The Second Forbidden Tree
Adam was the first man. After he was created, he was placed in paradise where he enjoyed all kinds of freedom. But in paradise there was one tree which was forbidden. Adam was told that he could live freely in paradise, but that he was not allowed to go to this forbidden tree that if he failed to obey the commandment, he would be expelled from paradise. In a similar way, there is also a forbidden tree in this world, and that is violence. Those who act with violence, shall have to pay a heavy price for this crime and that is, being barred from entering paradise. We learn from the Quran that when Adam and Eve were settled on earth, a tragedy took place in the very beginning. Two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, became involved in a confrontational situation, which ended with Cain killing Abel. Citing this incident as a bad precedent, God made the following revelation:
“That was why we laid it down for the children of Israel that whoever killed a human being ---except as a punishment for murder or for spreading corruption in the land---shall be regarded as having killed all mankind, and that whoever saved a human life shall be regarded as having saved all mankind” (5:32). Such strong words have not been revealed for any other crime in the Quran. This shows that the gravest crime in the eyes of God is one man taking the life of another. The only exception in this matter is for a court or other authorized body under an established government, when it enforces the rule of justice. There is no exception to this rule for the common man.
This strict forbidding of violence is essential, because violence goes against the natural system. The natural system established by the Creator is one according to which every man and woman receives the full opportunity to work in freedom. But violence and aggression disturbs this whole natural system. Violence is an intervention in the natural system of the Creator. And, without doubt, such an intervention is a very serious crime.
How can we bring about an environment free from violence and aggression in this world? The answer is only one---the God-fearing have to bear the responsibility of exercising patience unilaterally: even if they are provoked, or are subjected to violence, they must not retaliate. It is only exercising such restraint that a world free from violence can be brought into existence. The perfect example of unilateral patience in the face of violence is given by Abel, the son of Adam, in his response to his brother Cain: “If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of the Universe.”(5:28)
According to a Hadith, the Prophet of Islam observed: “In later times political corruption will set in, but you must never engage in confrontation with your rulers. One of his companions asked, ‘If they come to our homes to kill us what shall we do?’ The Prophet replied: ‘Be the better son of Adam’, that is, don’t kill others, even when they attempt to kill you. (Sunan Abi Dawood, Hadith No 4259)
There are two kinds of violence, the one passive, the other active. Passive violence is evinced in your hatred for others, and calling them oppressors. Active violence is not just your calling them oppressors but also engaging in aggressive actions against them. Both these forms are sinful to the same degree: whatever the kind of violence you opt for, you will be held guilty of eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. Both kinds of violence only appear to be different: in reality, there is no difference between the two.
Forgetting the Past
The Quran attaches great importance to forgiveness. It states: “Whoever is patient and forgiving, acts with great courage and resolution.” (42:43) What is forgiveness? It means forgetting the past and eschewing negativity. Remembering whatever happened in the past means keeping alive the bitterness felt about past events. This is against Islam as well as against reason.
Muslims are engaged in present times in violent activities at different places, but despite repeated sacrifices, they have failed to achieve the desired result. Such failure has not, however, deterred them from further violence.
What is the reason for this? It lies in their reluctance to forget the bitter memories of the past. These Muslims keep talking and writing about past happenings and that is why their feelings are constantly ruffled.
This runs counter both to Islam and to human reason. These Muslims should feel duty- bound to try to forget these negative events entirely. They should leave their that to God. In this way they will be enabled to think realistically about their affairs and plan their actions in a far better and result-oriented way.
Chapter 2 of the Quran tells us of the way of God for man. It reads: “ We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives and crops. Give good news to those who endure with fortitude, who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return,’ They are the ones who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord: it is they who are on the right path!” (2:155-57)
The system of the present world is designed in such a way that here man suffers all kinds of losses. These losses are apparently occasioned by the wrongdoings of others. That is why it generally happens that those afflicted by loss hold some person or group responsible and then make them the objects of their hatred. This hatred sometimes escalates into violence. But such thinking is against the way of God, that is why violence born of hatred does not yield any positive result to the perpetrator.
