Reflections

Allah has been kind enough to give a belief system to us and also He has taken upon himself to Preserve this system. Otherwise, we humans are known to mutilate anything that comes our way.


I recently emailed an excellent piece “ I am Liberated” to few friends which focused on hijab, freedom and a woman’s right to don the hijab. The responses I received for these made me realise that it is not humanly possible to have a non-biased view on any subject in this world, only the level or amount of bias changes. No one can say that he/she has a completely neutral, unaffected and balanced view on any subject under the sun. The simple reason for this is that, we all are products of our environment, upbringing, education, experience, exposure and thinking. This is further complicated by our emotions, sympathies and feelings. Whatever anyone is today, has to be a result of whatever has happened in the past and one cannot isolate oneself from such a proposition.


This past, which everyone has will create a belief system which will then be used to evaluate any subject. We know that the Americans believe in Freedom. freedom of speech, freedom of _expression, freedom of blah blah blah.... it is natural that whenever they look at any subject, their belief system is the active participant to this observation though one may not apply it consciously. We, who have been born and brought up in India and Muslim families also have such a system in place, though as educated and self professed modernists, we are less likely to acknowledge the same Even more difficult is the task of defining this system in real terms, as it only comes out whenever we react to a situation or impulse.


It is easy to see why the world has so many strong yet divergent views on many subjects. Why we can’t all agree on most things, why we cannot understand ‘Why that guy is doing this’.... Allah is great, HE has created a system which is forever churning and moving. Chaos is built into the system for change, upgradation and degradation. Some things which are so crystal clear to one is a complete mystery to another.


Hence it is very important to subscribe to a belief system or embrace a belief system. And in our case that belief system is ISLAM. Whenever our own views on a subject become obscured, we have something to refer to (unfortunately in their chase for Freedom, the westerners have lost this major advantage) ( then again, it is our belief that it is an advantage) And Allah swt has been kind enough to give this belief system to us and also HE has taken upon himself to PRESERVE this system by HIS Grace. Otherwise, we humans are known to mutilate anything that comes our way.


When we talk about ‘Freedom’ it is an expression of the self and the individual. This may or may not be necessarily rooted in an Ideological belief such as a particular religion. In this regard, we tend to look at our subscription to any form of ideology as a compromise of our right of freedom. The west today, as is generally perceived (obviously everything will have exceptions) , has championed the rights of individuals, based on a general understanding and agreement, of what comprises the best method of doing so. Hence it is our belief, that, unless we are able to practise to the fullest extent possible, the right to our own individual freedom, we are obviously not ‘free’.


Islam on the other hand is based on a completely different foundation, set of beliefs and practices, And in this case, adhering to, or following a commandment is not considered as a violation of individual freedom. On the other hand, it is considered as the highest expression of freedom. This, because it allows the individual (Who exercises his WILL) to choose between following his/her own heart’s desire and that which his/her Creator has ordained for him/her. This premise again, is rooted in the completely unshakeable Faith that, the world has been created by God and it is HE who has created mankind. HE has sent us onto this earth as a ‘Test’, and that ‘test’ is how we exercise our WILL to choose. The choices we make in this physical world and life, is the determining factor, of the result that we shall have to bear with for the ‘Rest of our Lives’ (the unending life after physical death).


Now, now, now, I have lost count of the number of times, I’ve had this discussion, with friends, relatives and any other interested soul (even Muslims themselves).... I have seen the incredulous look that they give me, after this is spoken, as if to say.... do you really believe in this... are you taking me for a fool or what, are we on the same planet, are we now talking in the same language, are we on the same topic????? ... and what not.....


And by now, I know this is exactly, how it sounds... but for all Believing Muslims, and societies, this is the Truth that they lead their lives by... believe me..


Then again, after hearing this, most people will stop talking on the subject. Because according to them, we are now talking of 2 different things, and the discussion on the Freedom and Hijab, now seem to stand in a totally different light.... it is exactly this situation that I am referring to, does not the freedom, that we so vehemently proclaim, allow another and parallel set of beliefs to co-exist, which for all practical purposes... are opposed to each other at the very Fundamental of Premise.


(The writer can be reached at sskhan@gawab.com)