By displacing the Creator for creation – chasing jobs, houses, and social approval – we invite despair, and the only cure lies in turning inward to God and our own souls
Syed Mustafa Ahmad
It is an acknowledged reality that today, most people have become soft morsels of despair. This affliction spares no one, neither the young nor the old, and even married individuals find themselves aboard this same tossing boat.
Great spiritual figures such as Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH), and Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani have reflected deeply on life’s intricacies, shedding considerable light on the fatal disease of despair. According to their teachings, despair is natural, for humans are inclined to love worldly things, and this very love can blind a person, both inwardly and outwardly, distancing them from true peace and spiritual permanence.
Our condition is sadly similar. We have displaced things from their rightful places, seating them where they hold no true value. By ignoring true priorities, we have, God forbid, placed the creation in the seat of the Creator, and the Creator in the place of the creation. This can be likened to someone entrusting us with a precious deposit, taking an oath from us to guard it faithfully. We may care for it diligently, but when the owner returns to reclaim what is theirs, what power do we have to refuse? Such is our situation: we have mistaken filling our stomachs, building magnificent houses, accumulating bank balances, and securing government jobs as the entirety of life.
Why, then, should we be condemned for this? Condemnation may be warranted, but must it come at the cost of violating the principles of humanity and trampling the rights ordained by Allah Almighty, all for worldly rituals and the fleeting approval of people? Let it be so, yet let not false honour be tarnished. In such a state, it is only natural for everyone, young and old alike, to sink into the swamp of despair.
Life is a journey—the lighter the burden, the easier and more beneficial the path. How far can one travel with shoulders weighed down by excess? This is not difficult to understand.
In truth, as mentioned earlier, when blind imitation becomes life’s mantra, even those older than their years take the lead in this illegitimate race. They strive actively to appear superior, and when their own desires remain unfulfilled, they make their children scapegoats, pushing them into a fruitless, soul-crushing race to achieve what they themselves could not. Having fallen victim to this coercion myself, I feel compelled to state plainly that even young children, due to adult impositions, appear immersed from head to toe in the swamp of despair.
At the very beginning of this reflection, I drew attention to the filthy worms being inserted into children’s minds, stunting their genuine growth. A blueprint of a utopian world is sketched before them – one that this life can never colour in. Innocent as they are, they are made to believe that to live meaningfully, they must follow the unreasonable and unnecessary principles prevalent in society. A few days ago, I listened to a speech highlighting how the luxurious lives of a select few have made existence miserable for the many and how the extravagance of some has become a torment to the souls of others.
Our womenfolk have suffered greatly from this. They hastily elevate certain lifestyles to the height of inspiration, only to count themselves among the “have-nots” with an inferiority complex, diminishing their own noble selves from lesser to even lesser. Cursing the simplicity of their own homes, they prostrate before the perceived, correct or incorrect, grandeur of others, becoming victims of humiliation rather than recipients of mercy.
Similarly, young boys and girls, influenced by so-called celebrities and influencers, lament their own conditions. Afflicted by an “all-perfect” syndrome, they find no satisfaction in the air of their own home, village, or city. Swept away by perfectionist emotions, they strike an axe upon their own feet. In the budding bloom of youth, the fulfilment of every dream seems the highest aspiration. To achieve such comforts, they devise schemes that yield nothing but despair, and gradually, they are deprived of every mercy.
Now that heaps of despair lie everywhere, from which physician should one seek a balm? The greatest physicians are God and one’s own soul. It is a hundred times better to turn inward than to be misled by another. Ask your own soul: why does despair cling to the hem of my garment? What gives birth to these towering waves crashing within my heart? Only when we recognise the filth within our own souls can we drive away the worms of despair and restlessness.
Beyond this, by fully benefiting from the insight and vision granted by the Creator of the universe, we may comfortably determine our paths. Prostrating in His court, we can beg for His mercy and create the means to dispel the darkness within our hearts.
There is no guarantee in this transient life. It is a trust, a deposit placed with us by Allah for a limited time. If we prove trustworthy according to His will, there is goodness in it for us all. Until His will becomes our will, it remains extremely difficult to keep despair and anxiety at bay.
We must, while avoiding blind imitation, perform such deeds in this fleeting life that bring true satisfaction to a human being. Some days are filled with happiness, others with sorrow. That is what life is. Its flavour lies in minimal desires and minimal burdens. However much we carry, we will leave this world, only to weep over our helplessness, disappointed once more by the actions of others. We must escape this web of illusion.
Every moment brings us closer to death. Yet, like an intoxicated elephant, we keep repeating: Why don’t I have everything? Why am I not the owner of all? Why am I not seated on the high pedestal of perfection? How can any flaw appear in my beauty? No desired destination can be reached with such childish thinking.
We pray to Allah to grant us true insight and vision. May He acquaint us with the correct understanding of this world and the hereafter.
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