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Horizons and Reservoir
11-18-2015
Recently the Baabul Ilm Education Society held an inter-faith conference on the Life of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and I had the honour of speaking about Lady Hajar (r.a.a). Although her mention in the Quran is limited, there are many messages embedded in her story. Lady Hajar is well-known for her complete submission to the will of God. Even upon being left in a barren desert with her small son Ishmael (pbuh) she did not complain or question the reasons why. She trusted in God but she didn’t simply sit and pray. Instead she took action and searched for help. Her running between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa is re-enacted by millions of pilgrims each year as a reminder of the depth of a mother’s love. Lady Hajar was also cautious. When the miraculous well of Zamzam gushed from the ground, she corralled it lest the precious water seep back into the desert sand. In addition, we know she was an astute business woman with a strong and respected personality. When the tribe of Jurhum asked to settle nearby, she agreed only after getting reassurance that she would retain the water rights. These lessons by themselves make her worthy of study.
Nonetheless, for my speech, I choose to concentrate on two often overlooked elements of her story – the horizon and wellspring.
In physical terms, our horizon is all that we can see from a particular place. We can’t see beyond the horizon – even though we know that unseen things exist there. We see only what is visible to our eye. When we change our position our line of sight changes too and now we have a different horizon and can see things previously blocked from view. Lady Hajar elevated herself to the highest location available by running to the top of the two nearest hills. She kept trying to see things from different angles. Her position wasn’t fixed– she purposefully expanded and changed her horizon. In fact, she changed her view over and over again. She revisited each position and looked anew – hopeful that this time she would notice something heretofore overlooked. In her earnest quest to save herself and her son, she searched in every possible direction for help.
Yet, it was only when she turned her gaze back towards what was most precious to her, back to her suffering son, did she find help. The Angel Gabriel caused the water to rise to the surface at the feet of baby Ismael. The answer to her problem was not found by looking outward – it came when she looked inward, towards her reason for living, towards her purpose in life. The wellspring of water was already there – underground – a reservoir waiting to be uncovered. The source of strength she needed lay next to what she valued most.
Lady Hajar’s horizon and reservoir can serve as metaphors to guide us. In philosophical terms a person’s horizon is represented by his set of beliefs that make it possible to understand something. When he is willing to look at the object in question from a new perspective he enlarges his horizon and increases his ability to understand. With a little effort, we can see beyond our current limitations, for horizons don’t only serve as boundaries – they also are gateways. Horizons open up possibilities. We acknowledge that physical objects exist even when they are outside of our eyesight; do we have the same certainty about the validity of beliefs that are outside of our level of understanding? Do we honour someone else’s horizon, their views and beliefs, as equally valued as our own? Our current set of beliefs limit us only when we stay stationary, bound to one place and one viewpoint, unwilling to elevate ourselves.
Similarly to Lady Hajar, we also have a reservoir to draw upon to strengthen us in times of distress. Our wellspring can be found by looking back towards what is dearest to us. What is precious? What are we devoted to? What motivates us to seek help in order to make the situation better? Whose suffering do we care so deeply about that we would put aside our own pain and weakness in order to ease theirs? What sustains us and keeps us going? The well of Zamzam is an aquifer that is continually recharged through rainwater seeping through the earth. How do we refill our spiritual and mental reserves? Do we seek people and situations that fill us up or do we allow ourselves to be drained? Do we fill up others or are we siphoning away their essential resources for our own selfish reasons?
Even in something as straightforward and well-known as Lady Hajar’s story there are untapped messages and mysteries waiting to be explored. When we are willing to both search outwardly and seek to expand our horizon while also turning back to and drawing strength from what matters most, God will assuredly ease our suffering.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca
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