Be of Benefit to Others
Only one who proves useful to others has a place in this world. An individual or group who has lost its capacity to benefit others has no place in this world of God.
Chapter 13 of the Quran has this to say: “He sends down water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing, each according to its measure. The torrent carries along swelling foam, akin to what rises from smelted ore from which man makes ornaments and tools. God thus depicts truth and falsehood. The scum is cast away, but whatever is of use to man remains behind. God thus speaks in parables.” (13:17)
The Creator of this world has established the system of this world on the principle of profitability. That is, whatever is beneficial for others should be retained and whatever is not beneficial for others should have no efficacy, and, in this way, it will be considered to be valueless, and cast aside just like garbage.
Profitability begins from the mind of the individual. That is, a person should be others’ well-wisher and while thinking of his own interest, he should be mindful of others’ interest as well. He should think in what ways he can be of use to others. So far as others are concerned, he should have feelings of sympathy rather than of disinterestedness.
Everyone leads his life in society. Everyone’s activities take place in some society. One who wants only to serve his own interests and engage in fulfilling his own personal demands goes against the plan of nature, and one who does so can never succeed in this world of God.
The right way for a person to build his life is to ensure that others also have a share in it. In terms of the system of nature, when he gains something, he should also see to it that others also have a share in it. His principles should be those of give and take, while benefiting himself from others he should also give benefit to others.
Through the events of nature, God shows symbolically what principles he has fixed for success and failure in life. One principle is that in this world only that individual can have a place who proves useful to others. The individual who, or the group which, has lost its capacity to benefit others has no place in this world. This principle applies to humans as well as to the rest of the universe created by God.
