What's thicker than blood ?

Drowsy heads practically filled the lecture hall.
"The viscosity of water is 1x10^-3 Pa.s"
i guess only Antonov's voice was echoing in the hall that day.
"while the viscosity of blood is 4x10^-3 Pa.s"
"since the viscosity of blood is not the same as water,
thus, blood is not water."
Antonov's deduction somehow made his audiences burst into a small laughter.
including me=)
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even water, the universal fluid, is not as thick as blood.
i guess there are many other fluids that are much more viscous than blood.
oil perhaps? or maybe any artificial fluids?
my mind once lingered to this one question;
what is "thicker"
than blood?
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how are we connected to each other?
when we stay in the same room
we are roommates
when we study in the same class
we are classmates
when we play together in a team
we are teammates
when we work together in an office
we are officemates
and many other terms that we can use with the suffix '-mate' behind them.

but how about family?
how are we connected?
same parent?
same looks?
same inherited genes?
same phenotypic traits?
same genetical codings?
same blood type?
same psychological habit?
wait
did i mention 'same blood type'?
maybe that's it.
not blood type
but
blood.
we are connected by blood.
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its amazing how family members can be gathered together in one small house
having breakfast,lunch,dinner together
sharing experiences
trading laughters
caring for each other
loving towards each other
all in the name of family
"bounded by blood"
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but still
the answer to my question haven't come up yet.
if the ties bounded by blood is that strong,
what could possibly be much more stronger than that?
what could possibly be much more meaningful
much more valuable
much more deared
much more powerful
than that?
what could possibly be much more thicker than blood?
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i once read a story
about a battle
where a few men were downed and fatally injured
incapacitated
in dire need of water
then came the water-bearer
he rushed to the first man
offering him what might be the saviour for his own life;
water.
then the first man heard the voice of the other man groaning in pain
in dire need of water.
the first man ordered the water-bearer to aid him
without any hesitations
and refused to drink the water unless the other man received help first.
but why?
why not save his own skin first?
thus, to the second man, the water-bearer rushed to.
in the moment of saving his own life
the second man heard the third man grieving in such a huge pain
and ordered the water-bearer to aid the third man.
the same thing happened to each downed men when the water-bearer came to them
and by the time the water-bearer came back to the first man,
he had already died
and so does the rest of the downed men.
and my question earlier remained
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that was a story that i read ages ago
and i'm not quite sure myself if it is potrayed historically correct.
how about something recent?
a story
told by a man who came to moscow
who was a part of a group
that went to Palestine
against all odds.
in an effort to provide supplies;
food,clothings,medicines,
for the people of Palestine.
why on earth would he endeavoured it?
when even Egypt would not even care less about those Palestinians?
when Israeli armies could kill them anytime in their convoy?
his story puzzled me
doesnt he has jobs and work to do back home?
doesnt he has friends to hang out with back home?
doesnt he has a FAMILY that require his attention back home?
the third question somehow struck me.
why on earth
would he leave his family
for the Palestinians?
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i guess the answer is clear to me now.

those downed men in that war,
they're not brothers
they're not bounded by blood at all
perhaps they didn't even knew each other

the man that went to Palestine
he is obviously a Malaysian
he obviously doesnt even know any Palestinians
and he is obviouly not bounded by blood at all with the Palestinians!

but what made them
acted in such an amazing way?
what made them
agreed on such endeavours?
what made them
willing to sacrifice their lives for each other
when they are
total strangers
not even friends
didnt even know each other's name
and completely different from each other!

what made them did all those things?
----------------------------
the answer i seek
was plain and simple
all of them
those downed men in the war
the man who went to Palestine
they have one thing in common.

they are muslims.

so what made the first man ordered the water bearer to aid the second man
when he himself was in dire need of help?
it was because all of the downed men were muslims.

so what made the man went to Palestine?
leaving his job,friends and family?
it was because the Palestinians are muslims.
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we muslims
most of us
we dont even look the same
we dont have the same skin colour
we dont even use the same language
we dont even live in the same country
we dont even live in the same house
and we are not bounded by blood at all

but when we say
"La ilaha illallah
Muhammad Rasulullah"
my brothers
my sisters
that bond between us
that tie between us
that ukhuwah between us
that care between us
that love between us

that,
my dear brothers
my dear sisters

is thicker

than blood.
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"Dan (Dialah) yang menyatu-padukan di antara hati mereka (yang beriman itu). Kalaulah engkau belanjakan segala (harta benda) yang ada di bumi, nescaya engkau tidak dapat juga menyatu-padukan di antara hati mereka, akan tetapi Allah telah menyatu-padukan di antara (hati) mereka. Sesungguhnya Dia Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Bijaksana." (8:63)

by : ILHAM MUNTARI