I Promise...

A promise...

an interesting word, with multiple meanings. An individual can show promise, a person can promise something to another, another can promise to never do something again...

whatever the context, the underlying principle behind a promise is that of hope.

Perhaps that is why a promise is considered sacred? For, promises, words given to another with faith and hope behind them carry a great deal of weight. In my interpretation of Islam, a promise is an important thing. When you promise someone something you should do your very best to fulfill that. Because your promise is the hope that you give to that other person... regardless of whether they need that hope or not, by promising another, you become a conduit for hope.

But, where does it end? When I was far younger, I learnt that a close friend had been sexually abused by a family friend. I was devastated and I solemnly looked at the sky and promised God that if that individual who abused my friend got into heaven, then heaven was not a place where I wanted to be. The crazy words of a crazy child. Over the years my conception of heaven has changed as has my belief that looking skywards signifies a place where God is. However, if that promise had been about something else, should it "count"? Is it valid and legitimate?

At the time I made my vow, I meant it with every fibre of my being, It was so important to me that years later, I still remember where I was when I made the promise. Does meaning something at a certain point in time mean that you are bound by it? We all age, we all mature, we all grow older, and wiser with time. With these gifts given by aging, we also gain a disproportionate amount of hindsight. Being able to see where we went wrong, and things that we said at a certain point in time that may not hold as much weight as they do today, or they may hold even more weight.

A promise holds a great deal of weight and importance, but it does not encapsulate the most basic of human traits... dynamism. We do not stay the same, not for an hour, a minute or even a second. We are always changing, which means that a static promise cannot hold sway over our actions for an indefinite period of time.

Which leads to those promises that have to (ideally) hold for the rest of our lives, such as marriage and deep friendship. These relationships need to last, by their nature they negate the earlier statement regarding the importance of dynamism to human nature.

That is the most beautiful thing about human nature, it's contradictory manner.

Certain promises need to exceed a human being's ability to stay the same, because these promises, these relationships are bonds that exceed humanity.

I believe that bonds such as familial bonds, deep friendship and true love are bonds that are not created by us. They are bonds created by God. They are formed to last.

In the context of these bonds, a promise gains even more meaning. In this context a promise becomes something that can last "forever."

So, how do you know whether a promise you make today is one that is going to last or one that cannot last? Treat every promise as though it will last forever, and pray that it does. This, I can promise... is true.

Perfect Faith

Religion is an interesting phenomenon. I am an Isma'ili Muslim, a small community of interpretation in a wider Muslim Ummah, which in turn makes up the wider human race with a myriad of religions, faiths, belief systems and even the lack of any belief at all.

However, one aspect of religion, specifically Islam in general has always made me think about the purpose of religious belief... In Islam we believe that God has revealed His message to Mankind over several millenia, with each message successively bringing Mankind closer to the truth until finally Islam was revealed - the religion of submission, of peace, of tolerance. This is Islam... and when God revealed this faith to Mankind, He completed His favours upon Mankind as religion had finally been perfected in the form of Islam.

... Why perfect it?

That's the question that has stuck with me. Why make it perfect?

Mankind isn't perfect, we make mistakes all the time, we err, we correct some errors, we don't correct others. If it was so important to perfect faith, why is it so fragmented in the first place? Why do we have so many splits and divides in the interpretations of Islam if it was supposed to be perfect? Why are there so many religions in the world today if one is enough?

Many have argued that each interpretation of Islam is relevant and is correct, which is admirable. If this is the case however, why even create Islam in the first place? Why not stick to what was correct about the other faiths that were already extant at the time?

Faith and religion to me represent a pathway to moral behaviour for society and people... however if this was the only purpose for them there would be no reason to lay down hundreds of pathways. Most faiths have similar tenets and encourage people to be good, and often-times the definition of what is "good" is similar if not the same.

To me, this seems to imply that faith and religion occupy a position within the human psyche that extends beyond simple morality. They must have a role that extends beyond something as common as morality, to simply account for the differences in each faith. The more I think about it, the more I believe that religion is needed for people to experience God while alive.

What is the significance behind this? If God cannot be seen, only experienced, there must be different ways in which an individual can experience God. God is infinite and beyond infinite. This means that the number of pathways to reach God must likewise be infinite and beyond infinite. The experience of God is only limited by the experiencer's limitations.

Every faith in the world can lead one to God in some way, and this is the reason for perfection in faith.

Islam as it is practiced today in the world may not be perfect, but the underlying message is. The underlying message of deep submission, of peace, of giving up the very self... Because the self is the key that must be given up to open the door that is God. That's the perfection that needs to be shown to the world. That by it's very name, Islam gives one the answer to what to do to "find" God.

Where is the love?

If you look at many legends and myths that speak of the End of Mankind - many of them state that near the end we lose many things that are what make us human.

It is a bit scary when you contrast these things to our world today...

What are things that make us human? These 'things' are traits, values, actions and characteristics which require a sense of "humanity" to exist. Love, generosity, forgiveness, mercy, faith, charity, justice, patience, honour, etc... These are amongst the things that we need to be human, as they are what give us our humanity.

