Purpose beyond the self |
Strive; and find yourself in selflessness
This is the easy path for God knows better
Righteousness is not limited to the spiritual elite. What the world might overlook can achieve the highest honor in the eyes of the divine even through the smallest, most sincere acts of virtue. What makes a man worth remembering is his willingness to give back to the community; sometimes at the expense of his own convenience.
The world in reality progresses through love, and what better notion than the love of mankind.
One of the most renowned and beloved spiritual poets and scholars of all times, Rumi deliberates that love requires a definition that has a purposeful start, a transformative middle and a definitive end. In the Muslim brotherhood, this love starts from the adoration of God, then the beloved messenger Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and further expands to various dimensions and shapes; one being the propagation of such love to all mankind. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) conveyed the belief of love and oneness of God, remembrance of God and love for one another, purity of soul and character and disregard of anything evil or bad.
This expansive love serves as the foundation for a resilient faith- a faith that is tested in situations both good and bad. The trials in the way of faith are the preparatory phases that make us worthy of being human. It refines our character and strengthens our devotion, ensuring that our belief is not merely a fair-weather sentiment, but a deep-rooted conviction that sustains us through every season of life. Just like the rain nourishes newly produced sprouts and in no time thousands of flowers surround the dry and desolate world; in the same way faith implants beautiful thoughts across the communal mind eventually producing a garden.
The free have a thousand things to do in this world
How could they ever know what a slave’s prayer is worth?
Despair, grief and fear are the mother of abominations and destroy life. Sincere belief in the oneness of God puts an end to these foul diseases. Our souls roam around in inconvenience because we have forgotten the actual purpose it was built for. We have our eyes on the prize but we neglect what might take us to it. We don’t have to build mountains, we don’t have to carry more than we can afford. All that is vital is a moment of sincere attention to someone or something in need. That is what builds empires where human emotions rule freely without anticipating materialistic respite. This is where we can call ourselves human. This is what we should strive for.
Our philosophical and psychological perspectives should not overlap but meet in the middle. We have to carry on living in the material world but it is not the beginning and end of who we really are. Our lives matter the most when we give back in the same way we reach out.
I recall a simple event where a boy was walking alongside his mother and his eyes met a defeated pigeon by the sidewalk. The bird could no longer fly and was amidst danger from the nearby predators. A scene where most of us would not bat an eye and leave unfazed, this little boy ran up to it and picked it up. He did not know what to do with the flesh wounds it had but made sure it felt safe. He wrapped his handkerchief around it and placed it inside his sweater just to keep it warm. Next I know he is pleading to his mother to let him keep it. He made promises to his mother that he won’t play outside for long without her permission, he won’t ask for candies and snacks if she would just let him keep the bird.
Whenever I think about it I am left in awe at how quickly the boy was ready to let go of all the things that made him happy earlier just for the bird. That is the point here. It was not about what the boy would receive in return for helping the bird, but about what he was ready to sacrifice in order to save a life as small as the pigeon’s. The beauty lies in the total lack of endgame. The boy didn’t expect to be thanked for it. He didn’t look at his mother to see if she was watching his good deed. He saw a life, gave it value, adding so much more to his own.
May our love of God also be reconciled with action and thus attain purpose. Ameen.
O You! Who lacks leaf in autumn
Do not break from the tree, but hope spring may come
Hamna Munir, alumni GKSC