Topics
In today
sitting, let's call ourselves to account and try to figure out why our hearts
are deprived of peace and contentment, and why do feelings of insecurity
constantly surrounds us.
Our heart becomes restless when we see that each person
is lost in a maze of thoughts, oblivious of his surroundings, displaying the
image of sadness and grief on his face, absorbed in his own world. Those who
have much and those who have little are equally afflicted. Monstrous shadows of
illness, worries, vanity, and inferiority complex, hold us tight in their
clutches. In short, there are as many problems as there are people, but they do
share one thing in common: None is at peace. On the forehead of each are deep
creases of discontent, Insecurity, and feelings of loss. Each stands as one
defeated; each stand as an image of hatred and contempt. Greed for wealth and
the ever increasing demand and expectation to row one's standard of living, has
turned this world into hell for the progeny of Adam. Nations greedy for power
have spent profligate sums of money for showy displays of fireworks in the name
of human welfare and development, while teeming masses of humanity are
afflicted with hunger and poverty.
Why is this negative thinking so common today that a
person is not happy with the things he has. Why does he run after things in
pursuit of which he is forced to stray away from a life of moderation? There is
only one answer to that: We are deprived of the blessings of
patience [sabr] and the reliance upon God and the acceptance of His will
[istaghna]. Allah the Exalted says:
Surely, Allah is with those who patiently
persevere
[The Holy Quran, chapter 2: verse 153]
This means that those who are not patient and at peace
with. Allah's will, who are not grateful for what they have, and who are not
content with what they have, move away from Allah. This distance from Allah
means the loss of peace and wellbeing and the loss of contentment of heart.
This loss causes one to become unfamiliar with the pleasure of patience and
contentment with the will of Allah. This patience and contentment is the sword
with which we can cut the shackles that bind us, the obstacles that impede us,
and the insecurity that strangles our spirit. When a person acquires the
treasure of patience and contentment, trials and tribulations lose their hold
on him. And when patience and contentment become an integral part of a nation,
the society within that nation collectively reforms, and begins a sure and
steady march towards true progress and prosperity.
Keep in mind that happiness and peace of heart are not
something external. This is an internal feeling. When we gain familiarity with
this internal feeling, we are suffused with peace and contentment. When he gains familiarity with
this all-embracing style of thought, a person frees himself from hellish life
of trials and tribulations and becomes aware of that true joy and happiness
which is the right and the inheritance of those who possess this way of
thinking.
It is proven from heavenly scriptures and all revealed
books that Allah the Exalted has created this universe with love, when one
ponders the formulas of the creation of the universe, every facet of life
appears an image of love and sincerity, from the beginning until the end, the
entire life of a human being, for whose sake this entire universe has
been created, is established along two [opposing] aspects [or two differing
outlooks]. Adopting one of these outlooks brings a person closer to the creator
of the universe, whereas, adopting the other outlook moves a person away from his
Creator.
It is
related in a Hadith-e-Qudsi ['a saying of the Holy Prophet(saw) narrating a
direct revelation from God'] that Allah the
Exalted says; I was a hidden treasure, thus I created creatures with love I may
be known." The point under consideration here is that Allah the
Exalted says that, 'I have created with love,' which means that the only means
to recognize Allah the Exalted is love, and thus the emotion which leads away
from Allah the Exalted is ‘hatred,' in
opposition to love. The teachings of the Holy Quran and the life of the Holy
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah he upon him, are beacons of light,
showing humanity the right and true path. It has been the mission of Gods
prophets to train the minds of Allah's creatures in such a way that they
develop amongst themselves brotherhood, selflessness, sincerity, and love for
one another.
A
society in which love holds a prominent place always remains peaceful, whereas
societies where estrangement and hatred prevail remain forever inflicted with
mental chaos and insecurity.
Love is Sincerity, hatred is entirely composed of anger,
wrath, and revenge. Anger is also a form of hatred. It is stated in Holy Quran
that
Allah the Exalted loves those
benevolent people who control their anger and forgive others [The Holy Quran,
chapter 3: verse 134].
One aspect of hatred is prejudice. The Holy Prophet (saw)
said person who lived with prejudice and died with prejudice is not from
me." In other words, the one who is prejudice will lose the intercession
of the Holy Prophet (saw).
Since love is a means to achieve a peaceful life and a
peaceful heart, a person in whom this delicate energy of love circulates
remains safe from trials, tribulations, and serious illnesses, and his face
develops a special attractive quality. In contrast, the impure, intense, and
scorching waves of hatred burn the human face and in fact, make one's mind so
heavy, distressed and gloomy that the life-giving beneficial waves bestowed on
him by Allah the Exalted become poisoned and venomous. On account of this
poison, a person suffers from many kinds of obstacles, and many types of
diseases.
A
detailed account of diseases caused by hatred would make for very gruesome
reading. The biggest misfortune borne out of hatred is that a person moves away
from his Creator, and this distance causes his expulsion from the circle of
Ashraful-makhlooqat ['best of the creation' —a distinction bestowed on humans
by Allah' and into the realm of lowliness and beastliness. Hatred mutilates the
human face, and among the diseases which develop within a person due to this
satanic emotion are cancer, various forms of fistula, and many other such
untreatable ailments, in which a person is trapped and dies in pain and misery.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Science has made immense progress, yet many believe that, even with all of the modern tools at our disposal, human beings function at no more than 10% of their mental capacity. This leads to the question of what exactly it is that comprises the remaining 90%. Yet another question that arises is this: If it has taken man four and a half billion years to be able to apply only 10% of his ability, how long will it take for him to make use of the remaining 90%?