Tension - Modern Killer Virus - Part-2
Helplessness :
Regarding the feeling of weakness and helpnessness, Islam works two ways to fight them. One, thru the faith that it imbibes in its believers and second thru its social system. As for the faith as the tool to fight the attacks of feelings of weakness, we have been given the example of Musa. When he started with Israelites from Egypyt, they were pursued by Pharoah and his army . The Israelites were in great fear. They cried in distress "we will be taken". But Moses was calm. He said , 'Never! My Lord is with me. He will lead me." So, the thought of the companionship of God kept Moses calm.
It is this faith in the companionship of Allah that kept our Prophet Muhammad [sallal lahu alaihi wasallam} on whom be peace, calm in the cave while Abu Bakr was greatly anxious. Said he , 'Worry not! Our Lord is with us" It is when a believer has such faith that the rule of , 'And then Allah sent down peace on him' is applicable to a muslim.
And then, we have been taught how to seek God's help in difficult situations. It is thru prayers and persevarance. Says the Quran ," O Believers ! Seek Allah 's help with persevarance and prayers. Indeed Allah is with the persevering. "
This aspect of faith in Allah is called 'Tawakkul" or trust in God. He who has this does not experience anxieties.
Another verse says , 'Allah is sufficient for him who has trust in Him. Indeed God is bound to carry out His willl.
"He has fixed an apppointed term for everything."
Trust in God is nothing but to believe that God will direct all our affairs to a happy end. It is with this faith that a believer fights anxieties. His philosophy is , "Tell them! Nothing will happen to us but that which has been ordained by our Lord, He is our trust. And in Him, shud the believers put their trust"
And the Prophet has taught us that when we see something disagreeable happening to us, we must say : "O Allah ! No one cause a good thing to happen, but You. No one can cause an evil thing to happen but You. There is no Power , no force but Yours [Abu Da'ud}
We stated earlier that Islam treats the sense of weakness rising in a man thru two meand :One faith, and the other : its social system. We all very well know how much stress Islam lays upon communal living. We have famous hadith which says that Muslims are like one body in which if one undergoes pain, all its other part react.
As against this, in a non-islamic society, each man is left to himself to bear his own burden. This keeps everyone under stress and on the guard. Says a hadith , "A muslim is a brother unto another muslim. He neither oppresses him nor does he hand him over an oppressor. He who is in the process of helping his brother has Allah in the process of helping him. He who removes a suffering from a muslim will have Allah remove a suffering from him, from the sufferings of the day of Judgement. And he who shielded a Muslim's faults will have Allah shield a Muslim's faults will have Allah shield his fault on the Day of Judgement"
This then is the way in which Islam proposes solutions to human problems and this then is the manner in which a Muslim society can safe guard its members from anxieties and tensions
Animosity :
The second most common reason for anxieties and worries is the feeling of animosity by others .
Islam proposes cure for this also in two ways. One, to make efforts to win people. This can be done thru good acts to others. Says the Quran , " Goodness and evil are not equal . Therefore repel with what is better - and lo! he between him and you is animosity , is unto thee a bosom friend "
But then , if responding with what is good does not work or situation does not allow it then Islam has a solution to the problem again. It is to take no notice of people's animosity or hatred to become as they become about whom the Quran said : " Those, who when they were told by the people that armies are gathering for you so you ought to fear them. But this only increased their faith and they said , " In God is our trust and how good a Trust is He".
However this attitude and that of non-chalance is to be adopted only after all efforts to win people can be won. Hadith also suggests ways which love can be spread. Says a hadith : "You will never enter paradise until you have faith. And you will not have faith until you love each other. And may i not suggest a way to you, which if you adopt will create love between you ; spread salam"
hough of course, love between members of a society also depends on the unity of faith. And the faith on which people can be united is belief in One God. Said Allah swt to the Prophet, on whom be peace : " If you spent all the riches of the earth O prophet, you could not have united their hearts."
But the question is : if faith itself is missing , or if present , is there only in infinetly small quatities how can then love be created among a people?
