However, in that same year, my mother and I were invited to become guests of Allah to perform Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam. It was something I truly cherished in my life because I had been away from my hometown for decades. This was the moment and opportunity for me to serve and take care of my mother.
One of the experiences that I can never forget happened when I returned home.
As usual, my wife and children would welcome me whenever I came home. Usually, I would arrive in the late afternoon. After entering the house, I would normally lie down for a while in the living room and play with my phone. In fact, this was something I should not have been doing because, at the same time, my children would be doing all sorts of things to get my attention.
After some time, my wife, who was busy preparing dinner, finished cooking and asked the children to call me because I was still lying in the living room.
I slowly walked into the kitchen and sat at the dining table.
Suddenly, my third child, seven-year-old Muhammad Luqman, came to me with a very cheerful and excited face. He handed me a birthday card.
Oh, I had forgotten that it was actually my birthday.
His cheerful face made my heart filled with mixed emotions. My wife then followed, giving me encouragement and reminding me to respond to him properly.
I smiled and started opening the red birthday card. It was handwritten and contained several drawings.
At the end of his message, Luqman asked me:
“Ayah, are you okay working at the new place?”
That sentence actually made me want to cry.
But I tried to hide my feelings.
I thanked him.
Luqman, who was still excited, then asked me to sign the card he had given me.
I wrote:
“Ayah loves Luqman and everyone.”
How could a seven-year-old child sense what I was going through?
Actually, my wife and children understood very well whether I was okay or not at my workplace. They could understand it simply by looking at my facial expression when I came home.
Sometimes, without even realizing it, the words I used—even just a single word—could make them very sad. And that was something that made me deeply saddened too.
My wife had reminded me many times about the way, tone, and language I used. Eventually, I learned that it was better for me to remain silent whenever I was not in a good mood.
Yes, that was actually a very good thing.
As leaders in a factory, sometimes we get angry with our staff. We may use words that are not appropriate. Eventually, those words and that attitude can be carried back home because of the bad character we have developed at work.
Our family can also be affected by the way we behave at our workplace.
After searching for various forms of guidance, eventually I found the best example.
It is none other than Rasulullah SAW, who was known for his noble character.
What did the Prophet do when facing situations like this?
How did the Prophet communicate with different types of people and different characters?
And most importantly, the Prophet never hurt the feelings of the people he spoke to.
That is my story today.
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