De-condition Your Mind, Introspect

If a person tries to retaliate, he cannot save himself from counter-retaliation by the other party. Thus, revenge or retaliation is a prerogative of an authorized court. So, in these cases one has two options: either forgive and forget, or refer it to an authorized court. Retaliation in terms of punishment is a prerogative of an authorized court rather than of a common man.

Although Islam allows retaliation with certain strict conditions, but fulfilling these conditions is so difficult that it practically means that one should not retaliate. The message of the Quran in such situations is: Opt for forgiveness. Do not try to retaliate, because retaliation is bound to create some more problems.

Revenge or retaliation is a kind of distraction. While forgiveness ends the problem, retaliation only increases and creates new problems which are difficult to be solved. So, forgiveness is better than retaliation.

The Religion of Nature

In other words, the religion of God means the law of nature. The whole world is controlled by this law, and the crux of this law is submission. Therefore, the religion of the universe is based on submission. Submission to God is the only religion for both man and the universe.

The sun supplies light and heat every day, but it never sends out any bills. Heat and sunlight are supplied free to all living beings. The same service is required of man. Man must adopt the principle of selfless service.

The honeybee enters the world of plants; along with the flowers it encounters thorns. But when the bee takes nectar from the flowers, it always ignores the thorns. The same conduct is required of man. Man must be positive in his behaviour; it is not permissible for him to behave in a negative way.

Animals are provided with horns, but no animal uses its horns for aggression. Its horns are used only in self-defence. The same principle has to be observed by man. Man has been endowed with many powers, which he may use for his own benefit, but he must refrain from using them against his fellowmen.

This is true of all things in nature, where everything serves as a model. Nature’s behaviour being always impeccable, it shows man the right path. Therefore, man should always follow nature’s perfect models.

The religion of the universe is based on submission. Submission to God is the only religion for both man and the universe.

These natural models do not speak: they never announce that they are models for man. So it is the duty of man to study nature and discover the models hidden in its conduct. He should then apply what he learns from these models to the affairs of his daily life. In principle, all the kinds of behaviour required of man have been set forth in the Quran, and the whole of nature has been created in such a way that it serves as a role model for mankind.

The models in nature are first and foremost of a mechanical kind. Because it is compulsory for them to behave with total propriety, they do not merit any reward for their behaviour. But man is free. If he behaves in any particular way, whether it be right or wrong, it is by his own choice. So for good behaviour, man will be amply rewarded.

Man being the special creation of God Almighty, he will be given a special reward for good conduct in this world as well as in the world hereafter.

The chapter Al-Isra’ (The Night Journey) of the Quran points out a problem—that of mindset—which is common to all men and women:

Acting in one’s own way, that is, according to one’s own mindset, is a psychological phenomenon. It stems from a set of attitudes or fixed ideas that vary from one individual to another and are often difficult to change.

The human mindset, according to which all men and women think, is conditioned by the social environment. But this mindset does not provide a set of moral standards. Only God Almighty can do that.

It is the duty of every man and woman to examine his or her mindset when he or she reaches maturity. Then he or she must discover the norms that are approved of by God and try to come to terms with the standards set by their Maker.

This process can be called the de-conditioning of conditioned minds. It is this deconditioning from which one’s intellectual journey begins. It is the first duty of every human being to examine his conditioned mind, scrutinize it by intensive introspection, and then correct his way of thinking.

Without undergoing the process of de-conditioning, one is bound to live by one’s own suppositions. De-conditioning purifies the mind. De-conditioning makes each human being aware of the creation plan of God, of the laws of nature and of the external realities that have remained hidden from one’s mind because of conditioning.

It is this intellectual process that guarantees right thinking, right action and right planning in this world. Without de-conditioning our minds, we are unable to understand the truth beyond our mental ambit. We are not able to comprehend the realities exterior to the human mind.

Without undergoing the process of de-conditioning, one is bound to live by one’s own suppositions. De-conditioning purifies the mind.

Man is born in a world that is not of his own creation. The world was created by God and it is God who has determined the laws of this world. Man has no option but to discover this divine law and follow it with complete sincerity. And through de-conditioning, one enables oneself to carry on this process. As man cannot create a world of his own, he must follow the laws of the Creator of this world. This is a prime requirement for every man and woman.

It is not a question of coercion: in reality, it is a matter of right guidance for the person who is trying to know on his own what is unknowable. Only the Creator can know what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. So one should submit to the divine will in all humility and sincerity. It is in one’s best interests to follow this path. One always thinks according to one’s mindset, and one’s actions are but the expression of one’s mindset. If the mindset is right, one’s actions will be right, but if the mindset is wrong, one’s actions will also be wrong. So it is essential for every man and woman to de-condition his or her mind so that he or she may be able to think in an unbiased manner.