Girls, Fear Allah, Don't Fear Me

That's what I always said to the girls and boys who came to our library. And I said that again just now.

Day by day, our library has become more popular with the secondary school students especially the girls. Nearby this library we have 4 secondary schools and every afternoon after 1 pm many of their students flooded into our library.

I'm happy that they choose to come to this library rather than loitering the malls or doing nothing beneficial. BUT... there is a few buts.


Picture only as example. Source: Google

The first one is, some of them seldom study, do revision or looking for books. If they did study, it's only for a few minutes then they start disturbing others. From what I've seen so far these girls came here looking for guys and vice versa. They flirt, they laugh so loud, they disobey the rules, they just simply wasting their time. Our staffs have been advising them about the meaning of coming to the library, what's the purpose, the importance of respecting others and the intention of coming to the library. But we are talking to deaf ears.

We talk to them in natural tones, kind tones, friendly tones and a few of us have been known for loosing their patience and scolded these kids. We are sorry, really, because we shouldn't be like that. We are here to do da'wah to them but we are also human.

Another but is these teenagers keep loosing their moral values even though some of them are prefects at their schools. From my own experience prefects are suppose to be exemplary students either academically or in akhlaq. I'm sad to look at these youngsters who talk back at almost every naseehah that was given to them. If they do not talk back, they back biting and make fun of us.

As the secretary cum manager of this library, I always remember our vision and mission of our existence in this community. We will do our best in providing a free and peaceful place for everyone to gain knowledge and ties silaturrahim (Islamic friendship). And we will do our best to ensure that this library has the soul of knowledge, the Islamic feel inside it, the happiness of being in a library, a different type of feelings almost like being in a masjid. But lately they corrupted that too. We are loosing the peacefulness.

Sometimes I like to walk around the 3 floors of our library just to observe. It just that I love seeing our regulars reading and studying in the library. And sometimes I share with them the love for reading and the wisdom of Islamic way of life, especially if I see anyone doing forbidden things like sitting in too close proximity between a girl and a boy. If I saw any misbaheviour, I'll use a friendly but firm tone of voice to advise. I don't like being stern or fierce because I think nobody would like that kind of tones.

But... these kids are really tough and stiff-necked. Really! They make fun of everything. Example:

From a far I can see a few girls are playing around with a few boys, probably from the same school. Talking so loud, laughing, eating and even one girl was using her body language to entice a boy sitting beside her (actually the reading area is separate according to gender, this is an Islamic library). And I thought, I have to tell them about FEAR ALLAH. When they saw me, everybody practically ran to their separate tables. And I just said this to them,

"Adik-adik... kenapa takutkan akak? Takutlah Allah yang sedang melihat. Ingatlah dua Malaikat kiri dan kanan yang sentiasa mencatat amal perbuatan kita. Jangan takutkan akak kerana mati esok, kita akan jumpa Allah. Takutlah pada Allah dik."

Translation:
"Brothers & sisters... why do you fear me? Please fear Allah because He sees everything you do. Remember, there are two Angels beside you who jot down every deed that you do. Don't fear me, but fear Allah. If we die tomorrow, we are going to face Him soon."

I left them after saying those words. I pray, I pray that they will give some thought on what I've said to them. I'm not saying I'm better than them. I'm just doing my amanah as the dai'e of Islam. I love them because they are Muslim too. I don't want to be an individual who think only of myself but I care about others around me.

I know they are still young and want to enjoy life but at that age they also need to know and understand what is akhlaq as a Muslim.