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| From Scorching Blaze to Blistering Cold: Ups and Downs of Human Life |
From Scorching Blaze to Blistering Cold: Ups and Downs of Human Life
Human existence is a miniature woven with the myriad colors and attitudes of the universe itself. We experience the scorching blaze of intolerable conditions and the blistering cold of hardship's freezing winds. These extremes, and everything in between, are the undeniable realities of the human journey – a journey each of us must undertake.
Life is indeed a continuous path, yet our destinations and goals are as diverse as our individual intentions. Along this path, incidents and accidents serve as our milestones. The obstacles we face, the resources available to us, and the problems we encounter all shape the purpose, direction, speed, and ultimately, the success or failure of our unique voyage.
In this challenging journey, human behavior, attitudes, ideas, and actions, along with their consequences, are incredibly varied. They are molded by our thoughts, beliefs, social affiliations, environment, religion, and the philosophical systems we embrace. While each of us perceives our own perspective as correct, a closer look at individual and collective behaviors reveals a different truth. Often, human interests clash, stakes conflict, stances contradict, giving rise to differences and enmities. We experience anxiety, face the repercussions of our mistakes, encounter failure, and endure worries and sorrows. We may violate the rights of others and suffer when our own are violated. From intellectual delusions to practical deviations, we can stumble into countless pitfalls.
If every human thought and attitude were inherently right, the world would be a different place. We would all be perpetually calm and happy, seekers and travelers on a path to spiritual bliss. But this is clearly not the case. When life veers off its true course and away from its right destination, we become lost. Therefore, to understand the true purpose and destination of human life, we desperately need an authentic source to guide us, save us from wandering, grant us spiritual peace, and guarantee success in this life and the Hereafter.
Two Ways of Life
Throughout history, countless philosophies have emerged in an attempt to chart the right direction for life. Yet, observing the world around us often leads to a sense of aimless wandering, a spiritual vacuum, a futile search for peace in material possessions, intolerance of differing opinions, and many other negative attitudes. These symptoms speak volumes about the failure of worldly systems and philosophies to provide genuine fulfillment. To live a blessed and peaceful life, humanity requires guidance that prevents straying, leads to the right way, bestows peace, and provides for both material and spiritual needs.
The religion of Islam simplifies human thinking and guards it against misguidance. Until the Day of Resurrection, Islam has clearly delineated for humanity the two paths: good and evil, virtues and vices, guidance and misguidance, truth and falsehood, straight and wrong, success and failure, prosperity and deficit, salvation and destruction, and happiness and misery. These two paths have been made undeniably clear.
In the Holy Qur'an, in the blessed verses of Surah Al-Balad, this truth is beautifully articulated in the most comprehensive words:
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ (8) وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ (9) وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (10) [البلد: 8 - 10]
"Did We not make for him two eyes (8), And one tongue and two lips (9), And showed him the two ways (10)?" (Al-Balad, 90:8-10).
Most Perfect and Complete Code of Life
The system offered by the religion of Islam stands as the most comprehensive, perfect, and complete code of life, encompassing every sphere of human existence. Its scope extends to all areas: beliefs and ideologies, worships, financial affairs, social matters, and moral teachings. Islam beautifully balances spiritual and material teachings, with moderation being one of its greatest virtues. This makes it the most acceptable religion and the most practical code of conduct for human nature, adaptable and workable in all times and places until the Day of Judgment.
It is not merely a collection of theories or rituals, nor is it limited to worship or preaching morality alone. Instead, it provides the most perfect instructions on all aspects of life, intricately interconnected, entirely harmonized, and well-organized within a regular system.
Source of Salvation
Islam does not leave human thought to wander aimlessly. The criterion for judging right from wrong is declared to be alignment with the will and intention of Allah Almighty, or opposition to it. Therefore, what is pleasing to Allah Almighty is right, and what is displeasing to Him is wrong. This is a crystal-clear principle, leaving no room for philosophical ambiguity or delusions, which can pave the way for misguided, satanic thinking leading to error and eternal destruction.
The pleasure of Allah Almighty is found solely in the religion of Islam. It is the only source of salvation for humanity and the sole axis of worldly and otherworldly success. The success of humanity and the welfare, prosperity, and justice of the world lie only in following the Islamic religion. Any path chosen other than or beside it is not acceptable to Allah Almighty.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ [آل عمران: 85]
"Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." (Al-Imran, 3:85).
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا [المائدة: 3]
"Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and chosen Islam as Din (religion and a way of life) for you." (Al-Maidah, 5:3).
May Allah Almighty grant us steadfastness in the religion of Islam, enable us to follow and adopt its teachings, and bless us with faith until the end. Aameen.
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Dr. Tahir Mahmood
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