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Article appeared Friday, October 14th, 2011 in The News Today,
Bangladesh
The Revelation (199) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD
Do the words we speak and actions we do match?That is, do we do
what we sayand do wesay what we do?Many thinkers and writers in our
history have tried to bring to light thisdichotomyin our nature.
Some have left behind words of wisdom to help us come
face-to-facewith this hypocrisy. H. Jackson Brown (b. 1940), an
American author, best known for hiscollection of quotes, quotes in
his booklet titled P.S. I love you:
Your religion is what you do when the sermon is over.{1}
The following two quotes from Rev. Theodore Martin Hesburgh (b.
1917), the longest servingPresident of the University of Notre
Dame, speak of two ingrained hypocrisies in our nature:
Education is the only thing people are willing to pay forand not
get. {2}
All of us are experts atpracticing virtue at a distance.{1}
The question we need to confront is do our personal intentions,
actions and activities matchwith the education we receive, i.e.
what we study and say?Does education help us weighour personal
actions?This question applies equally to the relationship with our
Creator as itdoes to every other aspect of our life. For example,
when in trouble, we seriously pray to ourCreator in a variety of
ways. However, eventually when our Creator blesses and solves
theproblem, what is our response? Do we evaluate our responses?Our
Creator actuallyenlightens us as to our response in the most recent
Revelation, the Quran:
When We give him a taste of some mercy from Ourselves after some
adversity hastouched him he is sure to say "This is due to my
(merit): I think not that the Hour (ofJudgment) will (ever) be
established; but if I am brought back to my Lord I have (much)good
(stored) in His sight!"But We will show the Unbelievers the truth
of all that they didand We shall give them the taste of a severe
Penalty. [41.50]
As given in Verse 41.50, our responses may be classified as:1.
ungratefulness;2. praising ourselves in place of our Creator;3.
feeling that we deserve the blessing;4. ignoring accountability;5.
feeling pride as great human beings and6. feeling that we would be
honored by our Creatorifthere is a Day of Judgment!
If we say we believe in the Creator and have prayed to Him, are
any of the responses abovejustified?This blatant injustice,
hypocrisy or dichotomy is again brought to our notice in
thesubsequent Verse:
When We bestow favors on man he turns away and gets himself
remote on his side
(instead of coming nearer to Us); and when Evil seizes him (he
comes to Us) full ofprolonged prayer! [41.51]
Whereas the purpose of being created and purpose of being
educated is clearly stated as:O people! Adore your Guardian-Lord
who created you and those who came before youthat you may have the
chance to learn righteousness. [2.21]
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In the following Verse, our Creator asks us to consider another
example of our hypocriticalnature:
4.77 Have you not turned your vision to those who were told to
hold back theirhands (from fight) but establish regular prayers and
spend in regular charity?When (at length) the order for fighting
was issued to them behold! A section ofthem feared men as oreven
more than they should have feared Allah: they say:"Our Lord! Why
have You ordered us to fight? Would You not grant us respite toour
(natural) term?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world: the
Hereafter isthe best for those who do right: never will you be
dealt with unjustly in the veryleast!When ordered by a Commanding
Officer (CO), soldiers go into battle withoutquestion. Thesoldiers
are obedient and often fear the CO. Dying in the battle field
following orders isconsidered an honor by many. However, when
ordered by our Creator to go to battle, they notonly fear the enemy
more than the Creator, they have the audacity to question the
Creator!! Inthe above Verse, those ordered to fight would rather
live out theirnatural term on earth thanface the enemy and die at
their hands. In the subsequent Verse therefore, our Creator
explains
the phenomenon of death. Would it not be an honor to die while
following the Creators Orders?
4.78 "Wherever you are, death will find you even if you are in
towers built upstrong and high!" If some good befalls them they say
"This is from Allah"; but ifevil they say "this is from you" (O
Prophet). Say: "All things are from Allah. Butwhat has come to
these people that they fail to understand a single fact?Arrival of
the time of death is exclusively in the Hands of our Creator and
only signalscompletion of an individuals pre-determined time on
earth. No one can hide from death! Eachdecision is in the Hands of
our Creator would we rather not attempt to please our Creator,
theONE who is going to take our life in any case?
To Allah belongs the unseen (secrets) of the heavens and the
earth and to Him goesback every affair (for decision): then worship
Him (alone) andput your trust in Him:
and your Lord is not unmindful of any (little) thing that you do
(to please Him). [11.123]
4.79 Whatever good (O man!) happens to you is from Allah; but
whatever evilhappens to you is from your (own) soul. And We have
sent you (O Muhammad) asan Apostle to (instruct) mankind: and
enough is Allah for a witness.Our Creator has sent us to earth to
learn righteousness or goodness it is we who earn evil byour
actions that support disbelief.
4.80 He who obeys the Apostle obeys Allah: but if any turn away
We have notsent you to watch over their (evil deeds).
4.81 They have "Obedience" on their lips; but when they leave
you a section ofthem meditate all night on things very different
from what you tell them but Allahrecords their nightly (plots): so
keep clear of them and put your trust in Allah;and enough is Allah
as a Disposer of affairs.----{Notes}:{1}
http://www.quotegarden.com/hypocrisy.html{2}
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Hesburgh
