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Religion and Altruism
Religious
institutions or traditions have, for centuries, engendered
altruistic behavior. Among all the religions our mind first
naturally goes to Islam. There are scores of verses of the
Holy Quran and sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which
enjoin and appreciate altruistic acts. According to the Holy
Quran the basic human nature is to further his personal
interests and when he becomes prosperous forgets fellow
human beings; but those are an exception which have fear of
Allah and fear to be accounted for deeds or misdeeds on the
Day of Judgment. The Holy Quran says:
Truly man
was created very impatient .Fretful when evil touches
him.And niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those
devoted to Prayer. Those who remain steadfast to their
prayer; And those in whose wealth is a recognized right. For
the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some
reason from asking); And those who hold to the truth of the
Day of Judgment; And those who fear the displeasure of their
Lord. (15)
The Holy
Quran, every now and then, emphasizes economic altruism. A
lot of the verses of the holy Quran authenticate this fact.
Almost wherever in the Quran Muslims are enjoined to offer
prayer, Zakat (Islamic tax for charity) is also enjoined.;
Zakat is an obligatory payment for the welfare of poor and
deprived segments of the society. Moreover, sadaqa, a
non- obligatory payment for the welfare of poor and needy
people is also equally emphasized. The holy Quran says:
And be
steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down
your heads with those who bow down (in worship) (16)
Again,
And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity:
and whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you ye
shall find it with Allah; for Allah sees well all that ye
do. (17)
At another place the Holy Quran reads:
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces
toward East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in
Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the
Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love for Him
for your kin for orphans for the needy for the wayfarer for
those who ask and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast
in prayer and practice regular charity; to fulfil the
contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient in
pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods
of panic. Such are the people of truth the Allah-fearing.
(18)
Again,
Those who believe and do deeds of righteousness and
establish regular prayers and regular charity will have
their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear nor
shall they grieve. (19)
Another splendid verse of the Quran says:
By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye
give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give of
a truth Allah knoweth it well. (20)
Abdullah Yousaf Ali comments on this verse thus:
The test of charity is: do you give something that
you value greatly, something that you love? ………..if you give
your earnings, your property, your possessions, that is also
a great gift; for many people love them even more than other
things. And there are less tangible things, such as
position, reputation, the well-being of those we love, the
regard of those who can help us, etc. It is unselfishness
that Allah demands, and there is no act of unselfishness,
however small or intangible, but is well within the
knowledge of Allah. (21)
Another verse of the Quran says:
Those who spend (freely), whether in
prosperity or in adversity: who restrain anger: and pardon
(all) men-for Allah loves those who do good (22)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH)
teachings brought such a change in the conduct of Madinites
(Helpers) that they sacrificed everything for refuges who
came for refuge to Medina after having persecuted by the
Maccan Pagans. The Helpers set a remarkable example
for generations to come. The Holy Quran praises them thus:
But those who before them had homes (in
Medina) and had adopted the Faith show their affection to
such as came to them for refuge and entertain no desire in
their hearts for things given to the (latter) but give them
preference over themselves even though poverty was their
(own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their
own souls they are the ones that achieve prosperity. (23)
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has also considers
love of humanity as one of the highest virtues of man. He
says that this love should not be meant to further his self
interests; it should be for the sake of Allah. The Holy
Prophet says:
"Do you
know which action is dearest to Allah Most High?" When one
man had suggested prayer and zakat, and another, jihad, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The action dearest to
Allah Most High is love for Allah's sake and hatred for
Allah's sake."(24)
Again,
Mu'adh
heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: Allah, the master
of honour, says: For those who love one another for the sake
of fear of My majesty and magnificence, there will be high
seats of light that will be the envy of prophets and
martyrs.(25)
Wathilah
ibn al-Asqa' narrates from the Holy Prophet (PBUH):
I questioned Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as
follows, "Messenger of Allah, does a men's love of his
people indicate party-spirit (Asabiyyah)?" He replied, "No,
but when a man helps his people in wrongdoing it indicates
party-spirit."(26)
The Holy
Prophet (PBUH) once admonished his wife Aisha: “Do not turn
away a poor man, Aisha, even if all you can give is half a
date. If you love the poor and bring them near you, Aisha,
Allah will bring you near Him on the Day of
Resurrection.”(27) The Messenger of Allah (May peace and
blessings be upon him) observed:
He will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure
from his wrongful conduct. (28)
The
Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) observed:
The habits of earlier generations have attacked you-envy and
hatred. Hatred is shaving. You will not enter Paradise till
you believe. You will not believe till you love one another.
Shall I not inform you what thing will establish you on it?
Spread peace among you (29)
The Holy
Prophet once said:
Don't hate one another, don't envy one another don't sell
over the sale to another, don't dispute with one another and
don't back-bite one another. The servants of God are
brethren to one another. ( 30)
Other
religious traditions also enjoin altruistic acts. In
Christian traditions religious notion of Agape love
is much referred to. Christian philanthropy, historian
Darrel w. Amundsen says, was the expression of agape,
an unlimited, freely object, since it was manifestation of
the very nature of God, who is himself agape. It was
incumbent upon all Christians to extend care to the needy,
especially the sick. (31).
