Aspire to be a Backpacking Sufi

Lately, I've been inspired here and there. I know, I know. I can hear you say, "we've heard it all before dude". And you're right, I have said it before many many maaany times. The thing I realised though is that life is a series of learning and re-learning. I was just imagining the patience God has on all of us. He is the Teacher with the utmost patience. The tears we forgot we cried, the scars we forgot we have, He patiently waits for us to rediscover over and over again.

So as I was saying, I've been inspired by a guy named Craig Kielburger. Craig and his brother Marc created a movement called Me to We. This movement aims to encourage people to "find meaning in this material world". Through his main project, Free The Children, he had encouraged, educated and mentored youths to care about those in the developing countries who lack the basic things that most of those in the developed countries take for granted (clean water, a functioning school etc). Youths got to deal with these issues by being proactive. Some get involved in raising funds to build a well in a village in Kenya, others went to Kenya to build a school with their bare hands. The Kielburgers made it seem as though every problem had a solution, and together with our thoughts, sweat and money, we can make a difference. What Craig has done for humanity got me asking myself why aren't there many Muslims doing this kind of work? Are we not compassionate enough? Are we all passively passionate? Why is that so? Aren't we supposed to be the Khulafa-ul Ardh? Why can't there be a backpacking Sufi? Isn't helping one another the Islamic way of life? Or do we strictly only help other Muslims?

Of course, when I ask these questions, I'm truly asking myself. I'm not exactly Teddy Rist myself,(of course Teddy himself is fictional. ps watch The Philanthropist, it will blow your mind), I'm not exactly dropping everything that I know to go help the less fortunate even though I want to. So we do what we can, maybe Allah will open the paths for us to be a bigger giver. And let's not be passive anymore, there truly is a lot of things that we can do for those living under such unfortunate economic and/or political circumstances.