Upward, forward, toward the sun...

“What was the most important lesson you learned from your Kinabalu experience?”

Tuan Haji Ismail queried as we both looked at a small picture of Low’s Peak – the highest peak on Mount Kinabalu – on a map of Sabah in another officer’s room.

I have always been pleased to share bits of my memory of conquering the highest peak in South East Asia – a feat I achieved together with 39 other office mates last year. An unforgettable experience which have taught me a lot of lessons in life
 
“I felt so tiny. Meek. There was this breathless feeling of floating above the clouds, the sun seeming so near, peeking out slowly behind half-grey cottony soft clouds, ejecting a stream of yellow pink light, the sky painted with an ever changing palette of purple, yellow, red, gold. And there I was – on top of it all yet I felt so small, basked in such beauty.”

Tuan Haji smiled. Other colleagues would have described similar feelings too.
“Other than that?” Tuan Haji further probed.

“Nevertheless at the same time, I felt as if I had achieved something great. Something unusual. Something a bit unordinary…”

(Okay – I know thousands flocked to climb up Kinabalu annually – but not every other person I’ve met have done it – so, it is still, to me anyway, something unusual. Sort of.)

“It wasn’t that easy. But only because we have been tested along the way up, we could really appreciated how magnificent it was to stand on the summit – and we knew we managed it only with Allah’s grace and will.”

Tuan Haji nodded quietly, encouraging me to continue.

“It wasn’t the highest mountain in the world. But right then, it sure felt like it was. And Tuan Haji, I believe that for those who felt as though they have conquered the highest mountain, the memory of that could help them in overtaking any obstacles, achieving any goals – because if they could conquer the highest mountain, they could succeed at everything else too – with Allah’s will, of course”

Tuan Haji smiled. “My dear, if everybody else learned what you did, then what you guys did last year would definitely be considered ibadah and not something in vain”  

I returned his smile, suddenly remembering a quote I’ve read somewhere about how often our way is not made of soft grass, but a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upward, forward, toward the sun.
 
I sure hope that Kinabalu Challenge last year brought most of the team members not only upward, forward, toward the sun, but more importantly - towards recognising the greatness of the Creator of the sun.