Who do you want to be?

I wrote the input “Humans” earlier, about how we often judge people and things based on general ideas. This input is a bit of an extension as I will look more into how human character works…

Humans tend to judge something by the fortune or misfortune of themselves or others. If something has gone positively for ourselves, we give ourselves credit, (and in the processs, many people forget to thank our true Benefactor). On the other hand, if something has gone badly, humans are far too quick to put the blame on someone or something else for it…

سورة هود ١٠-٩
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَاءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ عَنِّي ۚ إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ

Surah Hud 9-10
If We give man a taste of Mercy from Ourselves, and then withdraw it from him, behold! he is in despair and (falls into) blasphemy.
But if We give him a taste of (Our) favours after adversity hath touched him, he is sure to say, “All evil has departed from me:” Behold! he falls into exultation and pride.

To be in an emotionally “stronger” or “better” position builds confidence, whether it is caused by patting ourselves on the back, or to direct the blame or guilt on to someone else. But pride is affected. Here is where a person should be more cautious, because as our pride grows, it just makes us more blind… we lose the sight of clarity and the path of right conduct…

سورة لقمان ١٩-١٨
وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ
وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ

سورة فصلت ٣٥-٣٤
وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ

سورة الأعراف ١٤٦
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ

سورة الأنعام ١٦٥
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Surah Luqman 31:18-19
“And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster.
“And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass.”

Surah Fussilat 41:34-35
Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!
And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.

Surah Al-A’raaf 7:146
Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right – them will I turn away from My signs: Even if they see all the signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way; but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will adopt. For they have rejected our signs, and failed to take warning from them.

Surah Al-An’aam 6:165
It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: for thy Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

With all this in mind, we should always try to see the world through ourselves first. We should remind ourselves of what we really are… and that there is no human being on this Earth that is perfect by any means… and most of all, that we can learn something about ourselves through our dealings with others. Who are we? And who do we want to be?

سورة الأحزاب ٧١-٧٠
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:70-71
O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right:
That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins

There is a saying that is always worth to keep in mind: if you want to change the world… start with yourself.
In the words of Gandalf the wise… “Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. […] All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us”.

I hope you found this an inspiring input that brought something to consider.

The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.