To be loved and cared is the basic need of all human beings.
In fact it is the basic right of one’s spiritual self and it gives satisfaction.
If man is not given his basic physical needs such as food, shelter, clothing and others,
he will suffer hardship but the hardship would not drive him crazy, make him commit suicide or kill others.
Seldom has this happened that the poor suffers mental disorder, commits suicide or resort to killing others.
But if the basic rights of one’s spiritual self is not fulfilled,
one will be spiritually impoverished and his soul would suffer.
Consequently this could lead one to suffer mental breakdown, commit suicide or kill others.
We frequently hear that children who do not get the proper attention from their parents would run away from home.
Husbands who were not entertained at home would become wild.
Wives who do not get their needed love become anguish and hostile.
The poor who hate the rich would bear malice and would even commit theft and murder.
Various kinds of societal problems would emerge if the soul is not properly managed.
If man feels he is loved, that is his need is being satisfied,
then his soul is cured until he feels strong, healthy and energetic.
He feels glad and is full of joy and happiness.
He gains an inner strength to work, study, struggle, perform tasks and others.
Indeed this would be so if the soul is strong and strengthened as the basic spiritual need is nourished.
It means that love and care from others is a supplement to the soul.
It strengthens the soul to motivate the physical to work.
A strong soul will motivate and drives the human organs to work.
On the other hand, a man with a weak soul due to the deprivation of the basic spiritual nutrition,
will be tired, listless and lonesome.
He is easily disillusioned, frustrated and disappointed.
He is like a balloon with insufficient air in it, lacks energy and power to float in the sky.
Such would be a man who possesses weak soul.
He lacks the strength that could initiate his physical parts, to be dynamic and energetic.
He is like an ailing man, too weak and feeble to face problems in life.
To look into this problem realistically, let us make a comparison between a family with all its members loving each other and a family with all its members having indifferent attitudes.
Would the situation in their life be different?
Of course the answer will be different.
The home full of love and care will be coloured with happiness, joy and beauty.
The life of each family members will be well organized and well disciplined.
Everyone performs his or her responsibility spiritedly and effectively.
We would feel comfortable in the company of such a home.
While in a home without love and care, the situation is apparently messy with crisis as well as with dispute and quarrel.
The situation looks listless, bored and disorganized.
It lacks a proper system and with each family member seems to work individually and no cooperation in building a happy family.
We would be uncomfortable in such homes.
The same situation applies in the office, factory, school, village, state, nation and the entire world.
Life would surely be different in a country where all the people shower love on each other to that of a country where its people hated each other.
Therefore, it is vital that we strive to be loved and at the same time love others.
If we are children, try to get the love of our parents.
If we were parents, make sure that our children love us.
Only then there exist in a home where parents love their children and the children love their parents.
Again, if we are the husbands, we must make the effort so that our wives love us.
If we are the wives, we must make the effort so that our husbands love us.
If we are school teachers, we should attempt to get the love of our students and in return the students must attempt to love their teachers.
Leaders must attempt to make their followers love them while followers must find ways to make their leaders love them.
In a village or a country where the society is poly-ethnic, each ethnic group must attempt to get the love of other ethnic groups so that there will be national unity and peace.
When there is an effort by both parties to fulfill the instinctive needs, in both directions, then everybody would taste happiness and contentment in life.
With that will emerge a sense of togetherness and an attitude to co-operate with one another.
Hence, a secured society and civilization would then be established. insya-allah (God willing).
A true caring society surely would be most forgiving if there are faults and mistakes among members.
Each mistake will not be exaggerated and inflated.
Neither would it be a problem.
Everybody would be tolerant and there will be a lot of give and take.
In fact, each member would be even willing to sacrifice his personal interest for the sake of others.
Within such a society, crisis and animosity would be kept to minimum.
Societal illness such as malice, suppression, backstabbing, fraud, cruelty, prejudice, quarrelsome, war and so on could be overcome or at least it would rarely occur.
All these are due to the existence of love and care.
This is a peaceful, prosperous and harmonious society that we have discussed and dreamed of. In the Quran, ALLAH says:
“‘A territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving. ”
(Sura Saba’: 15)
This is the state of the world that could be called a paradise- that is a transitory paradise (called the Al-Jannatul Ajilah).
If man succeeds in building paradise in this world, there would be an opportunity for him to strive for the real Paradise after his death.
However, to strive for that Paradise is more difficult.
Nevertheless, if one could not even achieve this transitory Paradise, there is no hope for him to get that real Paradise in the world Hereafter.
So, let us think and strive to achieve this transitory paradise first.
Truly, the world today is not yet a transitory paradise but it is more of a hell.
Today’s world is filled with tales of war, murder, aggression, suppression, cruelty, ill-deeds, immorality and vice.
Goodness is minimal, love and care is almost non-existence, whilst justice, peace, security and happiness have become oblivious.
This is not called paradise.
Man’s soul suffers because it is not given its nutrition.
But if only the physical poverty is being the concern while impoverishment of the soul is not solved, life will be lopsided.
The physical and spiritual no longer coincide or parallel each other.
On the surface they are interacting and they live together in one society,
but their hearts are empty, disunited and prejudiced, harbor spite, full of malice, hatred, stinginess and others.
In the Holy Quran, it is stated:
“Thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided. ”
(Sura Al-Hashr: 14)
People work but in a condition of force;
they interact and smile involuntarily, work involuntarily, obey instruction involuntarily.
Eventually there emerges a society where life is full of hypocrisy as a result of a diseased heart which has infected the social life.
When people work under pressure, the fruits of labour would be futile.
Development and success is just empty rhetoric.
Everybody thinks about their own self interests which are limitless until the people and society are neglected without due attention and care.
This is what is happening now.
Realizing this fact, let us struggle and sacrifice to redevelop a life of love and care.
Let us ponder why people do not love us and why we also do not love others.
Why others are angry at us and we are angry at others?
How and what must be done so that others can love us and we also can love others?
What is the secret so that we can attempt to love others and be loved?
What are the motivation and hopes to strive in building this society of love and care?
ABUYA
Nur Muhammad 