Dogmatic

We saw a lecturer for afar.

‘Assalamualaikum’, my friend greeted the lecturer.  

She smiled and we returned that smile. I bowed a bit as well as a sign of my respect.

‘Hei kamu. Kamu batch mane ni? Kelas ape?’

‘Emm. Tesl. Marjon’

‘Oh… Saye tak mengajar kamu kan? Kamu kenape tak bagi salam?’ she cried while pointing towards me.

At that time, I was dumbfounded and absolutely lost for words.

‘Lain kali, bile nampak lecturer, bagilah salam’, in a rather condescending tone.

For those of you who do not know, the purpose of giving salaam is to avoid arrogance within ourselves. That is why sometimes in the airport you can see Muslims greet each other as if they are acquaintances. We are brothers and sisters anyways.

In fact, it has been narrated from Ibn Umar, that the Holy Prophet said, "He who speaks without firstly giving salaam, then do not answer him ( to what he has to say)".

In the lecturer's case, then, I shouldn't have paid attention to her in the first place. The world has become so fucked up ain’t it if the higher up expects the ‘insignificant ones’ to initiate salaam? Absolutely defeating the purpose of giving salaam. In my defense, it was not my intention to disrespect the lecturer.

In this country, most of the time people have the knowledge; they just do not have the brain to process them.I bet she knew giving salaam is encouraged but just too noble! to make the first move. I was the arrogant one? Okay, baiklah, Puan. 

P/S: Or maybe because I despise being reprimanded by someone I call stranger!