So this morning whilst driving to work, I took a closer look at my surroundings and I noticed an amputee struggling to cross the road. I observed a lady with a child in a pram walking hastily towards the shopping centre across the road. Cars were speeding in all directions. Some people were probably going to work, others were probably on their way to a meeting or a conference. Each and everyone of these individuals are going through the trials and tribulations of life. All of these individuals have dreams and goals that they wish to achieve in life. Some may have experienced heartache and disappointment others may have had a rosy life from birth. At a traffic signal I noticed a man looking visibly upset and angry. He turned his head towards me and I smiled. Suddenly the frown changed into a slight smile. The key to leading a happy life is being respectful to everyone you meet. Be kind to everyone you meet and don't hurt people because you have no idea about their life story thus far. Recently I have been receiving inbox messages from people telling me that so and so person on your facebook page is gay or lesbian or this woman is having an affair with that man etc. Please refrain from sending me such messages. I will block you. I mind my own business and I am not interested in other peoples affairs. I was brought up to respect everyone. I have many friends who are homosexual and when they call me or visit me I treat them with respect and dignity. Their sexuality and what they do in their personal lives is between them, and their Creator.Which brings me to another pertinent point on the topic of respect. There are elements within our community who feel as though they own the masjid and hence they prevent religious scholars from other countries from visiting the masjid calling them all sorts of names. The masjid does not belong to you and neither does it belong to me. It is the house of God Almighty and everyone should be welcomed, respected and made to feel comfortable, even the Non-Muslims who wish to visit. Since when does a masjid belong to a certain sect or group of people. Whilst there are many ulema who are doing good work, by the same token there are scholars out there who are deliberately dividing the community rather than uniting the community. This needs to stop.
