We Can Make a Difference!

Candle

Often times, we as human beings, get caught up in the affairs of this complicated world.  We envision ourselves as a tiny drop in the ocean of life.  We may consider ourselves as insignificant.  When people of love and compassion witness the cruelty and oppression that exists in our world, we cannot help but feel saddened and at times frustrated.  At the same time, we may feel distress at the fact that we as individuals do not have the ability to intercede or help those who are less fortunate.  All the while, those in power who promote this idea, do so to keep the general population from speaking out against their evils.  They strategically send a negative message through the media while keeping the general population busy with entertainment (reality TV, movies, sports, MTV, alcohol, and even illegal drugs).  Don’t get me wrong, I like to watch movies and sports like anyone else.  However, I think there needs to be moderation in anything that we do.  We must be balanced and be vigilant of how the world around us works to ensure a safe environment for ourselves and our future generations. 

So the question arises… Can we as individuals make a difference?  Well, I will weigh-in and you decide. 

Firstly, this foundation should be established.  In Islam, we believe that God (in Arabic, Allah) offers his guidance to all of humanity.  It is the human being out of his ignorance and arrogance that rejects that guidance, and therefore is lost; not knowing the purpose of his existence, not knowing his role in this life, unsure of how to treat others and himself; and therefore, vices like hatred, intolerance, and arrogance become habitual in him. 

Evil does not exist as an entity.  God does not create evil.  Evil is simply the lack of goodness, caused by those who make the cognitive choice to commit acts void of goodness.  For example, does a lie exist in essence?  The answer is no.  A lie is simply something other than the truth.  Does darkness exist as an entity?  The answer is again no.  Darkness is the absence of light.  This is what we mean when we say that no one can extinguish the light of God because truth, light, and goodness are created entities that overcome falsehood and darkness.  He (God) provides us with light and truth; therefore these entities that He created for us are absolute.  To explain further…

When we work for peace, tolerance, and spirituality in this world we are like a candle in a dark room.  If we are in a sealed dark room with no light, we cannot even see our hands in front of our faces.  However, if even one photon of light is present, the human eyesight can locate it.  Similarly, that light, although all alone in the room of darkness, will serve as a Guide for all to follow.  That light, wherever it goes, easily overpowers and removes whatever darkness is present.  That light provides warmth and comfort for those who seek it and only cause anger to those who live in darkness. 

My dear brothers and sisters, we can be that light in the darkness.  Our efforts to promote peace & understanding, although small, humble actions, can make a huge difference.  And if we cannot do it alone, we can unite with each other to bring about positive change in the society in which we live.  Brother Malcolm X (may God rest his soul) said, “It is our duty as men, as human beings, to organize ourselves… It is our duty to our people.”  We have a saying in Islam which states that small acts of goodness done in moderation, is much better than good acts performed with over-exertion done rarely.  So dear friends, we can make a difference.  Let us not be bogged down by our daily affairs and materialistic desires which are never-ending.  Let us work to help each other and it all starts with us.  The Qur’an states, “God will never change the condition of a people until they first change that which is in their hearts.” 

The human being is the highest creation of God.  However, it is up to the human being to reflect that.  Islam teaches that the angels are beings created to serve God.  However, it is their honor to do so, since God is in need of nothing.  So the angels do not have the whims and desires that humans do.  Therefore, they do not have the ability commit acts of evil or aggression.  In contrast, animals rely solely on instinct.  For example, a snake kills its prey simply for survival.  So what about those who kill other people for political motives?  Or those who kill unjustly to ensure their grip on power?  With that said, we as human beings can be above the angels in rank, or can be lower than wild animals in status.  This depends on our actions since we have the intelligence like the angels and we have the carnal desires like the animals, both have been instilled in us.  We must remember that our prayers and good acts do not benefit God one iota.  He is free from any need.  He is the Creator of matter, energy, space, and time, therefore, He cannot be measured by these forms of relativity.  If He gained from our actions, that implies that at one point he was deficient, and a change took place, and if a change took place with God, that means He gained or lost something.  Thus if the case, this would not fall in the definition of God, who is Infinite and all Good.  We do good acts because we need Him and we need to train ourselves to make this world a better place. 

So dear friends, will we work for peace?  Will we treat people of other religions with respect, goodwill, and love?  Will we return anger with anger, or will we return it with peace?  Will we accept the guidance and follow the light, or will we reject and destroy our humanity?  It is in our hands.  What we should remember is that we can make a difference in this world and this is our duty.  May peace be upon you.

-Uniter