etiquette of a slave

something happened yesterday which compelled me to write this piece.
a pregnant lady came to my clinic yesterday, very heavily pregnant with her first child. She was already about 7 months plus.
As usual i examined and did a scan for her. Then just before discharging her, she told me, " doktor, saya masih belum berhenti merokok lagi.....". Immediately i knew she must be a heavy smoker, for most mothers who were smokers quit (at least for a while) while they were pregnant. They knew that nicotine is harmful to the baby. She told me she had been smoking for 18 years since after SPM. what concerns me is that she doesn't sound remorseful and i doubt if she will try very hard to stop smoking.

what has this got to do with the title "etiquette of a slave?"

lets share this story which i read from "Tarbawi-titled..mengamputasi kesalahan tanpa alas kaki"
Its about a man called Basyar al Hafi. Al hafi in Arab means without a sandal/slipper. He got this name from an incident which changed him to become a noble and respected scholar till today.
His story started when one day as usual he was with friends having a 'beer party' at his house. suddenly , somebody knocked the door and his servant opened the daoor. he saw from afar that the man asked his servant something; then went away. He was bogged with curiosity and asked his servant what the man had said. his servant said,
'the man asked whether you are a slave or a free man, and i told him you are a free man, and then he said..no wonder, if he is a slave, he would know the ettiquettes of a slave.."
Just hearing this simple statement made him feel very uneasy and he went after the man, in such a hurry lest he missed him, he forgot to put on his slippers on one of the hottest day.
when he met the mysterious man, Basyar asked the man to repeat what he said and the man repeated..."if you are a slave, you would know the etiquette of a slave" repeated the man.
Hearing the words again for the second time, Basyar fell to the grounds and put his cheeks to the earth moaning..."I am a slave...I am a slave...I am not a free man......"

Since then he is a changed man. He became a known scholar and was zuhud towards the world. since then too, he never puts on his slippers. When asked for the reason, he said, " I was straightened by an old soleh man while not wearing slippers and i will continue to be in this way till i die"

That's the true story of Basyar al Hafi...he was able to stop a habit that had been with him for many years once he realised he is a slave of Allah..and a slave has etiquettes that he need to fulfill. Basyar was able to 'amputate' his problems before it became worse.

lets start being slaves to Allah in its fullest meaning..as a slave...in full submission...'amputate' any habit you know that exist in yourself which your Lord dislikes..stop being a slave in some matters and keeping a part of yourself as a 'free' man-for, Wallahi-you are not a free man! You are a slave of Allah.