Goosebumps

Lombok Reflections

Goose bumps

Life in a kampung in Lombok greets you with its own quiet variety. Some mornings it’s the slow steps of cows on the road, their bells softly clinking, other times it’s ducks waddling in a line towards the fields, or chickens scattering suddenly across the path. The evenings belong to the dogs, stretching out lazily or barking into the night, while the sounds of neighbours chatting and the call to prayer weave through it all.

It is a life where people, animals, and faith all share the same space, each reminding you of the simple balance Allah has placed in creation.

Every so often, this little family of geese appears in front on my house. They come unannounced, moving in a tight cluster. Sometimes waddling in purposeful formation, sometimes stopping to peck at the ground, sometimes simply enjoying each other’s company. It’s a small, easily missable moment, but today I stood still and watched them longer than usual.

Three geese, side by side. No leader, no follower, no fight. Just presence. Harmony. A sense of shared purpose. And suddenly, I remembered the old proverb: “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

At first glance, it’s just a reminder of fairness, that whatever is good for one should be good for the other. But the more I reflected on it through an Islamic lens, the deeper it became. This simple, almost whimsical phrase contains within it some of the most powerful principles of our deen. Justice, equity, reciprocity, and humility.

Allah tells us in the Quran:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives…”

(Surah An-Nisa 4:135).

Justice isn’t something we dish out selectively. It starts with ourselves, it applies even when it costs us personally, and there are no exceptions. What’s right is right, even if it’s against our own interests.

The Prophet ﷺ also warned sternly against hypocrisy in applying different standards. In a powerful hadith, he said:

“Indeed, what destroyed those before you was that when a noble person among them stole, they let him go. But if a weak person stole, they applied the punishment to him. By Allah, if Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand.”

(Bukhari & Muslim).

SubhanAllah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whose love for Fatimah was unmatched, would not bend the law even for her. That is the level of justice Islam demands from us.

So what does this have to do with a few geese strolling down a kampung road?

Watching them made me ask myself uncomfortable questions. Do I treat others with the fairness I expect for myself? Do I hold others to a standard that I secretly exempt myself from? In my marriage, do I want kindness, mercy, and patience but forget to give it in return? In business, do I expect honesty and transparency from others while justifying small compromises in myself? With friends, do I desire loyalty but offer criticism?

Islam is a deen of balance, Mizan.

Allah says:

“And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance. That you not transgress within the balance. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.” (Surah Ar-Rahman 55:7–9).

This balance isn’t just about physical justice, it’s about social justice, emotional justice, and even internal justice. Giving each person, each moment, and each action its due right. When we break this balance, corruption creeps in. Into our homes, our hearts, and our communities.

The Prophet ﷺ captured the essence of this balance in perhaps the simplest yet most profound words:

“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

(Bukhari & Muslim).

This is the heart of fairness. It is not only about avoiding harm to others but actively wishing for them the same good, comfort, and ease we desire for ourselves.

That’s what the geese reminded me of. Three companions on the road of life, unbothered by hierarchy, striving for their rizq without stepping on one another. Living the proverb without knowing it. What’s good for the goose is indeed good for the gander. It may not be a verse from the Quran or a hadith from Sahih Muslim, but its essence is aligned with the very soul of our deen.

It reminds us to strip away ego, double standards, pride, and hypocrisy, and replace them with fairness, sincerity, and equity. Because if something is good, beneficial, or healing for me, then surely, it should be the same for you. And if it is wrong for me to be hurt, then it is wrong for me to hurt you.

In the quiet stillness of this Lombok morning, I watched those three geese walk away down the dirt path. They didn’t change the world. But they reminded me to change myself. And perhaps, that is where true change always begins.

O Allah, grant us hearts that are just and fair, tongues that speak truth, and hands that never oppress. O Allah, make us love for others what we love for ourselves, stand firm upon justice even when it is against us, and walk with humility and sincerity. O Allah, purify our intentions, protect us from arrogance, and guide us to live in balance and mercy. Ameen.