WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD? Change Yourself First!

Fix Yourself Before

Fixing The World!

Change Yourself First Before

Trying To Change Others!

Live By Some Discipline

And Principles!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you do love Allah,

follow Me! Allah will love you and forgive

your sins; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving,

Most Merciful’."

(al-Quran 3:31)

I wish you all a peaceful, happy and prosperous new year – 2018!

It’s always good to be optimistic and hopeful but we must also be realistic. We cannot ignore facts and the ground realities around us. The way things are going, you may not even feel the transition from 2017 to 2018. The fireworks, one night celebrations, dinners and dance parties died out before you woke up to the real world. And the real world is screaming to tell you that 2018 is going to be worse than 2017, with more bloodshed, more deaths and destruction, more terrorism and more illegal wars.

Those who make money from wars and profit from exporting arms/ammunition to opposite groups, have set their bar higher for 2018. They might add Korea and Iran to the war-zone starting new atrocities, instead of bringing peace to Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Burma, etc. There seems to be another item on the war-menu for 2018 – war between India and Pakistan. The cruel ‘traders of death’ didn’t have enough wars going on in 2017.

 

All evil springs from the base of dishonesty – call it injustice, corruption, racism, favoritism, nepotism, discrimination, etc., or even politics. When we are unfair, we are not honest. We are promoting injustice. And where there is injustice, there cannot be peace and happiness! There would always be trouble. The only way to avoid trouble and bring peace and happiness to people is the way to justice and fair-play – in other words Honesty! Dishonest people cause troubles. The Bible says:

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality

to the poor or favoritism to the great,

but judge your neighbor fairly.”

(Leviticus 19:15)

God has sent many Prophets and Messengers to the mankind to guide them; and revealed Scriptures to mark clearly the rights and responsibilities – codes of conduct. Those who followed the rules, were prosperous and happy. But those who crossed the line and because of their dishonesty, treated others unjustly, spreading corruption and injustice in the world, were eventually destroyed. They did enjoy their power for a short time though!

The moral of the history of the nations is that pleasing the Supreme Creator is the best course for the Creation. This was emphasized by the great Prophet Abraham (a.s.), Prophet Moses (a.s.), Prophet Jesus (a.s.) as well as the last Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Obeying the Lord guarantees peace and prosperity!

"Say (O Muhammad): Indeed, my prayer, my rites

of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for God,

Lord of the Worlds. No partner has He. And this

I have been commanded and I am the first

(among you) of the Muslims.”

(al-Quran 6:162-163)

Those who like to be obedient to the Lord Almighty, they would use all means and sources to promote honesty, peace and justice in the world; at the same time thwarting aggression, oppression, injustice and racism. God has commanded us clearly:

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as

witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your

parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or

poor; for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the

lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you

distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah

is well-acquainted with all that you do.”

(al-Quran 4:135)

The Bible Says:

“But let justice roll on like a river,

Righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

(Amos 5:24)

 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the

judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and

with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's

eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take

the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in

your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out

of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to

take the speck out of your brother's eye. ...”

(Matthew 7:1-29, ESV)

The real problem with us is that we want to change others without changing ourselves. We want to change the world but forget that we are the world! We criticize others but don’t see anything wrong with us. We need to be honest to ourselves and only then we can be honest to others. We should change ourselves first before trying to change others.

“Lo! Allah does not change the condition

of a people until they (first) change that

which is in their hearts…”

(al-Quran 13:11)

The second most important factor of life after Faith, is Discipline! We should follow the rules, a discipline or a code of conduct strictly so that there is less room for nepotism, favoritism, corruption, discrimination, injustice, aggression and oppression. As they say: Charity begins at home!

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