SPIRIT OF ISLAM MAY 2O18

16 Spirit of Islam Issue 65 May 2018 leaves you free to do whatever you want to do. However, when you are living in society, you have to give leeway to others. Self-control leads to a better society, while lack of self-control leads to the destruction of peace. Identifying a friend in a stranger : All human beings have common ancestors—Adam and Eve. This makes the whole of humanity a single family. It is only distance that makes a person a stranger. Be a true friend to others and you will realize that they will treat you in the same way. The only condition is that you should be selfless and sincere in extending the hand of friendship. Develop genuine love for others in your heart and then others cannot but love you in return. Do not provoke : Refrain from hurting the ego of another person and you will also be safe from his retaliation. One who sedulously adheres to this principle will not face violence from others. Violence breeds violence and peace breeds peace. Build a reputation which is based on your actual deeds. Reputation represents your external personality while a sense of honour is your own inner perception of yourself. The sense of honour is like self-praise, that is, believing certain things about yourself without taking into account what others think about you. For instance, a superiority complex about yourself is living in a sense of honour. Being a modest member of society and considering yourself equal to the others, is the real virtue which builds a reputation of being a good member of society. The higher aim should be to live as a ‘giver’ member of society or the least you should aim for is to be a no-problem person in society. If you do not adopt any of these two ways then you are ‘the foam’ or ‘the scum’ in the parable given in the above Quranic verse. o The higher aim should be to live as a ‘giver’ member of society or the least you should aim for is to be a no-problem person in society. Spirituality is a State of Mind Discovery plus contemplation is spirituality. For this one needs to prepare one’s mind to be objective and train oneself not to take offence.