Elevated to the Lowest Point

As you might have noticed, I was made a junior KL Magistrate on 2nd June 2008. This means that I am a small scale judge. At the moment, I handle KL traffic offences. Petty it may be to some but the jurisdiction that I am required to cover ranges from causing death due to reckless and dangerous driving (minimum 2 years imprisonment and minimum RM5000), Rempit offences, drunk driving and also for not having a side view mirror on a motorcycle, expired road tax and insurance coverage. ( Expired insurance coverage has a new meaning now as I now disqualify the offender from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 12months).

I am not sure about other districts, but a first class Magistrate in KL has the smallest jurisdiction (or so I was made to believe… hahaha,). On that score, for an officer with my humble qualification, I can be said to have been elevated to the lowest point of the judiciary system in KL.

Speaking of elevation, I am reminded of the following saying’s of the Prophet Muhammad SAW about God. The last paragraph sort of jive in quite well.


Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 508:
Narrated by Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah's Hand is full, and (its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending, day and night." He also said, "Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His Hand." He also said, "His Throne is over the water and in His other Hand is the balance (of Justice) and He raises and lowers (whomever He will)." (See Hadith No. 206, Vol. 6)

In one of the many courses that I have attended, I remember still a lecture by a retired High Court Judge, Datuk R.K. Nathan. He reminded us all that it is God who CHOSE us to be where we are. So if we are having difficulties in making a decision, we should (and we must, if I could add) invoke His help.

That is a truly valid point. Most of us, (if not all), who joined the Judicial and Legal Service (JALSOA) (especially as a judicial officer) would want to be posted (or elevated) as a Magistrate. I had that dream as well. I was instead posted as a Senior Assistant Registrar for the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Commercial Division 6). After serving my super cool Judge for about nine months, (not including the 1 month of floating, about 1 month medical leave for breaking my tibia bone and about another month of induction and National Service) I was then elevated as a Magistrate.

Anyhow, going back to the valid point (refer to the first sentence in the above paragraph), we have no power in choosing where we will be. It is definitely up to The Big One Up There to decide. Once He has placed us somewhere, we must then strive to fulfill our responsibility. Of course when we have problems or hiccups, (in any event we will definitely face) we should go back to Him. I’ll have to admit, sometimes, when I am having difficulties in passing a sentence or a decision, I would close my eyes, free my mind, make a very sincere prayer for Him to grant me some wisdom and allow me to reach the most appropriate decision.

Actually, I do that all the time, not only when I’m in difficulty. It gives me a great feeling knowing that I am humble enough to seek His guidance and pleasure. I’ll end this post with another interesting saying of the Prophet about God.


Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 502:
Narrated by Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

Someone repeated the above saying to me yesterday in a talk. I closed my eyes to try and “feel” the meaning of it. I stopped when my eyes became watery. Even for that short span of time, I had a nice feeling in my heart knowing that I have such a Merciful Creator.

The feeling’s back again. Since I’m all alone in my chambers, I just gonna enjoy it even more this time.

p.s: for more of the Prophet's sayings, check out:

http://www.iiu.edu.my/deed/hadith/bukhari/index.html

and the sayings above were plucked from here:

http://www.iiu.edu.my/deed/hadith/bukhari/093_sbt.html

Blog adjourned…