It saddens me when I look at the world (and to be honest at myself and those around me) where I see these traits losing their relevance. There was a time not too long ago when honour and modesty were amongst the most important traits one could exhibit. They were coveted and given a place of importance in society as those who were seen as being honourable were also those who were the wise, venerable members of society. Nowadays, the wise, venerable members of society are oftentimes relegated to nursing homes or long-term care facilities even when they really don't need to be.

Love is another interesting feature of humanity. When I think of love, I think of the love that existed hundreds if not thousands of years ago. I think of Romeo and Juliet, of Laila and Majnun, of Heer and Ranjha, of Radha and Krishna. I sadly don't see a similar comparison today. It feels as though the more technologically capable we become as a society, the less important emotions such as love become. I worry that the reason why I don't see the classic love story in today's society is not because these stories were fictitious to begin with, but because that calibre of love is simply not possible today... that is a scary and sad thought. If the greatest emotion we can exhibit is love (and I truly believe that statement to be correct), and gradually the love we have for each other is changing into a less cohesive emotion, then the logic indicates that human emotions in general are likely being sublimated by the human intellect. I see a society with more gadgets but less happiness. I see a civilization that has infinite potential and vast amounts of information but less knowledge and wisdom. I see a world filled with lust and greed but losing it's love... or maybe substituting that love for something that is more... convenient.

But, even after looking at the importance of love, the one characteristic that I feel we cannot lose at any cost is patience.

Surprising isn't it? I would have expected myself to say faith, especially considering how essential faith is to my life. The relevance of patience is seen in the story of Pandora's box - an ancient Greek myth where a "perfect woman" is created and given a final gift - a box - she is told to never open it, but her curiosity overcomes her and she opens the box only to let out all the ills that inflict mankind - disease, famine, greed, etc... However Pandora manages to shut the box before the final demon can escape - the demon of despondency, of hopelessness.

Patience is essential to our humanity, for patience is hope. When we are patient, we live expecting better things in the future. We are able to overcome the trials and tribulations of today believing in tomorrow bringing us something better. Now, I am not saying that all of our troubles will be solved by simply being patient, but I do believe that patience plays a key role in our ability to hope - and this hope leads us onwards. There are so many difficulties that face us in our lives, death, heartbreak, disability, pain, etc... yet all of these things can be remedied by one thing alone - time. How to get this time? ... By being patient, by having hope.

I want to hope, I want to believe in our humanity. I want mankind to overcome the trials and tribulations facing us as a species and as individuals. I pray that this hope, magnified many times over by all of you will help us find our tomorrow.

Ethical Decisions

One of the more difficult tasks we as human beings are given is the making of ethical decisions.

Is it better to hurt someone beloved now, or later? Is it best to grow in a selfish manner (albeit spiritually) or is it best to stay behind as a group? Which side is correct when looking at any problem or dilemma?

The answer depends on your perspective to a certain extent, but looking in further, these answers lie within a set of ideals.

Ethics are a set of ideals which form values. To my limited understanding, an ethical principle would be a higher order way of looking at the world. Now being a high-order perspective, ethical principles are not always used actively in the actual decision making process. Yes, an individual can rank ethical principles based on their own experiences, however a person is more likely to use their values to actually make decisions in their daily lives.

Values, to me, would be the manifestation of ethical principles. Values when grouped together within a framework, be it cultural, religious or otherwise form a phenomenon known as a value system.

Value systems and values are what allow us to use our logical, reasoning minds to make ethical decisions. If you really think about it, a logical entity would not necessarily care about ethical principles, unless these principles resulted in more benefit than harm. So, the way in which our logical minds interact with these principles are through values and value systems.

Being the manifestation of ethical principles, our values form the backbone of society in a lot of ways. When looking at what is valued in a given society, you have to take into account the history of the society, the identity of the society, choices made within the society and problems facing it. So, looking at the values of a society tells us more than simply the ethical ideals that society holds dear.

At the end though, ethical actions, values, value systems... they are different but they are all expressed in the same way. Through our daily lives, through every action we take.

Which is the best way - no one knows, all we can do is pray for guidance, and think on the problems that face us... and I believe that this is a part of the solution, for when we think on the problem, at least we are engaging our values, and this engagement is the purpose of having these values in the first place isn't it?

The soul

I've been thinking of what will happen after I die.

A grim thing for most people to think of, but it is something that any "spiritual" individual must try at least once.

I believe that I have a soul, that everything that exists actually has a soul, whatever the true definition of said "soul" may be. Furthermore, I believe that this soul that is contained within everything in creation is a gift from The Almighty, from God, from Allah. This gift of a soul is what links us to the eternal, what brings our present into the past and the future. However, when I think about it, I don't believe that Rahim Shivji will live forever in any way, shape or form. My identity, my sense of self, everything that is ME will only exist for as long as I am alive. It's a bit sad to think of, but each one of us is a unique piece of creation. From eternity until eternity, there will never be another me, there may be an individual with similar or even identical DNA, there may be individuals who look the same, who think in a similar manner, but there will never be a second me. This is because "I" am comprised of biological matter, ideas, thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and all of these things are multiplied in their complexity because every person who has interacted with me has contributed a small piece to who I am.

