Contentment

ASSALAMU`ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAH

A cold, rainy morning. A gloomy yet brightened day. A mug of hot beverage and a newly-opened laptop. A dim sometimes, flickering fluorescent light bulb. A distant sound of cars heading to schools. Seriously, what more would I ask?

A job guarantee.

It shocked me how these teacher trainees confront this issue. Job vacancy. They say the stipulations have been dishonored. Promises are not kept. They are being manipulated, even. As one of them, I do feel that sense of insecurity. You know, like when you are on the edge of a cliff and you have nowhere to go but to this one man whose hand is spread in front of you; then he pulls his hand. I understand the feeling. I just can't get enough telling people to be patient and but not a patient of anger. Multiple times I put it in Facebook.

I talked this matter to my mother. Subsequently, after she nodded her head in agreement to today's difficulty in being entitled as a teacher, I asked her permission to work in Kuala Lumpur - as a waiter, or as a store-keeper or a cashier; whatever - and live there (until I have been called for a teaching vacancy). She nodded to this, too, and I felt relieved. Thank God I have an understanding mom.

Recently I was walking down the scroll in Facebook when I saw this picture, showing the many jobs one can apply. I let out a heavy sigh and scroll even more, reading this guy's dissatisfaction and that girl's discontentment. I sighed even more. If only men can be a bit more grateful. Then I remembered a hadith, by the narration of Ibnu Hibban (may Allah bless him):

"No Abu Dharr, wealth in essence is the contentment of heart, the one who has contentment in his heart, then no amount of calamities or tragedies will depress this man!"

So, when a worldly lacking causes our misery, we should work out our way of understanding contentment. By the mean time, be grateful!