Dr Wasim Ahmad
Department Head of Islamic Studies
Preston University Ajman
Wanted to ask a question. How much do we feel connected with everything and everyone around us? When we walk on the streets and a lot many strangers of various faiths, cultures and colors etc pass by us what do we feel about them? Do we feel some kind of connection with them or we feel aloof and not at all related with them?
There is one more question. How did the Benefactor of Humanity (pbuh) feel about his whole environment? I don’t think he felt alienated with anything around him. I don’t think he ever thought that a particular thing or creation wasn’t his concern. He took himself as a part of a big whole. He was mercy for the entire mankind. And Islam is a religion of common humanity.
We need to imbibe the same spirit. Rather concern. We need to stop thinking in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’. We are not aliens. I agree with Shaheer A Mirza Saheb. For slightly different reasons, though. When I talked about our contribution to the Copenhagen Summit it was for searching for a concern. Because it is expected from the upholders of the Faith the most. No other reasons.
What difference this connectedness makes? It does and will alter the entire perspective and change the way we look at things and people(s). Those whom we might be looking at as adversaries will turn out to be something else as did Banu Thaqeef of Taa’if, ultimately. They couldn’t have done so without the concern. They wouldn’t have survived in the first place.
qatrah daryaa meiN jo mil jaa’ey to daryaa ho jaa’ey
kaam achhaa hai woh jis kaa ke ma’aal achhaa hai
(Ghalib)