My soul is eternal, there is something within me that is pure, holy, and beautiful that will exist for all time... but my persona, is definitely not the same thing.

Now having said this, I do feel that the soul is definitely impacted and influenced by me. My actions play a role on my soul's existence, but what role could this possibly be?

I am unable to interact with my soul, my true interactions with the spiritual lie in meditation, prayer and thought, but physical interaction is impossible. However, I know that I will be held accountable for my actions during my life. There is to be a reckoning at some period in time with the All-Merciful, (see how I bring up the "Mercy" trait when I mention judgment? Well played Rahim). What will this judgment entail? How can my eternal soul be held accountable for these actions when said soul is not truly mine to begin with?

The soul doesn't belong to you... this is one reason why I chuckle whenever I hear or watch a story about someone "selling their soul." The notion is preposterous, how can you bring the esoteric to the material level in such a way... and how can you sell something that isn't yours?

Now I'm not sure how ownership of a soul would really work, but I do believe that I have no true claim over my soul. It is my humble opinion that the soul belongs only to God, and to God only will my soul one day return if that be His will.

When I die... I truly will be no more. I will cease to exist, because my "I" will only live as long as my thoughts, my ideas, my life.

So, here's to eternity... May it be blissful for all.

Suffering

Suffering?

When I think of the word, I think of hardships and pain and sorrow, but mostly I think of justice, or at least a lack thereof. I don't think very many things in all of creation deserve to suffer, regardless of how heinous one's actions, I personally don't feel that suffering is an appropriate punishment.

So, why does it happen? Why does God send suffering on mankind... and does God send this?

I have been thinking of this question, particularly after the horrific events that have happened in Japan this past week. When I think of the lives that have been lost and those that have been irrevocably changed, I wonder where the justice lies in all of this, because at the end God is just... and everything happens only with God's leave. How is it just for thousands of innocents to die, millions to suffer? The worst part about all of this is that the event that directly caused all of this was likely not caused by human activity... This is as close to a so-called "Act of God," as one can get.

I have no answers, only more questions - but I have been thinking on the nature of suffering.

There is a story told in many holy scriptures about Prophet Job, and the suffering he had to endure... and when he finally asks God, "WHY?" God asks him, "Where were you when I created the heavens, the earth and the stars?" I am paraphrasing so please don't quote that.

So, where were we? My belief is this. When God created what exists, I was a part of God... I was not a separate entity... this was my place. So how could I have suffered? Which leads to the crux of the problem. I don't think we truly understand what suffering is... Suffering of the material body is limited in time and in place, for regardless of the harm that has occurred, eventually time will heal it. I feel that what we experience as suffering in our material world is simply a part of our journey. Our spirit, that infinite link between our consciousness and the Divine needs to do certain things, experience certain things in order to truly understand it's own exalted status. This means that there must be suffering, there must be hardship. Without these 2 forges our spirit would never regain it's lost luster.

Additionally, I don't think any one truly understands why we are here, what we are here to do. Loss of life while being tragic and horrific is a natural aspect of life. Eventually all of us are destined to die, and how this occurs is not within our hands. This also means that life may not be what we think it is. What if this state of existence that I consider life is not the positive experience I expect it to be? What if in the final analysis, death is truly "life," and life as we know it is simply a shadow or a reflection of death?

It is possible that these are simply the wild musings of a bruised and hurt heart but I for one am not content with hypothesizing. At the end, what purpose is life if you do not know the purpose of life?

Why Tradition?

What place do Traditions have in our world, and why do we cling to these remnants of the past? Traditions serve as a link to our past, and this does go a long way towards explaining our attachment to them. A typical human being easily gets attached to almost anything - be it a blanket, a toy, a gadget, an individual, or even a ritual. We tend to hold on tightly to things we care for and mourn their departure. This is one of the biggest reasons why many people lament when a species goes extinct. Millions of species have died out forever over the course of the existence of life on Earth, however if we see a species die out that we have become familiar with, we really feel that loss on a personal level. This same principle can apply to death. In some way, when someone we know and love dies, we mourn for ourselves, for what we have lost, for the irrevocable change in our state that results.

Traditions are rituals, actions, beliefs that have persisted, and the slow loss of these from our world is something that should be mourned. However, many times, we do not perceive that these pieces of our past are in danger of being lost...

Why should we care? Traditions give us a sense of identity... yes, but so do many other things. I can identify myself as a user of an iPhone or an Android for example... but these "identifiers" serve only to further materialistic purposes. Oftentimes in our world today identity is tied to the material, to the possessions we have (or can potentially have). I dislike this greatly. For me identity is integrally tied to Tradition. Our Traditions give spiritual insight into ourselves. They provide an esoteric window through which we can view our present world. This is the true beauty of Tradition - not the preservation of the past (although this is a great role of Tradition), I would venture that the greatest relevance of Tradition in any time or place is the balance Tradition provides between the worldly and the spiritual.

The voice of Tradition is the past in the present, guiding the future.