Dear Professor Brostof

Dear Professor Brostof,

You may not remember me, but I remember you very well. I visited your clinic in London a month ago for some consultations. Your image is stuck in my mind although I saw you only once. I will never forget your kindness and your sweet smile. You reminded me of my father in a way… maybe because I noticed during our conversation that everything for you is possible just like my father… and maybe because you are almost the same age as him.

Do you remember Professor when you asked me about my major in college, I told you that I got married very young and that I didn’t get a chance to complete my degree. You then told me” it’s never too late, you are still young, you can do it.” I replied to you “INSHALLA”, you then pointed up with your finger and said “it’s not up to Him, its up to you”, I replied:”it’s my choice but everything is up to Him”. I could see that you were not happy with my answer so you changed the subject.

Do you also remember Professor by the end of my consultation, we said our farewells and you told me “Don’t worry, you will be fine… just be like the Buddhists and you will be happy”. At that time I wished I had the chance to reply and tell you about my religion. I didn’t, however. I was thinking about the next patient waiting for her turn, so I left. I still regret that I ended my visit without explaining to you how great and peaceful my religion is, and how powerful God is. Islam is about harmony, mercy, Peace, order, selflessness, security, and serenity. The meaning of the word “Islam” is very rich, one important dimension is the "commitment to submit and surrender to God so that one could live in peace" and peace – salam - is achieved through active obedience to the revealed Commandments of God for God is the Source of all Peace. Islam is the natural teaching of humanity, whether humanity accepts it or not. You asked me to be like the Buddhist’s, and in many ways I am, I might share with them some of their ethics and morals, the only thing I cannot do is to pray to a Buddha or in other words, keep a mediator between myself and God.


I know your intentions were good and that you were trying to help me, but I felt that I needed to explain – in my simple way - my religion. I hope I have done so.

May God bless us all…

Regards,

Red Apple

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
Sahih International

Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner -
Tafsir al-Jalalayn

Blessed, exalted, is He Who revealed the Criterion (al-furqān), the Qur’ān — called thus [al-furqān] because it has discriminated (faraqa) between truth and falsehood — to His servant, Muhammad (s), that he may be to all the worlds, [to] mankind and the jinn, but not the angels, a warner, a threatening of God’s chastisement.

الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
Sahih International

He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn

He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Who has not taken a son, nor has He any partner in sovereignty; and He created everything, which was meant to be created, and then determined it in a precise measure, He fashioned it in a balanced form.

وَاتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَّا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًا وَلَا حَيَاةً وَلَا نُشُورًا
Sahih International

But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit and possess not [power to cause] death or life or resurrection.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn

Yet they, the disbelievers, have taken besides Him, that is, [besides] God, in other words, other than Him, gods, from among the idols, who create nothing but have themselves been created, and who possess no harm for themselves, that is, [the power] to repel it, nor any benefit, that is, [the power] to attract it, nor do they possess [any power over] death or life, that is, [nor do they have the power] to make a person die or to give him life, or resurrection, that is, [nor do they have power] to raise the dead.

Surah Alforqan