Regarding the feeling of weakness and helpnessness, Islam works two ways to fight them. One, thru the faith that it imbibes in its believers and second thru its social system. As for the faith as the tool to fight the attacks of feelings of weakness, we have been given the example of Musa. When he started with Israelites from Egypyt, they were pursued by Pharoah and his army . The Israelites were in great fear. They cried in distress "we will be taken". But Moses was calm. He said , 'Never! My Lord is with me. He will lead me." So, the thought of the companionship of God kept Moses calm.
It is this faith in the companionship of Allah that kept our Prophet Muhammad [sallal lahu alaihi wasallam} on whom be peace, calm in the cave while Abu Bakr was greatly anxious. Said he , 'Worry not! Our Lord is with us" It is when a believer has such faith that the rule of , 'And then Allah sent down peace on him' is applicable to a muslim.
And then, we have been taught how to seek God's help in difficult situations. It is thru prayers and persevarance. Says the Quran ," O Believers ! Seek Allah 's help with persevarance and prayers. Indeed Allah is with the persevering. "
This aspect of faith in Allah is called 'Tawakkul" or trust in God. He who has this does not experience anxieties.
Another verse says , 'Allah is sufficient for him who has trust in Him. Indeed God is bound to carry out His willl.
"He has fixed an apppointed term for everything."
Trust in God is nothing but to believe that God will direct all our affairs to a happy end. It is with this faith that a believer fights anxieties. His philosophy is , "Tell them! Nothing will happen to us but that which has been ordained by our Lord, He is our trust. And in Him, shud the believers put their trust"
And the Prophet has taught us that when we see something disagreeable happening to us, we must say : "O Allah ! No one cause a good thing to happen, but You. No one can cause an evil thing to happen but You. There is no Power , no force but Yours [Abu Da'ud}
We stated earlier that Islam treats the sense of weakness rising in a man thru two meand :One faith, and the other : its social system. We all very well know how much stress Islam lays upon communal living. We have famous hadith which says that Muslims are like one body in which if one undergoes pain, all its other part react.
As against this, in a non-islamic society, each man is left to himself to bear his own burden. This keeps everyone under stress and on the guard. Says a hadith , "A muslim is a brother unto another muslim. He neither oppresses him nor does he hand him over an oppressor. He who is in the process of helping his brother has Allah in the process of helping him. He who removes a suffering from a muslim will have Allah remove a suffering from him, from the sufferings of the day of Judgement. And he who shielded a Muslim's faults will have Allah shield a Muslim's faults will have Allah shield his fault on the Day of Judgement"
This then is the way in which Islam proposes solutions to human problems and this then is the manner in which a Muslim society can safe guard its members from anxieties and tensions
Animosity :
The second most common reason for anxieties and worries is the feeling of animosity by others .
Islam proposes cure for this also in two ways. One, to make efforts to win people. This can be done thru good acts to others. Says the Quran , " Goodness and evil are not equal . Therefore repel with what is better - and lo! he between him and you is animosity , is unto thee a bosom friend "
But then , if responding with what is good does not work or situation does not allow it then Islam has a solution to the problem again. It is to take no notice of people's animosity or hatred to become as they become about whom the Quran said : " Those, who when they were told by the people that armies are gathering for you so you ought to fear them. But this only increased their faith and they said , " In God is our trust and how good a Trust is He".
However this attitude and that of non-chalance is to be adopted only after all efforts to win people can be won. Hadith also suggests ways which love can be spread. Says a hadith : "You will never enter paradise until you have faith. And you will not have faith until you love each other. And may i not suggest a way to you, which if you adopt will create love between you ; spread salam"
hough of course, love between members of a society also depends on the unity of faith. And the faith on which people can be united is belief in One God. Said Allah swt to the Prophet, on whom be peace : " If you spent all the riches of the earth O prophet, you could not have united their hearts."
But the question is : if faith itself is missing , or if present , is there only in infinetly small quatities how can then love be created among a people?
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