Safi Abdi Posted June 10, 2006 How to Treat a Hate-Foster and transform him into the Planet's Happy Conciliator. A follow up to: Are you a Hate-Foster…or a Reconciler? In the introduction to that post, I asked the following: Do you get a kick out of hating humans? Or are you the type of person who would nib the urge to hate at the bud and get on with life, even when angry? Are you in the habit of nursing ill-feelings against others until it becomes humanly impossible to retract from your stance? Or would you rather look yourself in the mirror and say, Look, it's OK to let go of my rage. I may be angry at so and so's doings or at such and such, but I don't have to hate them. After taking the reader through the symptoms and the kind of evils that can set in the personality if hate is fostered and allowed to prosper. The article closed on a positive note, offering remedy to the sufferer and hope to society. If you haven't read the previous article (Are you a Hate-Foster;or a Reconciler?) please do so now before proceeding with this one. Here's the link: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=12449 Now is there really a way out for the Hate-Foster? Can he be persuaded to change his stance? And what steps must be taken to ensure that he doesn't infect the environment and those around him? The answer is, yes, there indeed is a way out for the Hate-Foster. A reader gave me a catch phrase when she said: Kill the Hate-Foster with Kindness. And that's exactly what this sequel is all about. So we are on a mission here and we are about to kill hate with kindness. We are about to embark on the wing of an olive branch and we are about to fly back back in time to pay a well needed visit to the world's greatest Teacher. A universal teacher whose life transactions are not only ignored by the vast majority of his adherents, but one whose inspiring persona has yet to dawn on the lives of billions of challenged people around the globe. And it's from his wisdom, leniency and gentleness that we are going to seek our cure. Nine things the Lord hath commanded me: fear of Allah in private and in public; justice, whether in anger or in calmness; moderation in both poverty and affluence; that I should join hands with those who break away from me; and give to those who deprive me; and forgive those who wrong me; and that my silence should be meditation; and my words be remembrance of Allah; and my vision be keen observation. He also said: "Allah is gentle and loves gentleness" "A believer is gentle and friendly." "Make it easy, not difficult, for others." "This religion is of an easy nature. Anyone who pulls hard against it shall be the loser." "A rider driving hard neither reaches his destination nor keeps his transport." "May Allah have mercy on any person who is tolerant when he buys, sells and asks for his rights." "A believer gets on well with others and is easy to get on well with." "The type of man Allah dislikes most is the quarrelsome one who does not budge." The era in which God chose to usher this gentle light into the spotlight were not helpful times. People were not only ignorant of the true nature of the Divine, they were plain rough; given to senseless strife and rivalry. Prior to Muhammad's prophet-hood, it was said, a tribal warfare ignited over a she-camel, and this fight continued for about a hundred years! So you can imagine just how rough things were. Add to this, the kind of mentality rampant at that time, general ignorance and illiteracy a handful people could read or write. So no help from books either. Notwithstanding the material gains and hi-tech innovations, humanity is once again on the brink of a great disaster: spiritual darkness, senseless violence, misunderstanding and deep distrust of the other have become the order of the day. These are strange times, and if God's gift to humanity is ignored and thrashed by ignorance then woe to humankind. If his healing was needed then to straighten out the crooked, that therapy is exactly what's needed today to treat our ailing world. If his calm, gentleness and wisdom were ingredients that were needed to bring the warring tribesmen of those times to one loving brotherhood, his gentleness, tolerance and wisdom are exactly what we need to heal our world and bring humankind back to their humanity, and ultimately back to their Lord. O you frenzied Muslims…drop dead in your tracks, and pay attention to your prophet's teachings: 'A man cannot be a Muslim till his heart and tongue are so.' 'He is not strong and powerful who throweth people down; but he is strong who witholdeth himself from anger.' 'No person hath drunk a better draught than that of anger which he hath swallowed for God's sake.' It is related that at the time of the prophet Muhammad there lived a certain old woman in the city of Medina who used to harass the prophet by throwing garbage on him. The prophet would simply shrug it off and pass on his way. One day, the old woman falls sick and is prevented by her illness from her customary persecution of the prophet.Did he throw curses after the woman? No, Muhammad heads to the woman's house to inquire after his harasser's wellbeing, offers his sympathies and asks the woman if there was anything he could do to help her! Now that's what I call killing with kindness! 'The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.' Says Muhammad's Teacher in His Final Message to humanity. 'Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend.' (Qur'an: chapter 41 Verse 34) Not only did the prophet Muhammad practice patience, self-control and love and care for our follow man, he inculcated in his students and companions methods and ways of overcoming negative emotions. Once a man was about to enter the prophet's assembly, the prophet pointed to the approaching man as a man of Paradise: One of the prophet's companions became curious and wanted to know more about the new comer's spiritual condition. To study the man of Paradise more closely he invited himself to the man's house and stayed with him as a guest for three days. To his surprise, the companion found nothing in the man that would place him above your ordinary guy. So after the three days had passed, the guest asks his host about the secret behind the latter's status. The man could not put his finger on anything except that he was in the habit of forgiving people every night before he went to sleep. All you grudge-bearers...listen, listen, and again listen, forgiveness is the key to your well-ness, forgive, and even paradise will be at your feet. A true believer is one with whom others feel secure. One who returns love for hatred. Many a grudge-bearer might be in the mistaken notion that he is serving Allah, but that's not what Allah said: 'And the servants of ((Allah)) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, Peace!' (Quran: Chapter 25: Verse 63). And who truly are the real believers, if we may ask? 'Those who avoid the greater crimes and shameful deeds, and, when they are angry even then forgive;' (Qur'an: Chapter: #42, Verse #37). 'Believers, never let the hatred of a people toward you move you to commit injustice.' (Qur'an Chapter 5: Verse 8) It is related that a man asked the Prophet for advise, Prophet said, 'Do not become angry and furious.' The man asked (the same) again and again, and prophet repeats the same, 'Do not become angry and furious.' Now what advice would Muhammad give to the angry who are making our lives a living hell? 'Sit down!' if still untreated, 'Lie down! Once a Bedouin came to the prophet's mosque, found himself a place and started to urinate in the holy place…People were aghast and were about to hurl themselves at the man… Now what did Muhammad (sa)do? First, he told the well meaning folks to hold their horese, secondly, he allowed the urinating man to finish his business, thirdly, he simply cleaned after the man! 'God is mild, and is fond of mildness,' Muhammad (sa) taught his students, 'and he giveth to the mild what he doth not to the harsh.' 'The most excellent Jihad, Muhammad (sa)taught, 'is that for the conquest of self.' '' Nine things the Lord hath commanded me: Fear of Allah in private and in public; justice, whether in anger or in calmness; moderation in both poverty and affluence; that I should join hands with those who break away from me; and give to those who deprive me; and forgive those who wrong me; and that my silence should be meditation; and my words be remembrance of Allah; and my vision be keen observation.' ----------------------------------------------------- Copyright © Safi Abdi, 2006, all rights reserved. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jamster Posted June 11, 2006 Good read indeed. All of us to head to this Insha Allah. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
