Sometimes I don’t quite understand why we have this habit of overcomplicating things un-necessarily. Why don’t we learn to keep things simple and easy to follow? While this happens in numerous cases like relations, jobs etc, my question is primarily addressed to the so called upholders of Islam i.e. the clergymen aka mullahs. Islam is supposed to be a complete code of life. In urdu its called “zabta-e-hayat”. Yet, increasingly, people are being pushed away from Islam due to little nitty gritty superficial aspects and injunctions that mullahs come up with in order to judge a persons’ piety and faith. Why is it that someone who has his pants/trousers just a few centimetres below his ankles any less pious than someone who literally wears their shalwar/trouser pulled up to their chins ? Why is it that someone who wears a silk tie immediately branded as doing something haraam even if he prays regularly, gives charity and treats his fellow humans with kindness and respect. Infact why is the tie on its own is considered the attire of non-mulsims (Christians) symbolizing the cross of the Christ? Why is it that if you don’t support a beard as the same length, breadth, density and angles as them, they’re quick to brand you as hypocrites and what not? Why is it that while praying, if a single hair escapes the dupatta of a girl, you quickly invalidate her entire prayer?
You would have guessed by now from the myriad of questions that what I’m wondering is why focus so much attention on such superficial, meaningless things? These are just a few examples. I’m sure that in every other aspect of religion, they would come up with similar senseless obstacles and irritants that simply make religion difficult and arduous to follow for the common layman. Moreover, I think that these superficial things are simply meant to give them an air of superiority and allow them to assert their piousness and their holier than thou attitude. However, the fact of the matter is that they never elaborate on the beautiful aspects of religion. They never propagate the simple decencies, the acts of kindness, of virtue, of loving God and loving His Creation. They’re quick to point out differences and add oil to the fire of sectarian divide, yet never do anything for reconciliation, for creating harmony and understanding of each others differences. They have this rigid attitude of “its my way or the highway”. But if you look closely and deeply, all sects, all religious doctrines would have similarities that would easily outweigh the handful of differences on ideology. Why don’t we simply celebrate and cherish those similarities which guide us to God’s path and agree to disagree on the minimal differences. Why don’t we just accept the fact that perhaps all paths lead to Him, even if their routes are chartered differently? Why don’t we leave the judging to Him. Aren’t we are supposed to believe without any shadow of doubt on the Day of Judgement when no injustice will go unpunished?
All the pundits claim that the recent barbaric lynching of the brothers by the mob in Sialkot took place because people no longer believed that the government had the ability to tender justice. That’s why, they claim that the mob took matters into their own hands. However, I would like to think that the lynching, along with other deeper malaise and social ills plaguing the society is symptomatic of the fact that the love of God and the fear of recompense on the Day of Judgement no longer exists within people’s hearts anymore. Instead hatred, bigotry, materialism, greed, hopelessness and fear has filled the hearts and minds of people.
You see the love of God is such an overwhelming and encompassing feeling that whosoever has the good fortune of experiencing it, needs nothing else, literally. Love of God lights up every corner of your heart and when it fills your heart, there remains no place to hide for avarice, greed, materialism and other such ills that clog your arteries and lead to the sickness of your heart. The Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in al-Bukhari, he told one of his companions:
`In the body there is a piece of flesh, when it is healthy, the whole body is healthy, and when it becomes unhealthy, the whole body gets unhealthy, and lo that piece is the heart.'
