I bravely did the count, counted the number of blogs in which Sultan appeared – it is embarrassing to confess this BUT, ninety, yes 90, actually 92 as here he is again and the count was done before yesterday’s post. Oh well, I could turn them into a book and go onto to greater fame. I do laugh. It would be easy to do – essentially that is what I am doing with my Uncle Dave book. Oh, by the way, Uncle Dave wins – there are 220 blogs about Uncle Dave. When I get fixated, I get fixated! Uncle Dave was never cruel to me – the Sultan (aka Crown Prince of Dubai aka Fazza) was. Will I seek revenge? Perhaps. Former friend Colette told the funniest joke. There was this guy, from the Ozarks who was told:
They: Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!
He: Only if I get to watch and it takes a real long time.
I explored the concept of revenge in the Islamic faith as the Sultan is Islamic.” Islam teaches forgiveness over revenge. According to Quranic teachings, revenge is not an option. Revenge only increases the problem. The chapter entitled Al-Nahl (Bees) of the Quran gives practical advice on this point. It says:
“Islam teaches forgiveness over revenge. According to Quranic teachings, revenge is not an option. Revenge only increases the problem. The chapter entitled Al-Nahl (Bees) of the Quran gives practical advice on this point. It says:
If you want to retaliate, retaliate to the same degree as the injury done to you. But if you are patient, it is better to be so.
( Quran 16:126)
In other words, if one is wronged and responds with patience and forgiveness, this behavior holds more value in the eyes of God and may even serve as an atonement for one’s own sins.
Revenge is the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands. According to Quranic teachings, there are two levels of revenge — one may be called equal revenge and the second may be described as “you forget the bad experience you received from the other”.
Although revenge or retaliation is allowed as a concession to the aggrieved but there is a strict condition with this allowance —be an equal revenge, not exceeding the others’ bad action — but in fact it is not an option. It is so difficult that no sincere person will take this option.
There is no available measurement that may tell you that your retaliation was completely equal to the action you received from the other.
So, this option is only a hypothetical option. Any sincere person will decide not to take this option, because if during the retaliation you exceed the limit you will become an offender. The Prophet and his companions never avenged anything.
It is narrated on the authority of Hazrat Ayesha that the Prophet never avenged for his own self.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6853)
Practically, there is only one option, which is forgiveness. While revenge may open a new chapter that is ‘revenge after revenge’, but forgiveness ends this chain. Forgiveness means that you have put a full stop, while revenge in this case means that you have put commas. Forgiveness in such cases is a reward-able action. Forgiveness is a highly valuable deed.
Quran enjoins a believer to retaliate every bad action with a good one. It says,
Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.
(Quran 41:34)
This is the true spirit of Islam.”
So what was the level of hurt? It was extreme, I considered suicide on night in Dubai, and could have by jumping off the balcony of the hotel. But obviously I did not. Got up the next morning and brought joy to the staff, one staff member responded to my blog and eventually I got it and responded to him. At last count there were 264 blog viewers in UAE – that would not have happened if I had taken the cowardly way out and jumped. What has happened to the Crown Prince of Dubai recently? His father, the Ruler of Dubai has been publicly ridiculed for his actions – kidnapping and abducting his two daughters and the mistreatment of his sixth wife. Then the coronavirus struck ruining the plans for Expo 2020 and grinding the economy to a halt. I have the sense, an intuitive feeling, that the Crown Prince inflicts hurt on other women who are not as strong as I am. If so, I would not like to be him on Judgment Day.
So I shall not seek revenge but neither will I forgive him. I am immune to him. Perfect word immune. Synonyms are: not subject, not liable, unsusceptible, not vulnerable, not open, not exposed; protected from, safe from, secure against, not in danger of, exempt from, clear of, free from, unaffected by, proof against; freed from, absolved from, released from, excused from, relieved of, spared from, excepted from, exempted from; informal let off. ANTONYMS susceptible. It is such a good state to be in this immunity.
It seems I should do something to cheer but at this moment cannot think of anything
CPI and I had an interesting email exchange. I had written that I was corresponding with my 2017 self as I reread and edited blogs from that time, a time when I left London and went to live in Vancouver..
She: So, what changes in yourself have you noticed since 2017 as you reread and edit?
Glory and bask in that self-sufficiency!
Me: What is somewhat amusing is that back then I was rather obsessed with another multibillionaire. I do laugh. I will think about it more the changes since 2017 and get back to you on that.
I did discover one thing in my rereading of the 2017 blogs and I do stand corrected. The conversation between Joo Kim Tiah and I, previously reported took place in October of 2017, not July as a previously stated. This does cast a different light on the matter. I do think, that after he left Vancouver he was paying someone to email me. I do forgive him for that, at this point in time. I remember a woman at the YMCA saying to me that his attempts to convert me to Christianity was because I precious to him, he cared about me and I was just irritated at the time. He did not have the time to respond to my emails, did not want to give me up so he came up with a solution. He is certainly forgiven for this. It did make it rather awkward however, I say laughingly, as I had fallen in love with a stranger. But, all fairness, that is altogether true as I was most smitten with the real thing, the guy I met in Vancouver. Ii have the feeling he has changed, he needs someone to sass him and I am not around. No one can take my place.
An expression comes to mind: Time heals all wounds.
Time in itself—unlucky for us—does not heal all wounds. … When time is used well, in terms of healing wounds, then it is because we do something specific with and within it. We take time and shape it in order to do inner work. It is inner work coupled with courage and honesty that heals all wounds. It was actually said by Rose Kennedy. It has been said that time heals all wounds. I don’t agree. The wounds remain. Time – the mind, protecting its sanity – covers them with some scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone” How profound!
The photos are cards that should cheer. I wish I could have gotten rid of my brothers but at the time there was no eBay. And the one about conquering the universe sends me into gales of laughter.
