· How can selfish and egotistical societies escape this spiritual sickness?
Omniscient Allah has created the human soul with a predisposition to
selfishness as a test. Unless he lives by the moral values of the
Qur'an and tames his earthly desires, this feeling will come to
dominate his whole moral framework. Such a person generally thinks of
himself alone, rather than everyone else. He always wants the best,
finest and most perfect of everything for himself. He wants to have
possessions and children and for his own family merely to be
comfortable. Whenever he encounters any difficulties he will expect
the people around him to undergo all kinds of risks and troubles
forhim and to support him, evenat the cost of their own interests. He
seeks to protect his own whims and interests and to ensure his own
ease and comfort. When the situation is different he can forgo many
things he values, for the sake of protecting his own interests and
preventing any harm coming to him. Allah has revealed this passionate
selfish feeling in human earthly desires as follows in the Qur'an:
" Truly man was created headstrong –
desperate when bad things happen,
begrudging when good things come –." (Surat al-Ma'arij, 19–21)
Selfishness and Egotism Are a Major Threat to Modern Societies
The materialist, Darwinist thinking that is widespread in modern
societies that do not live by religious moral values reinforces the
selfish and egotistical spirit in human nature and disseminates a
"me-first" philosophy. Indeed, the idea of " So long as I'm all right,
who cares what happens to anyone else?" or "Looking out for number
one" generally dominates such societies. But selfishness and egotism
are a major threat to society because ideas like truth, justice and
law vanish in such a society .Feelings such as beauty, love,affection,
compassion and respect become regarded as unnecessary. Thus, people
who are oppressed and slaughtered, innocent babies, people who lack
the money for proper hospital treatment, or who have to wait for hours
or even days in hospital queues, despite being old or weak, people who
are forced out of their homes or lands because of their faiths and
tiny, defenseless children thrown out onto the streets to survive as
best they can are of no interest to such people.This structure
generally leadsto a troubled and unhappy air in society.
This structure among people and societies who are selfish,loveless,
aggressive, who protect their own interests and violate everyone
else's, who wear a harsh mask and who have no love or fear of Allah,
can only be eliminatedthrough people living by the moral values of the
Qur'an, asIslam and cultivating love of Allah is the only way to
acquire such instances of good conscience as compassion and
helpfulness, features at the root of Qur'anic moral values, and to
escape selfishness and egotism. Our Lord reveals how the Qur'an leads
people from the darkness to the light as follows:
"… A Light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book.
By it, Allah guides those whofollow what pleases Him to the ways of
Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His
permission, and guide them to a straight path." (Surat al-Ma'ida,
15-16)
People Can Only Protect and Watch over One Another with Love and Fear of Allah
Fear and love of Allah enables people to submit themselves to Him, to
see the best in everything and to have compassion. In the verses Allah
reveals how the only interest of concern to believers is His approval:
" They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will spread far and wide.
They give food, despite theirlove for it,to the poor and orphans and captives:
'We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want
any repayment from you or any thanks.
Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day.'
So Allah has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made
them meet with radiance and pure joy." (Surat al-Insan, 7-11)
Our Prophet's (saas) words that " He who goes to bed full when his
neighbor is hungry is not one of us" is animportant warning that
believers desire to earn Allah's approval. Therefore, anyone aiming to
earn Allah's approval will not just settle for a solution to his own
problems; he will also assume responsibility for resolving the
problems of others around him in need. This may of course require
people to give up things theylove or to sacrifice their own comfort.
The way that Muslims look to protect and watch over the poor by giving
alms, help people in need by canceling their debts and spend their
possessions on Allah's path, rather than accumulating andhoarding
them, are moral virtues bestowed by the ethical values of the Qur'an.
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