Dark Side of Human Nature

We all see what we've lost, and eventually open our eyes to the little we've gained, has happiness become a forbidden fruit, or is our true goal to keep sorrow sustained, every smile simply a ruse, your eyes dart down after everything you say, sadly people in life are cruel, and will only attempt to confuse, drag you away from solace in subtle ways, treat your body like an old jacket, just something to be worn when needed, act as if your beautiful thoughts are merely an annoying racket, a noise of no importance, a voice worthy of being mistreated, they act as if they know not the effect of their actions, they ignore the miserable look on your face, approaching as if its okay, as if their insults are refundable transactions, knowingly attempting to label you as a disgrace, your tears are the sick payment they wish to receive, accepted behind the false pretense of friendship and trust, torn between lies, you know not how this life you should perceive, a majestic gemstone you are, one who people wish to rust, jealousy and envy compose the roots of this tree, a forbidden fruit everyone eats, but also one they deny to be.

CURFEW

My dear curfew,

Hi ! Where had you been all
these weeks. You left
us
in the month of February and
since then you did

not show up. It is good to see

you again. But
please
tell me, was it necessary to
have people
massacred
for your return. Was it
necessary to have an
innocent hanged for your
imposition. You could
have come without all this. No
one in the world
could dare to ask why you
came. India wears a
beautiful mask of democracy. No
one would
question your guardian, India,
for your uninvited
entry into # Kashmir. Please,
next time when you
feel nostalgic about Kashmir, do
not hesitate to
come. But please let people live.
Do not have
people killed for your entry.
Hope you will
understand and keep your
weapon AFSPA down.
Thank you,
Yours slavely, Awaam e Kashmir

HUMANS

So, what are human beings? Why does God care about them? They are in some ways like God himself, yet inferior, yet crowned by God himself with honor and glory. Humans are a paradox, a mystery—tainted with evil, and yet believing that they should behave morally. So corrupt in power, but yet having power over other living things. So far below God, and yet called honorable by God himself.

What are human beings? Scientists call us Homo sapiens, a member of the animal kingdom. Scripture calls us nephesh, a word that is also used for animals. We have spirit in us, just as animals have spirit in them. We are dust, and when we die, we return to the dust, just as animals do. Our anatomy and our physiology is like that of an animal.

But Scripture says that we are much more than animals. There is a spiritual aspect to human beings—and science cannot tell us about this spiritual part of life. Nor can philosophy; we cannot come up with reliable answers just by thinking about it. No, this part of our existence must be explained by revelation. Our Creator needs to tell us who we are, what we are supposed to do, and why he cares. We find answers in Scripture.

Genesis 1 tells us that God created all things: light and darkness, land and sea, sun and moon and stars. Pagans worshipped these things as gods, but the true God is so powerful that he can call them into existence just by speaking a word. They are totally under his control. Whether he did it in one day, six days, or six billion years is not nearly as important as the fact that he did it. He said it, it was done, and it was good.

As part of all creation, God also created humans, and Genesis tells us that we were created on the same day as the animals. The symbolism of this seems to say that we are in some respects like the animals. That much we can see for ourselves.

DAL LAKE

Body-Soul Conflict.........SPIRITUALITY

The idea which has influenced most the climate of philosophical and religious thought is that body and soul are mutually antagonistic, and can develop only at each other’s expense. For the soul, the body is a prison and the activities of daily life are the shackles which keep it in bondage and arrest its growth. This has inevitably led to the universe being divided into the spiritual and the secular.

Those who chose the secular path were convinced that they could not meet the demands of spirituality, and thus they led highly material and hedonistic lives. All spheres of worldly activity, whether social, political, economic or cultural, were deprived of the light of spirituality; injustice and tyranny were the result.

Conversely, those who wanted to tread the path of spiritual excellence came to see themselves as ‘noble outcasts’ from the world. They believed that it was impossible for spiritual growth to be compatible with a ‘normal’ life. In their view physical self-denial and mortification of the flesh were necessary for the development and perfection of the spirit. They invented spiritual exercises and ascetic practices which killed physical desires and dulled the body’s senses. They regarded forests, mountains and other solitary places as ideal for spiritual development because the hustle and bustle of life would interfere with their meditations. They could not conceive of spiritual development except through withdrawal from the world.

This conflict of body and soul resulted in the evolution of two different ideals for the perfection of man. One was that man should be surrounded by all possible material comforts and regards himself as nothing but an animal. Men learnt to fly like birds, swim like fish, run like horses and even terrorize and destroy like wolves but they did not learn how to live like noble human beings. The other was that the senses should be not only subdued and conquered but extra-sensory powers awakened and the limitations of the sensory world done away with. With these new conquests men would be able to hear distant voices like powerful wireless sets, see remote objects as one does with a telescope, and develop powers through which the mere touch of their hand or a passing glance would heal the un-healable.

The Islamic viewpoint differs radically from these approaches. According to Islam, God has appointed the human soul as His Khalifah (vicegerent) in this world. He has invested it with a certain authority, and given it certain responsibilities and obligations for the fulfillment of which He has endowed it with the best and most suitable physical frame. The body has been created with the sole object of allowing the soul to use it in the exercise of its authority and the fulfillment of its duties and responsibilities. The body is not a prison for the soul, but its workshop or factory; and if the soul is to grow and develop, it is only through this workshop. Consequently, this world is not a place of punishment in which the human soul unfortunately finds itself, but a field in which God has sent it to work and do its duty towards Him.

Therefore spiritual development should not take the form of a man turning away from this workshop and retreating into a corner. Rather, man should live and work in it, and give the best account of himself that he can. It is in the nature of an examination for him; every aspect and sphere of life is, as it were, a question paper: the home, the family, the neighborhood, the society, the market-place, the office, the factory, the school, the law courts, the police station, the parliament, the peace conference and the battlefield, all represent question papers which man has been called upon to answer. If he leaves most of the answer-book blank, he is bound to fail the examination. Success and development are only possible if man devotes his whole life to this examination and attempts to answer all the question papers he can.

Islam rejects and condemns the ascetic view of life, and proposes a set of methods and processes for the spiritual development of man, not outside this world but inside it. The real place for the growth of the spirit is in the midst of life and not in solitary places of spiritual hibernation.

This poem is not about you.

I was at the gate.

The view was spectacular.

“I can see it!” I said.“Can you see it?

” I said.You said,

“You read too much into things.”

I was at the gate.

My legs ached for that field.

“Let’s run!”

I said.You said,

“But we just got here.”

I limped to the pool of my longing.

I looked in and said,

“My left eye is dim.

My right foot is lame.

Look at me now.”

And She said to me,

“Believe what you see … and run.”                               SUHAIL JAN