Open Letter to My First Son

Assalam son, I am with the greatest conviction that you are privileged to have me as your father, because I am a great man.

You are privileged to have Princess Irada as your mother, because she is the greatest woman the world has ever seen and will ever see. She is very beautiful, intelligent and wonderful in all dimensions, known and unknown.

But we are privileged to have you as a son, because you are the world’s greatest; you are greatness.

This letter contains some of the perceptions I have gathered as I walked on the surface of this earth, and had wonderful discourses with the seen and unseen; known and unknown; safe and unsafe; speakable and unspeakable; holy and profane; and many other oxymoronic existences.

Son, whether I will be around or not when you are reading this letter, treat it as if I were not around for you to ask me any questions. Thus any question that may sprout in your cognition when you are reading this, find the answer yourself. I love you son.

ON EDUCATION

Son what will separate you from an animal will be your education. Son, remember I did not say your school, I said your education. An educated man is one who finds answers to problems and mysteries; he is also the man who is able to sincerely say: I do not know.

Son, your education is neither in the hands of your headmaster, teacher, head of department, vice chancellor nor your dean. All these people only give a helping hand, but your education is solely in your hands. Whether you become human or an animal, all depends on you.

So take charge of your education, learn and seek the truth in all things. Son, I recommend that you study Philosophy, Logic, Religion, Evolution, Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Literature, Political Science, Sociology, Qur’an and the Hadith as your basic foundation before entering into life.

All these are basic human knowledge that you need to know. After you have learnt all these, you will be miserable, because your are going to disagree with so many people and a lot more will also disagree with you in many things, but the joy you must have is that, when you die, they will forever remember that you once said the truth. Son, I will epitomize everything in these words: NEVER READ BOOKS, BUT STUDY THEM.

ON PAIN

Pain will not be a stranger in your life. Learn how to live with it and tap the wisdom it comes with. Because pain is a gift. every painful story has a successful ending, accept the pain and get ready to success.

ON HAPPINESS

Happiness is also a gift. Do not expect it from anyone, not even me (though I will offer it to you according to my strength). Rather create it yourself. And when you are able to obtain happiness at any point in time, give others happiness and also the opportunity to be happy. The reason why you have to give others happiness is because there are some people who have never known happiness. Be the one to offer them happiness.

ON WOMEN

Son, women are wonderful people. Look at their breast, so wonderfully made; their hips and buttocks, so wonderful; and the slit of pleasure that they hold; in fact women are really a wonderful creation. But son, the afore mentioned features are just a part of this complex creation. Do not let your life be controlled by the breast, hips, and the slit of pleasure these women possess. Rather, be blind to these and look beyond to find that which makes them human (Beauty, wisdom, creativity). Women are a mystery, but one thing that I know is that if you study them, you gain some wisdom. If you meet one woman, you have met only one woman.

ON LOVE

Love is energy; Love is a force; Love is life; Love is wisdom; Love is wonderful. Son, love till you die, even if you are not loved back. Remember that the fact that you love a person, whether a man or a woman; or you love an animal; or a thing, does not mean that enter into any sexual relationship with any of the mentioned . Remember that you are supposed to love everybody. Do not ask me about the definition of love because I do not know yet. I am still thinking about it.

IN CONCLUSION

Son, what you have just read is among the little I know. Reject the ones you find out to be false as you live your life, and as you continue to educate yourself. My Princess and I love you so much.

Your Dad………Salaam son. Me. (Farouk Muniru #FAIR)