The Story of a Prostitute and Kiai

 

The Story of a Prostitute and Kiai

Umar Khayyam, 11-12 AD Muslim poet and scholar, narrates a pithy dialogue in one of his famous quartet stanzas. The dialogue is as follows:

"A Shaykh said to a prostitute: "You are drunk and every night in the arms of a different man..!" The prostitute replied: “O… Shaykh, I am what you say, but are you really what you appear to be? ”

Umar Khayyam is very good at slapping religious practices that are only busy in symbolizing. A Shaykh, a Kyai is so easy to rebuke a prostitute. In the eyes of the Kyai, a prostitute is so depraved, because there is no day without immoral behavior, getting drunk and having sex with different men every night.

The Kyai was disgusted by this behavior and harshly rebuked him. However, the prostitute's answer turned out to be pithy. “I am what you say but are you what you seem? ”

A prostitute is seen to be depraved, but is a kyai always as good as he seems?

From the dialogue above, Umar Khayyam would like to remind that a prostitute is far more honest about the depravity that she commits. On the other hand, the Shaykh or the Kyai has become a self-deceived human being. I prefer to judge others than to look at myself.

How many, Kyai or Shaykh or Habib who use the cloak of scholars to do bad things? Or to deceive the people?

If a prostitute commits lewdness openly, a Shaykh or Kyai or Habib may commit lewdness in secret, no one will know or even the people around her will cover up her depraved act.

"Prostitutes are always wrong and the kyai can't be wrong," was the proverb that came out.

And, we – especially me – often position ourselves as Shaykh in the dialogue above, it is easy to have bad thoughts about others, it is difficult to look at ourselves, to feel ourselves as holy or pretentious.

Like crazy people, we – especially me – easily utter slanderous words against people who are visibly depraved.

"Woman bitch", "sundel", or "cheap woman" we can easily pronounce. Can these words improve the morals of a prostitute?

No, really not, the bad words full of insults actually made the prostitute feel hurt, felt isolated and looked down upon.

In fact, a prostitute knows exactly that her actions are wrong. He just needs a little motivation, a hug of love, in order to change; not intimidation or insults.

Astagfirullah hal adzhim