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Is it really true? Have people become overly sensitive? Whatever the issue may be, whether it concerns the home or work, selecting a school for our children or about their future careers, about relatives or relationships between friends, whatever it may be, these days the traditional formula for deciding whether something is right or wrong has been rejected. Now it all comes down to ‘What will people say’? This sentence is heard everywhere and from everyone.
Whose fault is it? In our society, children, youth, women and men, even the leaders, advisers and ministers, all feel the effects of peer pressure. Is there really any truth to this or is this just an exaggerated feeling? Are we really so important that people have nothing else to do but be preoccupied with our affairs?
This society we live in, who created it? It has been created by you, me, all of us. Us! We are all so busy that we don’t have time to think about anybody else (so surely everyone else must be in the same situation). Others may be even busier than us. If that is so then those issues which preoccupy us, such as clothes, skin colour, status, wealth, poverty, all this is of no consequence. Rather all that matters is the work we do and the needs we have.
Do we have so much free time that we can sit and analyse other people’s wealth and belongings? Are we so shallow that we become depressed and envious when we see what others have? No, definitely not! At least that is not how it should be.
The Prophet Salallaahu alaihi was-sallam said: “Part of the perfection of someone’s Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” [Hadith hasan - Recorded by Tirmidhi]
If we had true understanding then instead of fearing people, we would fear Allah. We would fear the Creator rather than the creation. But being busy, modern, educated, liberal, selfish, insensitive people, we have never even tried to find out what the Creator of the universe, the Lord of the Alamin, The Most Merciful, The Most Forgiving One wants from us. He is the One who loves us more than 70 mothers, the One Who says ‘O My servant walk towards me and I will run towards you’, the Owner of the Heavens and the Earth, yet we ignore His requests.
These beautiful eyes with which you see, these ears with which you hear, this tongue with which you praise yourself, these hands and feet, this good looking face, this brain, this well-groomed body and then its needs – everything has been catered for. If He takes away even one of these Blessings then is there anyone who can provide an alternative or replacement? Of course not! There never was such a being who could do this, there isn’t and there never will be. Then why do we lack confidence? We do ask of our Lord humbly whilst weeping, but all we ask for are material things, not wisdom and understanding. When we get the things we want we count them miserly and hoard them. We lose confidence – in ourselves, in people, in Allah.
Let us promise, let us strive, and let us pray for sincerity and firm belief, so much so that even the angels say Ameen Let us ask our Lord for livelihood and understanding. Let us ask Him to make us thankful. Let us ask our Lord for honour in all situations and His pleasure. And let us stop asking ‘What will people say?’
Source: Tayyibaat magazine; translated by Umm Hammad
