Treating the Disease of Selfishness in Islam
Kaniz
Fatma, New Age Islam
03
Feb 2022
Respect
and Value Others to Avoid Falling Into The Selfishness Trap
Highlights
1. Selfishness is a disease that drives a man
to the verge of disaster, causing him to destroy both his world and his
afterlife.
2. When a person's mind is firmly convinced
that he is superior to others, he becomes a victim of selfishness and
arrogance, despising, and hating others.
3. The Quran gives the warning to recall your
reality and avoid falling into the trap of selfishness.
4. Responding to people's needs and treating
them with kindness are examples of behaviour that help people avoid becoming
selfish.
...
Allah
Almighty put the human soul to the test by giving it a tendency for
selfishness. Unless someone lives by the moral standards of the Qur'an and
tames his earthly desires, this feeling will come to govern his entire moral
framework. This type of person is more preoccupied with themselves than with
others. He is continually seeking the best, finest, and most faultless of
everything for himself. He merely wants material possessions and children, as
well as a happy life for his own family. In the face of difficulty, he will
urge everyone around him to risk and solve any problem for him, even if it
means sacrificing their own interests. He's worried about protecting his own
whims and interests, as well as his own ease and pleasure.
Selfishness
is a disease that drives a man to the verge of disaster, causing him to destroy
both his world and his afterlife. Man becomes content with his nafs when he is
selfish, and as a result of his satisfaction with himself, he develops many
flaws and ailments. A person usually becomes selfish as a result of his
activities. He believes that his willpower is involved in carrying out this
activity. That is to say, he attributes all positive things to himself, which
is simply ignorance. He forgets that not even a single leaf of a tree can be
moved without Allah's will in this cosmos.
We
rely on Allah so much that we can't even breathe without His permission. A
person can be affected by selfishness because of his attractiveness, strength,
intellect, and intelligence. When a person's mind is firmly convinced that he
is better than others, that he is superior, he becomes a victim of selfishness
and becomes arrogant, despising, and hating others. Such a person is mentally
unsatisfied and quickly descends into depression. If viewed from a worldly
perspective, selfishness causes a person to see others as inferior to himself
and himself as superior to others. Selfishness in religious things has much
more severe consequences.
Not
only does such a person believe himself to be superior to others, but he also
becomes a hypocrite. He begins to credit himself with all of his good fortunes.
The drawback is that man, fooled by his own desires, forgets his misdeeds and
conducts acts of worship as though he is doing Allah a favour. He then forgets
Allah's blessings, which include the power of worship that Allah has bestowed
upon him.
Allah
says in the Quran, “Those who avoid the cardinal sins and lewdness, except that
they approached it and refrained; indeed your Lord’s mercy is limitless; He
knows you very well – since He has created you from clay, and when you were
foetuses in your mothers’ wombs; therefore do not, on your own, claim
yourselves to be clean; He well knows who are pious.” (53:52)
This
verse advises you to praise and thank Allah instead of thinking of yourself as
virtuous and pious if you accomplish anything good. There's also a warning to
recall your reality and avoid falling into the trap of selfishness to the point
of despising others. Believers should be aware that Allah can see the true
reality of their lives and the lives of others.
Islam
cultivates a love of Allah, which is the only way to break the habit of
selfishness and acquire characteristics such as compassion, mercy, kindness,
helpfulness, and selflessness, which are at the heart of Quranic moral
principles.
People
who fear and love Allah are able to surrender to Him, see the best in
everything, and have compassion. Allah displays His love for believers who have
a selfless attitude and look after others in the following verses.
“They
fulfil their pledges and fear a day the evil of which is widespread. And out of
His love, they give food to the needy, the orphan and the prisoner. They say to
them, “We give you food, only for the sake of Allah – we do not seek any reward
or thanks from you.”Indeed we fear from our Lord a day which is extremely
bitter, most severe.” So Allah saved them from the evil of that day, and gave
them freshness and joy, and gave them Paradise and silk clothes, as a reward
for their patience.” (The Quran, 76:7-12)
Of
course, this may need people to give up things they enjoy or sacrifice their
personal comfort. The ethical ideals of the Qur'an confer moral attributes on
Muslims who aim to safeguard and watch over the poor by providing alms, helping
individuals in need by cancelling debts and spending their wealth on Allah's
cause rather than acquiring and hoarding them.
Responding
to people's needs and treating them with kindness are examples of behaviour
that help people avoid becoming selfish. Cruelty and selfishness can be
eradicated by empathising with others, showing kindness to those in need, and
treating others with respect and love. The following verses demonstrate that
the reward for good behaviour is found in Allah's presence:
“Worship
Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Be good to your parents and
relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to neighbours who are related
to you and neighbours who are not related to you, and to companions and
travellers and your slaves. Allah does not love anyone vain or boastful.”
(Qur’an, 4:36)
The
egotistical individual becomes consumed with self-praise. He views his opinion
to be definitive due to selfishness, and he does not seek counsel from others.
To put it another way, selfishness is a terrible disease that has resulted in
several disasters and calamities. We should all keep our egos in control. If
any sort of selfishness is discovered, we should seek treatment from a reformer
as soon as practicable, because sorrow will be invaluable on the Day of
Judgment. We should strive for self-improvement today and work hard because
every soul will have to face death at some point.
The
teachings of Islam encourage us to be modest and unselfish toward others, and
this is the most reliable way to bring harmony to society. Obviously, a person
who practises humility and modesty will not contract the disease of
selfishness. Unwanted remarks and nonsense will have no effect on him.
Similarly, a person who values others, respects others, and takes care of
others will naturally be free of the disease of selfishness, and good deeds
will follow.
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