Once the heart is lightened up with the love of God, then all else falls into place. Prayers and fasting no longer feel burdensome. When you love someone so deeply, any sacrifice, any small inconvenience seems worthwhile. Infact once you start doing it, you find comfort and calmness in worship.Worship no longer remains worship, as in servitude to Him. It seems the only way to talk to, to communicate with, to serve your beloved, who has Control and Sovereignity of All the Worlds and everything that is contained in them. When the love of God fills your heart, you don’t feel hatred or malice towards anyone. There exists no hatred, no “I”, no “You”. Infact one saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) goes like this:
" 'Son, if you are able, keep your heart from morning till night and from night till morning free from malice towards anyone.' Then the Prophet said: 'O my son! This is one of my laws, and he, who loves my laws verily loves me.' " (Bukhari)
Just take the example of your daily dealing with someone who you really love e.g. your mom/dad. Although, we tend to be rude when we’re young, but by a certain mature age, we have this internal question in our head: If I do this or if I say this, would my mom or dad approve of it? Would it upset them or embarrass them or hurt them? Now imagine this; God claims to love us more than 70 times more than a mother loves her child, if we really love Him back, won’t we regulate each and every action so that we ensure it leads to His pleasure and does not upset Him? Moreover, if everyone in society starts doing that out of love for Him, won’t it rid us of so many evils and problems that beset us? I’d like to quote another saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which relates to what I’m trying to say:
"What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured." (Bukhari)
The love of God can be such a powerful stimulant for the betterment of society. This love requires a certain level of faith and trust called “Tawakkul”. The best way to define this in short is to say “leave everything to Allah”. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained it in more detail:
"If you put your whole trust in Allah, as you ought, He most certainly will satisfy your needs, as He satisfies those of the birds. They come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests." (Tirmidhi)
With the power of Tawakkul, no hardship, no test, no tribulation seems to faze you out. When you trip or fall during the journey of life, you tell yourself that it is indeed a test from Him and it is only to make your soul stronger and to make you come closer to Him. You never lose hope in His justice and in His mercy.
Imagine this now. A society full of people whose hearts are enlightened with His love. Now imagine how each of them compete, not for worldy fame or worldy riches, but to please Him. Imagine these people competing for good deeds. Competing to help people. Competing to shelter the homeless, take care of the orphans, free the oppressed and look after the old and destitute. A society like this would have little or no crime, little or no bloodshed and would be free, tolerant and peaceful. Today, instead we are in engrossed in materialistic rat-races, with the sole purpose of our lives being to earn money and attain material wealth and status.
I know I might be painting an overly idealistic, and hence unrealistic picture. Yet, even if a significant majority, even 50% of the people in society start acting like that, it would make a huge difference. The good thing about such a society would be that the piety and faith and actions of the few would rub off on the others. Islamic, in the early deeds spread not from the sword but from the actions and good deeds of the early Muslims who were role models of perfect, balanced human beings.
Sadly, today we have become the slaves of our own nafs (self) and blindly follow our own vain desires. The love of the self, the love of this ephemeral world and its riches has darkened our hearts and on a collective level it seems that every man is for himself. Furthermore, religion has just become a fascade which masks our true realities. We focus on the letter of the religion but not the spirit. We give undue importance to superficial outwardly actions and forget the most important bit; of unclogging the arteries of our heart so that the love of God can flow through our veins and shine through our soul. Our jihad shouldn't be the outwardly military type. Our jihad (which in arabic means "to strive") should be against our own nafs, the internal jihad, about which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:
"The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self." (Bukhari)
Once the nafs is tamed, then its just a matter of doing good, of competing to do good and passing the exam that is life. The Holy Quran reminds us:
"Is there any reward for good - other than good?"
I know the article probably drifted away from its main topic but the main crux of what I was trying to say is that deep inside our souls, all of us have this disposition to be good and to love our Creator. Its only a matter of clearing our hearts and minds from whatever distracts us from that Reality (money, greed, self-indulgance, vanity, pride, hatred). Therefore the real Jihad starts there, deep within our souls. A little self introspection is required. A little initiative. One small baby step at a time. Not doing it abruptly, but gradually and slowly, by seeking His knowledge, by reading His Book, by praying to Him. God says "Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you." (Hadith Qudsi)
I would like to end this post by this prayer (which is also narrated as a Hadith in Tirmidhi):
"O Lord, grant me your love, grant me that I love those who love you; grant me, that I might do the deeds that win your love. Make your love dearer to me than the love of myself, my family and wealth. Ameen
May the love and protection of God always guide you on the journey of life. Ameen
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