All over
the world Christians are more engaged in philanthropic
activities than any other community. This is surely happened
because of the teachings of The Prophet Jesus (PBUH). There
are many verses in the Bible which engender altruistic
behaviour in the Christians. Good Samaritan parable (Luke
10:30-37) and injunctions in Mathew to help the needy
(Mathew25:31-46) have everlasting impact on western culture.
Stephen G.Post commented on the influence of Christian
teachings in the following words:
The provision of food, shelter, medical care, and psychological support
never depend on the recipient’s holding the right beliefs or
being in the correct state of soul. Agapists have served the
needy in these various respects for centuries in
unconditional ethical response to need, adding to the spirit
of beneficence in western moral life. Since all human beings
are equally valued as children of God, Unlimited Love views
them as worthy of protection from harm and of the provision
of goods…human life is sacred because it is derived from the
creativity of loving God. Indeed, theologians uniformly
emphasize that agape love is grounded in part in the notion
of absolute equality under God
(32)
The
keynote of Confucian ethics is ren, variously
translated as “love,” “goodness,” “humanity,” and
“human-heartedness.” Ren is a supreme virtue
representing human qualities at their best. In human
relations, construed as those between one person and
another, ren is manifested in zhong, or
faithfulness to oneself and others, and shu, or
altruism, best expressed in the Confucian golden rule, “Do
not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.”
Other important Confucian virtues include righteousness,
propriety, integrity, and filial piety. One who possesses
all these virtues becomes a qunzi (perfect
gentleman). (33)
Buddha
approaches the problem of life in four Basic Truths of life.
This is the diagnosis of life’s problem and to overcome the
problem of life he proposes Eight-fold Path. One of the
steps proposed is the Right behaviour. In Right Behaviour
step one is invited to reflect on the things he has done,
how much kindliness was involved and how much self-keeping?
As to direction in which change should proceed, the answer
is given in terms of selflessness and charity. (34)
Karma is
a crucial Hindu concept. According to the doctrine of karma,
our present condition in life is the consequence of the
actions of our previous lives. The choices we have made in
the past directly affect our condition in this life, and the
choices we make today and thereafter will have consequences
for our future lives in samsāra. The principle of karma
provides the basic framework for Hindu ethics. The word
karma is sometimes translated into English as “destiny,”
When we cause pain or injury, we add to the karmic debt we
carry into our future lives. When we give to others in a
genuine way, we lighten our karmic load. In the
Bhagavad-Gita, an important Hindu text, Krishna states that
the best way to be free of debt is by selfless action, or by
dedicating every action as an offering to Krishna himself.
In addition, human beings can purify themselves of karmic
debt through different yogas (disciplines), kriyās
(purification processes), and bhakti (devotions). (35)
I
conclude my paper with a saying of the holy prophet
(PBUH).The Prophet (PBUH) says:
Do not
follow every one; you say we reply in the same coin; if
people do good to you, you will reply the same way; if they
will do wrong to you, you will reply similarly; woe! Be
patient. If people do well to you, reply in the same way;
and if they do wrong to you even then do not be cruel with
them. (36)
References
1- Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999
Microsoft Corporation (CDROM)
2- Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2004. © Microsoft
Corporation (CDROM)
3- Altruism–– Encyclopedia Britannica (CDROM)
4- Stephen G.Post (2003). Unlimited Love-altruism,
compassion, and service. Philadelphia: John Templeton
Foundation press, p vii
5- Altruism- http//www.all-Science- Fair- Projects.com
6-
Altruism-www.campusprogram.com
7- Sober, E., and Wilson, D.S. (2000).Unto others-the
evolution and psychology of unselfish behaviour. London:
Harvard University Press, pp 3-4
8- Ibid, P5
9-Ibid, P6
10- Stephen G.Post, opcit, pp75-76
11-Ibid, p76
12-Ibid, p76
13- Sober, E., and Wilson, D.S, opcit, p8
14- Stephen G.Post, opcit, p87
15-The Holy Quran (70:19-27)
16- The Holy Quran (2:43)
17- The Holy Quran (2.110)
18- The Holy Quran (2.177)
19- The Holy Quran (2.277)
20- The Holy Quran (3:92)
21-Ali, Y.A. (1979).The Holy Quran: Text, Translation
and Commentary. Lahore: Sh.Muhammad Ashraf, Vol.1, p 151
22- The Holy Quran (3:134)
23- The Holy Quran (59:9)
24-Alam CDROM
25-Ibid
26- Ibid
27- Ibid
28-Ibid
29-FazlulKarim (translator).(2000) Imam Ghazzali's Ihya
Ulum-Id-Din (The revival of Religious Learnings).
Lahore: Sh.Muhammad Ashraf, volume III , pp167
30-Ibid, Volume III, p.124
31- Stephen G.Post, opcit, P142
32-ibid, p144
33- Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2004. © Microsoft
Corporation (CDROM)
34- Huston Smith (1999). The religions of man.
Lahore: Suhail academy,pp80-106
35- Karma: Action and Its Consequences-Encarta®
Encyclopedia 2004. Microsoft Corporation (CDROM)
36-Naumani,S. and Nadvi,S. Biography of the Prophet(PBUH)
. Lahore:Rehmania Kutab Khana, Vol. 6, p59.
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