H I R A

"We don't meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our path for a Reason."

A business card of someone I accidentally met on my way from Arlanda, Stockholm to Vaasa, Finland, led me to a lecture, a study on religion on a YouTube channel.

Ah, now I know why he asked if we had met before. It turned out that the man was a humanity activist, a professor as well as an American Spiritual Leader who was often invited to be a Keynote Speaker everywhere around the globe.

Like a fast-flowing river, I had swept away in the vortex of the content of his lecture, which made me think that God brought us together just for this purpose, to see and listen to his Tarbiyah*).

His words seemed purposely addressed to me as if he was saying them directly in front of me. Like an arrow that was released from its bow, it hit the target point perfectly.

"Allah assigned us in certain circumstances,

You have to go through that

You have to go through your own HIRA

You are going to be questioned

What Allah put you through?

How do you carry out

….

Are you going to convey it or not?

To be serious in learning what you're getting

Are you going to convey what you have learned or not?

This is extremely important

In order to benefit yourself

And benefits others"

That the prophet Muhammad SAW received the first revelation through the angel Gabriel in a cave, called Cave Hira:

"IQRA"

(Read!)

- Qs 96, Al Alaq:1-

Surah Al 'Alaq verses 1-5 is the first revelation received by the Prophet Muhammad on Ramadan 17, 13 years before the hijrah or in 610 AD. The first revelation marked Muhammad's appointment as the last prophet and apostle.**

It was so important that the Apostle had conveyed the revelation before his death he asked one of his companions to be a witness in the afterlife, that he had conveyed all the revelations to his people.

***

The story about Hira Cave is the story of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. But essentially all humans have their own Hira. Each of us has Hira throughout our life path. That God put me in a certain situation is not without reason. Whether I want to understand or not, whether I want to take lessons or not. And most importantly whether I will share or not, convey what I have got so that It can be a lesson for others too, be beneficial to others, and to myself.

Are you going to convey what you have learned or not?

Are you going to convey what you have learned or not?

Are you going to convey what you have learned or not?

That sentence was like an order that kept ringing in my head, chasing after me and I couldn't escape it. I can't hide from them. The words haunt me day and night. I feel like I have a debt,

a story to tell.

Are you going to convey what you have learned or not?

Soon everyone will be asked for accountability.

***

It's happened!

My angel, I call him my angel, received an invitation to Speak at an International Summit on Humanity in Indonesia. The event was so packed, that we were only able to meet on the fifth day, at the closing of the event.

'I am at the Convention center

The program is still going on

If you can come here so you can join us for dinner

That's how he replied to my chat. I just parked, got out of the car, and made my way to the Convention center.

Can U come to the convention center?

I want you to see this

I walked faster while reading the chat that was sent word by word, I was so happy that I didn't have time to reply.

The closing ceremony

It's very nice

I jogged. The tunnel to the convention room was so long, it felt like I was never up to it. I don't want to lose the moment with him during the Closing Ceremony.

And dinner

We can sit on the side together

And talk

Walk and fast walk again while continuing to read the chat.

Just ask when you come here

Where is the summit

I kept walking and jogging like Candy Candy*).

There's a hall walkway

So, you can come from inside

Not outside

After going through the long corridor up the winding stairs I saw the crowd.

I didn't expect that in a place that looked deserted, there were so many people inside. Hundreds of participants from across the country, journalists, committee members, and hotel employees mingled, busying themselves at the closing of the event. The 5-day event surely drained the energy, therefore on the closing day, the atmosphere felt so released. A happy face that has been out of duty.

I could immediately see him standing among the crowd of people passing by, perhaps waiting for my reply.

If not, I will come. InsyaAllah.

That was the last chat he sent. Right when I was standing exactly in front of him.

"Hey..." I greeted and lifted my android, power bank, and charger to the front. "Lowbat"

He was surprised, a sheer smile brightened his face immediately, then bombarded me with questions without waiting for me to answer.

"Alhamdulillah"*)

I felt like a fish in the pond that was about to run out of water and then plunged into the ocean. It how an abundant feel like. The interior of the Conference room is magnificent and the friendly atmosphere makes me excited.

Happiness is to be among educated people, the energy is different.

A big screen in the front room is still showing features about culture in Indonesia. Then my angel took me to the buffet to take some food, after first asking the caterer to provide me a plate and sit accompanying me. "How are you? How is your mother? How is your daughter? Your husband? How is life..." He bombarded me with many questions. And then told about the conference he had just completed.

Being near him I feel the positive energy, love, respect, success, joy... I feel good as if my life is done. I enjoyed my meal as much as I enjoyed the way he spoke. His eyes, his smile lines, his gestures... he reminds me of someone...

Again, after a long time, I was thrown into an atmosphere, where I saw not with my eyes, heard not with my ears, felt not with my skin, and smelled not with my sense of smell.

O angel sent from up above... You know you make my world light up...*)

A song is playing from my heart.

"WHAT MAGIC DO YOU USE TO DRAW ME DOWN HERE TO INDONESIA?"

He interrupted my daydream with a voice that was like a morning dew to my ears.

"No magic. Just strong magnetic" I smiled. I saw America in his eyes.

And the most beautiful dinner came back in my journey of life, after the last farewell dinner with Allan a few years ago.

***

Waking up the next day I found several flyers of further events where my Angel was involved in it.

'The reason I am sharing all with you is that I feel you are the right person to help my Executive Assistance in Belgium to follow up on all the wonderful things that have been achieved here.

' I think you will be a good addition to the team volunteer, who I am selecting one by one to follow up and lay the foundation for the upcoming projects I share with you.

More in the email, InsyaAllah...*)

Ah, so happy to have this opportunity to be part of his team for an upcoming project. What's more exciting? Traveling to the Americas, gathering with like-minded people, working on a meaningful project, another dream come true... through a path, I had never expected.

***

I had previously told that I was writing a book, and even asked for permission to quote the contents of the Tarbiyah to include in my book. And as I had planned, I also showed the cover design of the book with the title HIRA written in the mobile gallery in my hand.

I admit it was a little strange the way I made my first book. The first thing I thought about was the cover, the length, and the width, once was confused about what category the book, novel, travel notes, diary, self-development, or what. In the end, I just wrote. I don't know what my book will be called. I enjoy the moment. When I am, be myself. Isn't this a kind of Privilege? I recall the words of Carl Jung that The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.

"HIRA. Is it the name of a girl or the Cave?" asked my angel curiously.

"Cavé" I answered lightly.

But his question left me speechless and provoked my mind to think of a girl's name, as he said.

"But it can be a GIRL's name, isn't it?" He continued grabbing what I was thinking and tossing it far high out of my head forming a bubble that then burst into a sparkling spark called Idea. Oh, I like that name too. It feels easy.

I just nodded my head silently. I know he understands. Even if he doesn't see me nodding I feel he nods for me too. I know he knows exactly what is in my mind. What I said, what I didn't say, and what I wanted to say.

And, since then, without his knowledge, a girl who is struggling to find her Purpose has been born, named:

HIRA

The New Life Cycle Has Just Begun

===========================THE END==========================

*) Education

*)Candy Candy is a manga, novel, and anime by Japanese author, Kyoko Mizuki. Candy is an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. She is a nice and optimistic girl and she has a warm heart. Legendary Children's Series

*)Alhamdulillah, Praise be to Allah

*)Hymn of the weekend - Coldplay

*)Insyaallah, God willing

**)quoted from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) website.