The right way to deal with this situation is not to lay the blame for loss at the door of others. Instead, one should engage in introspection. When reflecting upon the losses of this world, the Hereafter must also be remembered. Indeed, these losses should be taken as a divine warning and an attempt should be made to reform oneself. If such losses are seen and accepted as parts of the system of nature established by God Himself, then positive thinking will ensue. Man will be saved from falling a prey to frustration because of any adversity he suffers, and he will plan his future anew, learning lessons from past events instead of becoming embittered by them.
Everyone may be born to die, but it is a must for the living to keep thoughts of death in abeyance. Every gain at some time or the other turns into loss. In such matters it is necessary for man to forget whatever has been lost, just as he keeps thoughts of the dead out of his mind.
This is no simple matter. It is a fact that when one thing is lost, hundreds and thousands of things are still available to man. In such a situation, man pays a very heavy price for not forgetting what is lost: that is, he is deprived of the true feeling of gratitude. He tends to forget that sorrowing for what is lost is responsible for depriving him of true gratitude for the things he already has. By giving importance to the small loss of this world we run the risk of incurring a very great loss in the Hereafter. By allowing temporary loss to suppress all feelings of gratitude, we risk eternal loss. And, no believer can possibly afford to adopt this counterproductive attitude.
Living in God
The case of Muslims in present times is that, while believing in God, they have allowed their focus upon Him to become diminished. This is the sole reason for Muslims suffering from negative thinking. This is so common in Muslims of the present day, that we can hardly find an exception, whether among men or among women. Their writing and speeches are all expressions of negative thinking.
What is the reason for this negative train of thought? In actual fact, it is the result of some grievance. Every Muslim harbours some grievance against someone or the other. Some have usurped their land, others have attacked their country, yet others have made derogatory remarks on Islam, someone has denied justice to them, others try to discriminate against them, etc. Today all the Muslims give voice to such complaints. It is their grievance which has turned almost every Muslim negative. But negative thinking should be seen in the context of making something other than God one’s main concern.
Finding God is to find the greatest thing. One who has discovered God becomes so highly elevated in his thinking that all else pales into insignificance. Finding or losing something material is of no consequence. He starts living by the maxim: you can take away from me whatever you want, but you cannot take away God.
This attitude turns a believer into a positive thinker to the ultimate extent. He harbours not even one iota of hatred for anyone, nor does he fall a prey to despair or frustration.
Do not waste time
What is the reason for man coming to the world? Has he come here to establish the rule of his choice on earth? No, He has come here to develop himself according to the will of the Lord. Man has been granted a very limited period of time in this world, during which engaging in anything which is of no avail in the Hereafter is to destroy oneself forever. Only that person will be held successful after death who has developed his personality in accordance with the will of the Lord.
What does God desire from us? A region like Kashmir provides a living example. The flowing springs in the valley of Kashmir clearly testify to what our Lord approves of and likes. The verdure of the trees tells us in silent language what pleases the Creator. The birds flying in the air sing the praises of Almighty God. The beautiful mountains echo the songs dear to the Creator. The entire captivating environment reflects glimpses of God’s glory. The various beautiful aspects of Kashmir are like the words used by the Creator in the language of creation. Indeed, in the environs of Kashmir, man experiences the proximity of his Lord.
Everyone born in the land of Kashmir is duty-bound to read this living book of God and build his life accordingly. Those who fail to do so will face such consequence after death that they will suffer remorse for all eternity. In sheer desperation they will say: “Mine was a case of missed opportunities!”
The only task for man to perform in this world is to develop a heavenly personality, one which is fit to be lodged in Paradise, so that he may gain entrance to the eternal Paradise in the Hereafter. The present world is not meant for building a paradise: it is meant rather for building a heavenly personality. In this world, the building of a heavenly personality is the work to which man must devote himself. The Quran says: “It is for the like of this that all should strive.”(37:61)
