where will your dreams bring you?

from The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho. some might say that this book is very symbolic. For me, it's deep indeed. Here is a part from the book that I think really interesting, and should be ponder upon.

(rephrased form, for fear of being accused plagiarised :P )

The main protagonist of the story is a boy whose homeland is in Spain and quit being a shepherd to pursue his dream (which is to find a treasure near Pyramids in Egypt). Series of unfortunate events fall on him, and situation forced him to work in a crystal shop to make some savings so that he can continue his journey to the pyramids. The owner of the shop is a devout muslim (typical in Egypt indeed), who performed the 5 obligations as a muslim well, except for the fifth, the pilgrimage. With watery eyes,the merchant told the boy that since he was a kid, he saved his money so that he can open this shop and someday that he will be rich, he will go to Mecca. It's his biggest dream indeed. Then the boy said to him that now the merchant is rich enough to afford the pilgrimage. So many people passing through the shop everyday to go to Mecca, and some are even poorer than the merchant. What else does the merchant wait for to go there?

The merchant's answer: Because it's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That's what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves and lunch and dinner at that same horrible cafe. I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living. I'm different from you. you live to realize your dream, but for me, it's enough to just dream..

It's a pity that the merchant limit his dream to just only go to Mecca for the pilgrimage. Not beyond that. What he says is true, and that's what's happening in our society today. People only live to live a short dream, say, to be a doctor, an engineer, etcetera etcetera.. Once they'll become a doctor, what else will they be? A sub-specialist? then what? then what? and again, then what? it's not wrong to think like what the merchant did as he makes his dream as an inspiration for him to live the present fully. But it's a pity, because he will never go anywhere.

When we dream or put our aim for this world only, then the world is the end of it.
We want to dream big, right?
We believe that there's more to life, right?
We aim for Allah's paradise right?
We dont want our happiness to stop just until we die, right?

rethoric.

Hai orang-orang yang beriman, sukakah kamu Aku tunjukkan suatu perniagaan yang dapat menyelamatkanmu dari azab yang pedih? (yaitu) kamu beriman kepada Allah dan RasulNya dan berjihad di jalan Allah dengan harta dan jiwamu. Itulah yang lebih baik bagimu, jika kamu Mengetahui. Niscaya Allah akan mengampuni dosa-dosamu dan memasukkanmu ke dalam jannah yang mengalir di bawahnya sungai-sungai; dan (memasukkan kamu) ke tempat tinggal yang baik di dalam jannah ‘Adn. Itulah keberuntungan yang besar. (QS : As-Shaff : 10-12)