Honor - Glory - Esteem - Strength

Bismillah.

Inferiority complex - I used to suffer from it, I think. In hindsight, it didn't matter as much now but it should not exist especially among teenagers because it could impede a growing soul from realizing its true potential.

By nature, everyone is given izzah which means honor/glory/esteem/strength, so I gathered the meaning of that Arabic word. Yes, everyone is given izzah and thus everyone has izzah in their own way. It is like inner beauty, everyone has it. This I saw radiating from a blind young man who went up on stage to receive the honors for having done well in a major exam in the Malaysian school system. Among all other recipients, somehow, his izzah stood out.

But sometimes people tend to overvalue physical beauty and put a high price tag on it. Just like the things sold on the shelf, some things are overpriced and we all know it.

Allah in His glory and fairness assigns more izzah to some people than others. He gives to whomever He chooses. 

Later today, someone I know whose name is derived from the Arabic root word izzah will be getting her exam results. But to me, her "results" are already out. Regardless of how many "A"s she will bag today, the real "A"s she has scored is in having an extraordinary determination to learn subjects that are beyond school subjects. It's about recognizing the value of 'ilm in a wide context, far from being shallow, like being excited about some trivial celeb stuffs and some time-wasting boy bands. It's about being more interested in and being actively involved in volunteer work, and engaging in worthwhile activities. That's real beauty. That's what is awesome.

People with such izzah should not suffer from inferiority complex and should not be made to suffer from the same because they don't deserve it. But then again whatever gifts Allah has bestowed upon a person, no one can take it away, not one bit. We will know when our society is matured, it's when we give things its real value, when real beauty is appreciated, when skin-deep beauty is not over glorified.