence or by accident there's always a deep rooted reason....and God knows best.
I think sometime it's important to reflect on the people we have come across in our lives.
There may be wisdom(s) behind it... But don't think about it so much you drive yourself crazy and get all delusional....
Truly God knows best.

Mother Teresa

In this day and age of the internet we don't always meet the people we come across. But nonetheless, our paths collide(d) in some way....
It doesn't even have to be a person it can be 'something' for example, a book, a pod-cast, a video, art etc.

I know there are many 'things'  and people I have come across that changed my life in some way.... Changed my way of thinking. Opened my mind more and made me understand the world a little better. There was always something to learn. There's a teacher in all of us.
May God bless every heart and souls Amin.

We come across people for a reason. We are people. Be a good reason. InshaAllah

"Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others." ~ Otto Von Bismarck

I grew up in a diverse house-hold. I was always taught to respect every 'race' and to not judge a book by its cover. However, when I was 'let out' (i.e. grew-up) into the 'world' I saw how intolerant and closed-minded some others were. This really put me off certain peoples personalities and made me cynical to some extent....

My whole life I was taught to accept people. Yet, what I was seeing was some people who didn't accept what they deemed the 'others' and 'outsiders'. I found that utterly disgusting.
Being "Moslem" who read the "Koran" we constantly get called 'terrorists' whether that is to our face or behind our backs....

And to think that some kids may be exposed to their elders closed-minded ways of thinking - who may know no better - is very sad for this already corrupt world.

May God guide us all Amin.

Some people are so judgemental and I know this is human-nature to some extent but it is unacceptable the way some people act towards other ethnicities and/or religions or what is deemed a 'minority' in a particular place.

Now, I was going to say races [for the word ethnicities] as I was brought up to believe but I think it's more fitting to say we are all ONE human race. The difference in appearances are apparent that's why it's called ethnicity.

I prefer that word 'ethnicity' because it differentiates between the external but it does not differentiate between the internal which I feel the word race does. Look at the word 'race-ist' a racist can come from any ethnicity but we call them a racist because something is wrong with their internal i.e. they are full of arrogance (the trait of satan). Which is not the norm and should not be the norm.
I feel like the word race implicates the internal. The heart races in all ethnicities. The people of good character race each other in good deeds...
The racist (race-is - ist in  German means IS) takes their own ethnicity and makes it a race i.e. the human race - in their distorted thinking. I believe there is only one human race and we are all united in our differences unless someone makes the choice not to be (the racists).

 Okay! I'm weird and that may not make too much sense... BUT what I'm trying to say is in the end we are One Human Race and we should be tolerant of one another and accept each other no matter our differences! And as Prophets Jesus and Muhammed, and plenty of other people in some form or another, taught was to: 'love thy neighbour'. It's a universal belief taught in many forms.

Love thy neighbour is very profound - something to reflect on.

There's always something to take away from this 'coming across something or someone'.

Whether it be in real life or the internet. God made you come across someone or something for a reason. Just think about it and what lesson you can derive from it and Truly God knows Best.
For example, I came across intolerant people and I learned so much about the psychology of some humans....And it lead me to the conclusion, and Anne Frank said it best:
"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart".

I learned that having a positive view of the world, despite all its ugliness is a very beautiful thing.
It makes one a better person internally because one is not constantly assuming the worst.
One looks at the world beautifully and that in turn makes them beautiful. It makes them tolerant. It makes them accepting. It makes them love their neighbour(s). It makes us realise in the end in spite of everything we are one. Ummah - community.

Kurt Vonnegut

Don't ever let your emotion(s) get involved when you are reflecting on things in life because that could be a recipe for disaster and a very destructive thought process.

I believe that for reflection there is a process one has to go through before one can get some wisdom out of what one reflects on. That is to master oneself, ones mind and soul. If one does not master oneself then one can likely enter into the realm of the disordered, disorganised and dysfunctional mind (or rather thought process).

...And God knows best

There's always a lesson to take away from people - the interactions and encounters etc.
I think they are a guide from beyond.

Truly God knows best. I'm no scholar I'm just a girl learning and making mistakes along the way. May God forgive all our mistakes and errors. May God guide us all and make us among the righteous and internally beautiful like Prophet Muhammad may peace be upon him. May God make us gentle, kind and soft-hearted. And may God reunite us all in jannah-al-firdaus Amin.

I will end this post with a Rumi poem:

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honourably.

He may be clearing you out

for some delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.