Stick behind a decision

We surveyed for a used MacBook. My husband and I decided to buy one because our second son wanted a Mac, not a PC. A second hand MacBook is about the same price of a new PC. A new MacBook is too expensive. Our second son is so absorbed with GarageBand, an Apple software that can create music. With this software you don't need a studio or musical instruments to produce a record. You can do it single handedly in the privacy of your room.

I called my eldest son to ask his opinion. He said it's ok. In our excitement, we forget to query about the one month guarantee. True enough. After about three months using it, it started to hang for what seem like endless time. Nobody want to use it now. No more queue line. I felt bad about wasting so much money on something that works only for a month. My eldest son said that when I called him to ask for his opinion, he was skeptical about buying a second hand product but since I sound so excited, he don't have the heart to say it. That made my stomach tighten. I said to him, "You said that because things didn't work out now. If the MacBook works pretty well you wouldn't said that. When we make a decision together, we must stick to the decision together. Just like in solat/prayer. Even when the imam forgot to perform the tahiyat awal and straight away went up for the third rakaat, all the makmum/followers must do the same. We must obey the imam even when he make mistake as long as he didn't do something sinful. It's all about staying together. When we stay together, we are strong. If we break away from the jemaah/group because we don't agree with the imam in furu'/small/trivial matters, we will be weak. Son, if we have made a decision together, and things didn't go well as we plan and hope it will be, don't ever say 'I told you so'. That's not the spirit in Islam".

My husband is a very good and fair man. He always ask for my opinion in everything that we want to do. I, in turn, will give him my opinion and ask him to make the final decision. Naturally there are times when he made decision contrary to my opinion and I accepted it happily. When things didn't turn out ok and seem to favour my opinion instead, I have to suppressed the urge to say "I told you so!". Islam is beautiful. In congregation prayer, the followers must follow the imam even when he forgot something. We can't just stop and leave the congregation prayer. We must follow the imam as long as what he forgot doesn't effect the prayer. Muslims are suppose to bring this obedience outside prayer into everyday practices. It's a recipe for a strong muslim ummah. The majority against the individual. I have always been behind my husband. Being a mortal human being of course sometimes I forgot myself. But I try to be behind my husband in everything. I guess my kids have notice this. May Allah give me the strength to be a good muslim always.

A friend suggested to me to bring the MacBook back to the store that I bought it. After a few visits and replacing the hard disk and increasing the RAM, finally the MacBook is running well again. My husband is using it in Paris to skype with us. Staying in touch almost everyday. So sticking together has its rewards! Sweet rewards.

May Allah bless us all. Ameen.