Monologue of the Lost Sheep
Lovely heather! Lovely berries!
See where my tastes take me!
Up, and up, and up,
Higher and higher
And higher still, until... oh dear!
Where is the shepherd
and were is the sheepdog
To protect me?!
Oh dear, now do I hear
The howling of wolves!
Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!
Lovely heather! Lovely berries!
Perhaps there is a way down from here!
But wait, what is that I hear?
Katmir the dog is near!
And if Katmir is coming
Surely my shepherd
Is not far behind
And following!
He has no fear!
He has no
Fear!
.................
When Moses visited Jordan recently he saw sheep high up in the highlands, and some were prancing up sheer cliff faces, while the sheepdogs barked and the shepherd looked on protectively. "Wow... this must be how shepherding was like in the olden days of the prophets..."
The days of the prophets are over (well, mysterious Khidr is still doing his thing, I am told), but with the birth and passing of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (pbuh), no more prophets shall be born to Earth.
But that does not mean that we are without shepherds. Because just like the sheep we like to eat, we too like to wander according to our own devices, we get lost and we get stuck on some high mountain side and finding ourselves helpless, we also bleat like sheep... "Help us, God! Help us, God!"
Then the shepherd will come trailing in our wake, locate our trembling form, frightened for dear life at the cries and howling of the wolves, and rescue us from doom. That is what saints do, you see. And although no new prophets have been born, saints are very much kicking around and playing an important role in this world - as Shepherds of God, and Proxies of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Have a jolly day, sunshine. And if you fear the wolves, call for a saint. He will find you, however lost you are and whither your indiscretions have led you.
wa min Allah at-taufiq
Hate has no place in Islam
Love will show the Way
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