Recently I was reminded that unity, instead of disunity is
the normal human disposition. I re-learnt this from people in a psychiatric
ward, strangely enough. These people have come together in the same space,
sharing similar experiences for a certain time. These are people from different
cultures, races and religions and yet they had managed to form strong bonds of
support and care.
They told me things like, ‘we are here for each other’, ‘we
support each other’, ‘ we've become very good friends’, ‘ we have grown so
close’. This was such a beautiful thing for me to see and as I watched these
people, bound together in a united group, ready to stand together as one I couldn't help but feel some hope for humanity.
I've seen this before and experienced it myself. When people
are able to find some common ground, no matter what this may be, unity seems to
be the default. People can easily come together as one unit when they have a
common goal, even if this is momentary. This may seem like something obvious to
you, but the implications of this are far reaching.
Consider this-If unity is the default then why does disunity prevail more
often in today’s times? Why does it seem like efforts at unity are easily
broken down? Why do we see people doing whatever they can to get to each other
and to prove that they are better? If unity is the default, then why are we so
intent on disunity?
There are many reasons for this, competition, the need to
win approval and so on, but the central issue is that we live in a power driven
world, which has made us selfish, arrogant and proud. It’s made us believe that
we are in a constant race, competing to get limited resources, jobs, homes,
whatever it is that we need. It’s made us believe that the next person is our enemy,
or at least our opponent, and helping the opponent will result in us losing. We
are in a constant game, fighting to be the winner, and if we live like this
then obviously we cannot have unity.
But if unity is the default then this means that we are
actually taking great lengths to go against our nature, and this usually doesn't
end very well. The consequences are obvious, disunity everywhere, even families
cannot be united these days, and it’s no wonder, just look at the world we are
living in!
So it’s refreshing to see people coming together, uniting
for a while, standing together and supporting one another. And although I know
that this unity is possible for a short while in a confined space because the
stakes are not high and there’s nothing to compete for, it still makes me feel
optimistic. It reminds me that people are not inherently bad. Perhaps people
are misled, confused, consumed by greed and the need for more, but the
potential to care for others is still there, and the ability to come together
as one prevails.
May Allah Almighty, most Glorious save us from selfishness
and guide us to understand that we do not need to compete with one another
because our sustenance and everything in our lives has already been written
down by Allah and will be given to us in due time. May Allah Most Glorious unite us and keep us firm in this unity.
A beautiful teaching of Islam is something to the effect
that if Allah wills something for us we will get it, even if the whole world
tries to prevent us from getting it, and if Allah does not will something for
us we will not get it, even if everyone comes together to try and give it to
us.
May Almighty Allah help us all, Inshaa-Allah!
Image 1 from here
Image 2 from here
PS: I hope that all the Muslims are having a wonderful Ramadhaan, and remember these first ten days are the days of mercy, so let us beg Almighty Allah for His mercy because ultimately it is only through Allah's immense mercy that we are able to do anything, be anything or get anywhere.
May Allah shower His abundant mercy on us all, Inshaa-Allah!
