Rebuilding A New World Together: In the Context of the Soul’s Natural State

The Joker from The Dark Knight had cut scars into his cheeks, so it gives the impression of someone who is always smiling.  Instead of asking, “why so serious?” it would be a better question, in light of the current global situation, as to, “why so selfish?” This is because those scars would not have been required with the greater presence of selflessness, as opposed to being a force embodying themes of chaos, anarchy and obsession.

Everyday people are enduring a financial crisis, mental health problems, lack of meaningful relationships, stress or just plain being selfish.  People feeling as though their livelihoods are being threatened.  People so painstakingly aggressive, that you continually feel as though you have to defend yourself.  This is even though wealth may be more abundant, meaningful relationships are on the decline.  We are also seeing the effects of social media which encourages the use of that platform. That gives rise to the presence of individuality instead of community.  

We must seek to resurrect values built on relationships and engage in practices that strengthen an ethical life. This could be in the form of solidarity, where we actively share our fate with other people. The dynamic of living in a world of wants and haves has to shift.  We see, we want, we crave.  Living in a material world has no end. A selfish desire is driven by materialism. 

How do we avoid the trap? Don’t be blind to notice those around you. People should be a priority over possessions. Engage in an act of kindness a day.  Make time for somebody.  Watch the miracle unfold.  Make that impact.  Build neighborly relations. It only takes a smile.

Moreover, if one begins to move towards the default “factory setting” in which all humans are created, the moral inclination is towards caring for others and doing good.  The primordial state dictates that the spiritual and moral are interconnected.  This is what accounts for our “moral conscience.”  If it is not corrupted, our moral conscience will be upset when we know we are doing something wrong.  So to exhibit manners and desire reciprocation is only the natural state of the soul.  A concern for entities other than self gives rise to divisiveness.  Such resentment becomes a form of hostility within our self and amongst others.  None else other than a merciless fracking. Everybody is now on the lookout of how it will benefit me? How one benefits has become a bedrock in our society. Social cohesion is vitiated by universal dumping.  The generational gap of being in this together and having a sense of community is now the notion of being at each other’s throats.  

The emergence of a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole is what part of socialism entails. Socialism assumes that the basic nature of people is cooperative. That nature hasn't yet emerged in full because capitalism or feudalism has forced people to be competitive. Therefore, a basic tenet of socialism is that the economic system must support this basic human nature for these qualities to emerge. It reduces the room made allowable for discrimination. 

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Righteousness is good character, while sin is that which agitates and disturbs your soul and you would hate others to uncover” (Sahih Muslim). The fitrah is like having an internal compass that always points in the direction of good works which bring us closer to God.

Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) writes, “Souls are naturally disposed (majbula) to love justice and its supporters, and to hate injustice and its supporters; this love, which is in the fitra, is what is meant for [justice] to be good.”  The moral values upon which we construct our lives stem from the intuitions which naturally arise in childhood and which are not stamped out by overriding sociocultural pressures.
Thus, it can be seen that a more meaningful life is comprised of ethical, spiritual, and intellectual processing functions by which the external reality is rendered meaningful, and life’s journey towards God is appropriately conceived. It is the natural and inherent needs—not wishes and desires—that are one’s true needs.

The paradox in generosity is when you give, is when you get. There is more to life than what you own and hold onto.  In giving there is receiving.  This reinforces that the universe is abundant, and you move yourself into a prosperous flow.  The best opportunities are the ones you create for others. We know that the state of a person in this world is temporary, and that the world was created in such a manner that there is enough for all to go around.  Let’s break this pattern.  We can do this.