A True Believer’s Expectations
By Dr Abidullah Ghazi
Skokie, Illinois
The individuals or groups or communities attaining progress stand out for their expectations. Without hope no individual or community can move forward.
Man should be full of hope about his own future and of his society, for hope inspires man to accomplish something. It makes life meaningful. Man strives in all circumstances. However, his optimistic outlook can make his striving pleasant. It relieves him of pressure and stress. On the contrary, he tends to enjoy his work.
The Qur’an brings home this truth effectively: “Do not despair of Allah’s mercy,” (al-Zumar, 39:53). Believers cannot experience despair, for Allah tells them, “My mercy embraces everything,” (al-A‘raf, 7:156). To be full of hope is part of a Muslim’s faith. If he believes truly in Allah’s promises and emulates the Prophet’s exemplary life, he will never despair, for he realizes that felicity will follow the hardships in this life. The Qur’an affirms, “Surely there is ease after hardship. Undoubtedly there is ease after hardship,” (ash-Sharh, 94:5-6).
The Qur’an and Sirah bless Muslims with hope and mercy. Yet Muslims of the Indo-Pak subcontinent seem to be afflicted with despair. A note of melancholy permeates their poetry, stories, films, speeches, meetings, and resolutions. This has sapped their energy and dynamism.
If the Muslims of the subcontinent have to play a decisive role at this juncture, they must overcome their un-Islamic pessimism and despair. They should imbibe the optimistic outlook on life which is found in the Qur’an. It will help them decide and act on their future course of action with conviction and constancy.
For creating a conducive ambience they should grasp afresh the message of Islam. They should infuse the optimistic spirit of Islam into their poetry and literature, social customs, politics, and economy.
One may contend that since they are confronted with adverse circumstances, hostility, and an uncertain future, they cannot nurture any hope. However, were things to happen as we want, there would be no test of faith. Faith consists in maintaining hope even in the face of hostility and enmity. On being faced with failure they should have the conviction to overcome all obstacles.
This is easy to preach but very hard to practice. No ideology can work without action. Let us take a collective decision to replace cynicism with optimism. All of us can contribute our bit to it. In our individual capacity we should pay greater attention to the following:
1. First, we must resolve to premise our lives on faith and conviction. Hope is synonymous with faith. The Qur’anic teachings and Sirah amply bear out the above.
2. We should look for the aspects of our individual and family life which are based on faith. Unless we drive our family members out of despair, we cannot transform our milieu.
3. Before going to bed let us make it a habit to think optimistically. We should sleep with hope.
4. If Allah has blessed you with the ability to speak in public and to write, you should utilize it for changing the milieu. At times, even a single comment helps change the atmosphere.
5. You should hold discussion with intellectuals in your locality. If any of them talks despairingly, try to correct him.
6. We should keep telling ourselves the gist of Dr. Iqbal’s couplet that knowledge and gnosis are prone to decline in a pessimistic setting. A true believer is blessed with hope.
7. Also, we must accept the thrust of this Qur’anic verse, “Do not fear. Allah is with us,” (at-Tawbah, 9:40).
Promise and Glad Tidings
“…like a seed that brings forth its shoot, and then He strengthens it, so that it grows stout, and [in the end] stands firm upon its stem, delighting the sowers. [Thus will Allah cause the believers to grow in strength,] so that through them He might confound the deniers of the truth. [But] unto such of them as may [yet] attain to faith and do righteous deeds, Allah has promised forgiveness and a reward supreme,” (al-Fath, 48:29).
It never happens that a sincere person’s call to good deeds is rejected or opposed by all the people. Yet many persons, notwithstanding their pious intention and breadth of thought, spend their whole lives keeping themselves to themselves. Some, however, are courageous enough to take initiative. They always get some friends who join them in their mission and help actualize their dreams.
Even a noble project is, no doubt, opposed. However, those who sincerely embark on a noble project derive spiritual strength and tranquility and Allah grants them consistency. A small step ultimately culminates in achieving something big.
This is the law of nature, that microscopic cells result finally in the formation of the whole human body. Likewise, a tiny seed blossoms into a huge tree. Present plans construct the future. Allah has promised success to those who come forward. They are given glad tidings. The Torah, the Gospels, and the Qur’an endorse the above truth. A good deed is akin to a seed which promises a rewarding harvest in the future. Since Allah supports this, its success is certain.
From Good Word to Good Deed
A good word promotes virtue. Conversely, bad words lead only to evil. Yet there are some persons who abuse good words for causing corruption. On the other hand, there are people who seek good even in the face of bad words. There are people of all sorts in a society. A good society is one in which the majority of people are inclined to good deeds and enjoy authority and influence.
Evil persons are liable to causing discord. If they become dominant in a society, they spell disaster. This is possible when good persons retire from the public scene and lead a life of renunciation, confining themselves to the mosque or monastery. They may reject the present order as false and devote themselves only to the remembrance of Allah, taking this as the kernel of faith. They do so at the expense of abandoning the political, social and economic order. As long as Muslims are inspired by their faith, they cannot become indifferent to their surroundings. The Qur’an asks them plainly to cooperate in all acts of good and piety and to keep away from what is sinful and transgressive (al-Ma’idah, 5:2). Muslims constitute the community that is directed by the Qur’anic code of enjoining good and forbidding evil (Al-Imran, 3:104).
Only a good word does not suffice for Muslims. They are obliged also to do good. Faith devoid of good deeds is imperfect; Allah obliges the believers to perform good as well (al-‘Asr 103:3). Good deeds are an inseparable part of faith. Likewise, good words and deeds are the very components of faith. Muslims should both profess and practice good. There is no dearth of people among the Muslims who do good. However, there is a need for organizing them and for doing this consistently. All the groups and churches in the West have institutionalized good deeds. Institutions are part of the Muslim heritage which they have lost, so they must regain these from the Western model.
