Twice in the past week, I found myself in line at an establishment that I do my best to stay away from: Dunkin Donuts. It is a place that finds many sipping and biting, sighing their alhamdulillahs into the steam rising from their tightly-held cups. For me, it is instead a place of torture.
It’s them, the ones behind the counter. The ones who await fresh and full of a sugary high. The ones who have beautified themselves for those like me, who want what they cannot have. They enrapture my senses. Their look, a golden glow in a somber world. Their smell, a scent of pure desire. Their touch, so soft, so oh so very soft. Their voice, silent yet screaming at me, “Take me”. Then there’s that sweet, melty taste, so sweet, so melty. They, of course, are
donuts.
I’ve never had a donut in my life due to a food allergy, but I always go a little insane thinking about eating one when I walk into a DD franchise. I only have a fantastical notion of what it must taste like, and that must suffice me. So when I was standing in line for others this past week, I looked at those delighting in their scrumptous little rings of heaven, and said
alhamdulillaah. It’s just dessert, and though I may be missing out on a very brief moment of satisfaction, what I’m gaining in its stead is a healthier diet, and an appreciation of how desire works.
Allaah
‘azza wa jal has permitted things for us, and forbidden others. We may want that which is forbidden, and it will feel so good for so short a time, but in return we set ourselves up for a near eternity of horror. In those moments it was just a moment for me, but how many times have I seen myself and others in other positions of wanting what they cannot have, and perhaps sometimes failing to grasp the absolute necessity to not indulge.
As I was about to exit, I took one last look at the trays behind the counter.
And I say to you, my Dear Boston Creme: Jannah inshaAllaah *wink*.
Tags: allergies, bostoncreme, chocolate, dessert, donuts, food
Subscribe to Comments
leave a comment or trackback
Entries (RSS)
masha’Allah very amusing piece
But one question, how do you have that self control????
In response to UmmAyoub:
It’s not self control, it’s called “avoiding emergency room visits”
Masha’Allah….very humorous piece of work…n a wonderful connection
lol@ avoiding emergency room visits…well let me clarify what I meant, basically how does one really have self control over ones’ desires. What if they don’t have anything as “an visit to the emergency room” to stop them? or no motivation, then what?
Well, we just have to look at the analogue of “the emergency room”, which means coming to the realization that this life is a temporary one, and we’re set to spend an eternity elsewhere. Wondering where that eternity is spent, whether Jannah or Jahannum, should motivate us as much as the reality of an emergency room visit to someone who ate the forbidden donut.
Brother you are not missing out on anything. Trust me.
Not a donut in your life? They usually smell better then they taste.
Now if you’re allergic to Pepperidge Farm Milanos, then you might want to write a piece on that .
“Now if you’re allergic to Pepperidge Farm Milanos, then you might want to write a piece on that .”
That’s like throwing salt on a wound. My family loves having those Milanos around the house, and they too are a source of temptation. Heck, even the packaging looks delectable.
Alas, I must harken to the lesson of the post…
Every time you look at the DD’s or Milanos, think of the hellfire.
Harken or holla; you’re call
Well said, plus last time i checked DD wasnt the cleanest bakery in the dunya.
On a more serious note, everything ordained for us has some type of hidden benefit, some are just more apparent than others. Research shows that the movements in the ten sets (of two) for taraveh salah equal the same aerobic excercise for running about 2 miles. Going to sleep and waking up early have their own set of benefits, etc etc. On the other hand, we have the consequences of falling into that which we must avoid — they’re and unbearable, and a few seconds of “artificial” sugared down happiness isnt worth it.