Be Gentle With Others part 2!

Well as promised I said Id blog about my own example of being gentle with others so here goes...
I work in an Islamic Book Shop and out side on our shop window for a time we had some notices up saying how we should work for peace and that our bookshop was open for all etc!

Anyways one day a rather angry lady came in and barged up to my counter accusingly saying to me....'Id just like to say one thing to you... you have notices up raving on about peace and how muslims are peaceful people then how come your trying to ban christmas thats awful, its terrible I dont try and ban your festivals so how can you really be peaceful and how can your religion really be such a peacful religion???'

I remember thinking a few things...'errrm woah there calm down, I didnt try and ban christmas and Islam is peaceful'. But I took a few seconds and looked at this lady who looked very distressed and thought to myself now shouting back saying... What are you on about I didnt ban anything and yes Islam is peaceful was not going to get us anywhere so instead I calmy said... 'Ban Christmas who wants to ban christmas?' She replied... 'All Muslims do its in the paper I just read its and I think thats just awful how rude and mean is that' I said to her... 'Do you have this Newspaper? I can understand why your so upset as thats not a nice thing for anyone to do'. Suddenly she stopped and looked at me and I rememeber her head going slightly back as if she needed a to focus her glance on me. She then said she would go and get the paper and bring it to me. A few moments later she returned.... Showing me the Newspaper where there was an article of how some Muslims wanted to ban christmas celebrations etc. I looked at her and said... 'Im sorry but I dont want to ban christmas and I can understand how awful you must feel as if people tried to ban me celebrating Eid which is the Islamic festival I too would be very upset!' I then went on and said 'As Muslims we should not be banning any festival here anyway'. She was so taken aback with my response and said 'So you dont agree with this?' I said 'No I dont agree with it'. She then thanked me and said 'Im so happy you understand and I wish you all the best' She asked me my name and then said she would pop in and visit every time she went by. How her attitude had changed from an angry, accusing woman from when she first entered to a calm, polite, happy and friendly soul when she left.

What really touched me though was a week or 2 before the following Eid she came in and said to me 'Oh Im so glad I found you here you do remember me dont you? I just wanted to wish you a happy Eid in advance incase I dont come in next week' Allahu Akbar! Now from being angry about her festival being attacked she was now coming to wish me a happy Eid!

Then again Hajj was coming up and she was passing by and she came in and said 'Its your pligramage soon isnt it? Are you going?' I replied... 'No but I wish I could' she then smiled and said to me 'Insha'Allah you will go, I pray that you do go soon'. Again I was so shocked by her change of attitude. I remember thinking to myself and still do... I wonder if id handled it differently and been equally as angry back how things would be with this lady now?

I also make dua for Allah to open her heart to Islam ameen!

So everyone please be gentle with others even when they are mean ,rude, nasty to you stop and try and think what has made them behave like this and as a Muslim I need to respond in this best possible way. By the way please dont think im so wonderful all the time... so please remember to make dua for me to for Allah to increase me in patience and allow me to be gentle with others ameen!