GET THE BALANCE RIGHT

Growing up in a middleclass rural family in Azamgarh, offers an important, early lesson for life: the need to maintain a balance between spirituality and materialism. It is fortunate if one of the first lessons in a young life is about the all-important principle of balance — something that is missing in so many lives.

Add to that time spent in a madrasa, which was rare in refusing to give its students an over-dose of spirituality. Madrasas get a bad press but some merely underline the need to get the balance right, between materialism and a spiritual-religious life. The message was simple, but clear. The spiritual path runs through the material world and therefore the world we live in cannot be ignored. It could be made better, more livable, spiritually and materially. But the balance always needs to be right: live spiritually, lead a principled life in the market, not in the caves.

Some might believe that revelation and reason are poles apart. Others use reason, rationality and science as synonyms, without making any distinction between them. But rationalism means to find reason, right or wrong, for what you believe in. In this sense the Quran is full of rationalism.

Islam requires the faithful to believe in God unseen. But this is not what one would call blind faith. The Quran’s argument is simple. You cannot see God but you can find Him if you ponder over and try to uncover the mysteries of the universe. The delicate and complex system that keeps the human body alive is a sign that God exists with the argument going that the universe and human bodies cannot operate without an Operator. This kind of rationalism is scattered through the Quran.

Simplicity, rationalism and straightforward reasoning are the core of the Quran and arguably, the core of Quranic teachings is balance. Neither too much religiosity nor absolute materialism is required. In Urdu one of the most commonly used words is Falah-e-darayn which means success in both worlds. But maintaining the desirable balance between the two is a lifelong struggle for most of us. It is a difficult struggle. One needs to be always alert to the possibility of excess on either front. The vigil must endure all the time.

Often, things that appear the easiest are the most difficult. Poet Ghalib, a leading champion of rationalism, once wrote:

Baske dushwar hay har kam ka aasan hona Aadmi ko bhi muyassar nahin insan hona

(The task that appears easy is difficult indeed Man finds difficult even to be {agood} man) Sometimes, one comes across people who are good at prayer and worship but fare poorly when it comes to charity even though they are rich enough to do it. It should technically be easy enough for a Muslim worshipper to donate Rs 2.50 of every hundred he earns to charity. But, it doesn’t always happen.

Why is this the case? Could it be the lack of balance between spiritual endeavour and its monetary reflection in the form of zakat?

Prayer and poor have been mentioned together some 70 times in the Quran. Through prayer, a man fulfils the rights of God and by paying the poor he tries to fulfill the rights of fellow human beings. It also means that a true believer always helps the needy and those in distress irrespective of colour and creed. That is the essence of balance.

This is true spirituality — worshiping God and helping the needy. A sincere Muslim must practice both if he is to be true to his faith. The most spiritually well-off spend to relish all of life’s pleasures and also spend to help the needy. No faith prohibits us from acquiring — and using — wealth, so long as we get the balance right and help the needy. The recent Bollywood hit, My Name Is Khan, reflects the need for balance, with the main protagonist winning back his wife and the respect of society through his selfless social work. Religion should be understood and practised both as worship and social service. An Urdu poet has aptly captured the essence of religion in the following verse:

Darde dil ke waste paida kiya insan ko Warna taat ke li-e- kuch kaam na tha karrubian

He created man (and endowed him) (With a heart to ache From God’s {chosen} angels Were quite sufficient for worshiping Him.) Another Urdu couplet expresses the same theme beautifully:

Meri hawas ko aish-e-do aalam bhi ha qubul Tera karam ki tu ne diya dil dukha hua.

(Acceptable to my lust Was the pleasure of the two worlds. It is your blessing That you gave me an aching heart.)

[ Published in TIMES OF INDIA on 28th March, 2010]