FAITH AND COMMON SENSE: HERE'S TO A YEAR OF PEACE, GOOD WORK

If we all treated each other with justice, dignity and respect - regardless of our outward appearance - then the only "discrimination" we should see would be based on merit, where a person gets something because they earned it or have the ability to do a task better than someone else. Imam Shamshad

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | January 7, 2010
Source & Credit: The Sun | San Bernardino & Inland Empire
By Imam Shamshad Nasir | Baitul Hameed Mosque | Chino, CA


We have all seen the ads on TV - "Get in shape for the New Year! Join our gym and get physically fit for 2010." Of course, this is good advice, but it made me stop and wonder why we never see people being called to get spiritually fit for the new year?

Instead of losing inches, let's strive to gain more compassion and be more caring toward our fellow human beings. And instead of shedding pounds, let's work on shedding our bad habits and replacing them with good works.

Let's all work together to spread happiness and peace in our communities. In the Islamic tradition, we say "As-salamo Alaikum," which means "peace be with you." Saying a kind word to someone and giving them a smile is an act of charity in Islam. And of course, other forms of charity such as feeding the poor and caring for the sick, the needy and the orphaned, are considered the highest of meritorious acts.

One way to "increase the peace" in today's world is to try our best to not discriminate against anyone. God says in the Holy Quran that He made us all different in our colors and tongues not so we will treat each other badly, but so we can appreciate our differences and learn from each other.

We are all different because we are all unique and beautiful creations of God. Flowers are beautiful precisely because they are not all the same. It is our differences that can enrich our lives and our cultures, but if we only see differences in a negative light, it only produces distrust and hatred between people and groups. This is a root cause of social unrest.

If we all treated each other with justice, dignity and respect - regardless of our outward appearance - then the only "discrimination" we should see would be based on merit, where a person gets something because they earned it or have the ability to do a task better than someone else.

An example of this is Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, the U.S. Airways pilot who masterfully landed his crippled jet on the Hudson River last Jan. 15 with no fatalities. He deserves every reward he gets because his accomplishment was the result of his abilities, experience and training, not his skin color or nationality.

Within our own families, husbands and wives should treat each other with the utmost love and respect. We must be patient with each other's weaknesses and shortcomings. This will not only provide a stable relationship, but will also demonstrate a good example for the children. Peace within the family starts at home, with us.

In our communities, we should take care of the poor in our own neighborhoods - the family about to lose their home, the needy and especially the homeless and the orphans. Doing good for others builds our spiritual muscles so we can do more in the future. This creates a life that ultimately leads to happiness and gives us a true sense of gratitude and thankfulness for our blessings.

We can also spread hope, peace and good works by donating to disaster relief organizations dedicated to humanitarian service such as Humanity First (www.humanityfirst.org). This organization was started in the United Kingdom in 1994 and is now worldwide in its scope and services. It has dispatched relief services and personnel to many of the recent disasters in Indonesia, Asia, Central and South America and the United States.

Humanity First only uses about 10 percent of its donations to cover operating expenses, so it spends about 90 cents of every dollar for direct, "on-the-ground" help. It has built scores of hospitals and hundreds of schools across Africa and Asia.

One of their main projects now is to dig wells to provide clean water for hundreds of thousands of poor people in rural areas of Africa. This project is called "Water for Life."

No matter how we go about improving our spiritual health, what is important is that we strive to better ourselves so we can help others better themselves.

Shamshad A. Nasir is imam of the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. Reach him at 1-800-WHY-ISLAM.

Read more: Here's to a year of peace, good work