Allahu Wakubaru. Thank you for sharing Bilal. Its been a long time. I forgive your long silence for value-re-introduction. I hope your temporal silence was not due to a personal burden for which DaarManso hasn't offered secours yet. Thy will be done. In honour of my late Father.
Haruna. Thanx again for sharing value-life.
-----Original Message-----
From: Edi Jah <[log in to unmask]>
To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 2:02 pm
Subject: Something For Sycophants
Culled from Ethics and Spiritual Growth by Sayyid Mujtaba Musawi Lari
available at www.musavilari.org
--------------------
truggle for Realisation of Higher Ideals
hat which gives worth to life is struggle for the sake of realisation
f sublime and fruitful ideals. One must resolve to reach a station
orthy of humanity and make every possible effort to develop himself,
ulfil his duty, and offer ungrudging service to society. In the sweet
ords of Hafiz:
hough the world's wont, like the bud, is to be close-fisted, Yet you,
ike the spring breeze, be an opener of knots.
r. Schweitzer writes:
ften we hear people say, "I want to do some good in this world but
he obligations of life and work are so exacting that I cannot score
ny success in this regard. I am sunk to my ears in the petty chores
f life and there doesn't arise any opportunity for my life to become
eaningful." This is a very common-and dangerous-mistake. Everyone
inds opportunities at his doorstep to help others, so that his spirit
ay rise to the occasion and attain peace and joy. In order to attain
his joy it is not at all necessary to neglect one's ordinary duties
r to perform some dazzling feat.
call this spiritual work your 'second duty'. All that you must do is
o make use of the many opportunities that arise and carry out this
uty. You will get plenty of excellent opportunities in this path and
cquire a perfect ability to make use of them. At this point all the
nergies stored up in your being will swing into action.
hat which the world needs today, and lacks, are people devoted to
ulfilling others' needs. In this work, done for the sake of others,
oth the helper and the helped are blessed.
.. We are gradually losing our personality under the strains of
odern society. The urge for creativity and self-assertion is killed
n us. Accordingly, the attainment of genuine civilisation is delayed.
he big mistake of everyone of us is that we travel blindfolded
hrough life and do not notice the good opportunities that arise. Once
e open our eyes and look around we will observe many people who need
ur help, riot for big things but for very small things.
n altruism and sacrifice we must invest the best part of ourselves.
he coin that a widow gives, which is all that she owns, has greater
orth than all the donations of the rich. We often hear people say,
Were I rich I would do many things for people". But one can be rich
n respect of love and charity. If we discover the real needs of those
ho require help and take steps to meet them, we would have spent the
est part of ourselves in this path, which is love and compassion for
thers and which all the money in the world cannot equal.
ou might think that my life in the equatorial forests of Africa is
omething wonderful. But you should know that you can live a more
onderful life by remaining where you are and, by impelling your soul
o effort, engage in a thousand kinds of good and kindly actions. This
ask demands a spirit of sacrifice and courage and a strength of will,
nd the determination to love, which is the greatest test of a human
eing. But you must know that it is in this second and difficult duty
hat you can find true happiness. [1]
an is free either to obey or disobey the commands of his conscience.
very man is the master of his soul and his will. He may choose
ectitude and purity, liberate himself from the bondage of lust and
ndless desires, make chivalrousness his motto, and abstain from
njustice and cruelty. These qualities and virtues are within his
each and he may adorn himself with them through persistent effort. He
ay also take an opposite path, the path of decadence and vice, and
ive into the ocean of variegated lusts and pleasures.
he power of will is a heavenly gift which must never be left idle or
sed for filthy purposes and inhuman goals instead of being employed
n the path of duty. The lack of will and determination is the biggest
bstacle in the way of fulfilment of duties. The employment of will
ower under the guidance of conscience and in the struggle against
arnal urges and desires, against egoism and moral vices, is a
ifficult task at the beginning and requires self-denying effort. But
hrough determination, persistence and perseverance, the soul
radually becomes stronger and its moral characteristics improve.
hen, the performance of duty becomes a quite normal and easy matter.
f one's feeling of duty-consciousness be strong, he would not retreat
n the face of hardship and obstacles. Even when such a person's
ffort remains fruitless due to obstacles, his conscience at least
ould be at peace and he would be able to hold his head high before
imself because his defeat and failure have been for the sake of duty.
father gives the following counsel to his son:
y son, let it be that you remain poor and penniless while others
ather wealth and get rich in front of your eyes through deceit and
reachery. Lead your life without position and glory and let others
et into high positions through obsequiousness and servility. Put up
ith misery and loss and let others satisfy their desires by the means
f flattery and sycophancy.
efrain from associating with big people, to get near whom others are
illing themselves. It is better for you to put on the garment of
irtue and piety so that when your head turns white there isn't any
lot on your honour and good name. At that time, thank God and
urrender to death with an easy mind and a happy heart. [2]
n the same way as admonishment, reproof and censure are beneficial in
he struggle against vices, so also appreciation, commendation and
ncouragement are undeniably effective in producing better motivation
or work and performance of duty. Evil is the state of a nation in
hich traitors are encouraged and worthy and duty-conscious servants
re censured, humiliated and driven away from sensitive positions in
ociety. Where deceit and imposture bring success and those who are
otally devoid of human values attain their cherished goals, a nation
n which those who wish to fulfil their human mission remain deprived
s long as they continue to live in purity-in such a society there
emain utterly no grounds for the growth of moral excellence.
bviously, in such an environment the attraction and inclination for
eceit, corruption and hypocrisy make way, on an extensive level, into
he depths of the people's souls, and vice and corruption rapidly take
he place of virtues and decent morals. In such an environment, many
haste souls may be compelled to turn their backs on piety and purity
s a result of unbearable pressures, for there are few people who can
eroically safeguard their souls in such a corrupt environment and
reserve their piety and purity in the mire of social filth. Yet all
eople do not have such extraordinary qualities so as to continue with
heir sublime and majestic spirit to live amongst a base and decadent
eople.
n the course of his upbringing an ordinary individual stands in dire
eed of a society on which he can rely to offer him worthy examples
hat may acquaint him with practical patterns of conduct in life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jah
--
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he
oves for himself.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]
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