holidays

More than a week has passed since the start of my holidays. In fact the holidays are actually officially over. It's only a one week end posting holiday after our obstetrics posting, but since we're doing our GP posting next, and everyone has chosen a GP establishment near their homes(which is an obvious choice), the next three weeks is almost as good as a holiday.

One month with almost all the time in the world in our hands. It's a privilege medical students especially appreciate. We have almost no time for ourselves during the semester.

The first question that crossed my mind after I finished my short case was: "How should I spend the holidays?". It's not that I didn't have anything to do(other than studying medicine), in fact I have loads of stuff I would like to do. The real question is spending that time optimally so that it give maximum benefit.

So then another question arose: maximum benefit for what, or for whom? Doing stuff is easy, but doing it so that it gives the best results requires a clear purpose, and finding a clear purpose is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Without a purpose, we're just like bubbles. Pushed around hither and tither, going with the flow without our own will.

So then I decided that the the first thing I had to do was find a pristine clear purpose. And what greater purpose does a man have than the very purpose of his creation. What is the purpose of mans creation then? Our essence, our reason for existing.

It's not a question that any man can answer, because we're not the ones who created us after all. You can't ask a car "Hey you the Proton Saga over there, why were you created?". If the car can speak, it might answer: "I'm just for show", which is a stupid answer though it might be the only thing the car in the show room knows.

Another Proton Saga might answer "I'm for taking my masters children to school", which is partly true, but not the whole truth is it.

The reason we man make cars is to facilitate our travels, be it to take our children to school, to go to work, to go to the market or any other traveling purposes. Of course only a man can know that because we are the ones that make cars.

Similarly the only One that can know the true purpose of mans creation if the One that created man. It would be folly to ask another human the purpose of our creation just as it would be a folly to ask a car the purpose of its creation.

Only God can tell us the purpose of our creation since He is the one who created us.

So I decided then that I'd start my holidays by clearing up this question, the answer to which has been somewhat dirtied throughout the last few weeks. The book 'Apa Ertinya Saya Menganut Islam' by Ustaz Fathi Yakan is one of the best choices to find the answer. With the Quran and Hadeeth as guides, Ustaz Fathi Yakan leads us towards understanding our purpose as human beings, as true muslims.

It is a splendid read, even after going through it for the umpteenth time. I have put up a review in hafizh's books. I highly suggest this book for everyone.