Being Considerate

i think this is one of the most-talked about subject in the whole world.

what does being considerate mean? the dictionary.com defines it as "showing kindly awareness or regard for another's feelings, circumstances". it is not always that you find other people showing some consideration when doing things, and as for me, when i find it, i'm most pleasantly surprised and think that the person who shows it is a very civilised person.

take for example, when i brought Tomo for his first vaccination at a vet in Ampang. it was Saturday, so naturally, the clinic was packed with feline and canine lovers alike. since i'm a Muslim, i'm very apprehensive when i'm at close proximity with dogs, and will watch them carefully, hoping they won't suddenly spring on me (i once had a shock when the custom officers used a dog to sniff me out when i was at Dover Beach custom in 2007, going to Calais). when i was waiting for my turn, i saw 2 men with a huge Dalmatian. one entered the clinic and saw me, the only Muslim around. he exited the clinic and i saw him talking to his friend. his friend stayed outside with the dog while he came back in. only when i was about to go in did the friend enter with the big mutt and i felt very nervous. but he held him on a tight leash, and the poor mutt was struggling to find a comfortable position, all the while scratching the floor in order to get a firm grip.

even the staff at the clinic cleaned the examination table before i brought in Tomo.

i was touched by this show of consideration. Islam teaches us about tolerance, something that is easier said than done. having said that, it is not okay for us to demand consideration when we do not give it ourselves. think about the other people, and respect their life principles. do not adopt the "holier than thou" attitude, because this attitude will lead to hurt and anger. that is the reason why the learned Muslim scholars  usually adopt a gentle disposition and will not utter any unpleasant words lest they will hurt the others' feelings.and that is consideration for you.

i also have a lot to learn about being considerate. not to say that since i'm writing this piece, i'm a considerate person. i aspire to be a considerate person, because we always strive to become better today than we were yesterday.