The Role of Ideology in Constructing the Human Being

Subsistance Is Guaranteed For Its Seekers

There is a fear that befalls Man and embitter his life, it is the fear of poverty but the Islamic ideology diffuses this fear by emphasizing a very clear truth like the sun at midday.

It is that the sources of sustenance are at the hands of Allah, and He has guaranteed it for His servants so there is no justification for these fears. He who reads the Qur’an finds so many verses urging to eradicate the reasons of the fear of poverty which motivated the Man before Islam to kill his children Allah (be exalted) says: “surely Allah is the bestower of sustenance the Lord of Power, the strong”[^36]. He also said “ And do not kill your children for fear of poverty we give them sustenance and yourselves too” [^37]

The “hadeeths” of the prophet (S.W.A.) and the purified Imams lead to the same course, the prophet (S.W.A.) says: “the doors of paradise are opened to the poor and the wretched, Allah’s mercy descends to the merciful people, Allah is pleased with the generous people” [^38]

His executor Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “…The creatures are His family, He has guaranteed their sustenance determined their foodstuff…”[^39]

From another side they corrected peoples’ concept about sustenance. Truly Allah has guaranteed his servants’ sustenance but this does not mean that He urges them to be lazy and inactive or to sit at home idle, but He connected obtaining sustenance with one’s striving and seeking it. Imam Ali (A.S.) says: “ search for sustenance as it is guaranteed to its seeker” [^40]

Ameeral Mu’amineen was working in an agricultural field with his spade, he released the slaves from the revenue of his hand’s toil” [^41]

He (A.S.) was irrigating date palms of some Jews of Medeena till his hands fatigued, he gave his wages to the poor as alms and put a stone and tight it on his stomach” [^42]

Imam has not been striving to collect the funds for himself out of this wearisome work as Imam Ali (A.S.) is not cheated by a white or yellow coin rather he was trying to obtain the “halaal” sustenance from its source and spend it in its proper place.

As spirits are infatuated with properties, fond of collecting and treasuring it, it is appropriate for the enlightened aware believer not to be cheated by its brightness, lured by its attractions, and he has to take lesson from those attracted and cheated by it while they are deprived of the reward of the next life, they are bankrupt in every additional property more than their necessary needs as they are trusty treasurers who strive and suffer in saving it, then they leave it behind like a sweet food for inheritors, so they are hold responsible for it in the hereafter while their sons spend it and enjoy it as they like”[^43]

In this way the Islamic ideology uproots the sources of fear from poverty from spirits and makes man work to ensure the necessities of his honorable living.

DISEASE ERADICATES SIN…ENTAILS REWARD:

From another side the Islamic ideology mollifies Man’s constant fear of caching diseased by insisting on an obvious truth, it is that every body is liable to illness. Imam Ali (A.S.) says “one should not have confidence in two attributes: health and wealth, you may find him healthy, suddenly he becomes ill; and you may find him rich suddenly he becomes poor”[^44]

Their hadeeths also emphasized that disease eradicates sins. Imam Alsajjad (A.S.) says, “when a believer fevers one time his sins scatter like the leaves of tree” [^45]

And it related from Abbiabdullah (A.S.) that he said: headache for a night lays down every sin except great sins” [^46]

In addition disease entails abundant reward and that enlightens its severity to the soul. The prophet (S.W.A) says: “I wonder at the believer and his grief of illness had he known his reward due to illness, he would have liked to be ill continually till he meets his Lord” [^47]

Imam Reza specifies the philosophy of illness by his saying: “illness to the believer is purification and mercy, and to the infidel a chastisement and curse, believer is still suffering from disease till he is freed from sins completely”[^48]

We return to say that illness has not been made by Allah in vain, rather He made it an examine the human being and know his patience to forbear calamities. So He examined by illness His prophets the pious servants, Ayyoub’s (A.S.) examination -as t is known-had been in his body: “None of his organs remained sound except his heart and tongue by which he glorifies Allah, in all that he has been tolerant and contented, glorifying Allah day and night morning and evening.

The duration of his illness lasted for a long time till his companions loathed him, his associations deserted him, he was expelled out of his country, all people deserted him no one remained to help him except his faithful wife who was taking into account his right and knowing his old favor to her. All this hadn’t increased Ayyoub but tolerance and contentedness, praise and thanks to God, till his patience became a proverb”[^49]

As a result of this tolerance and contentment Allah gave back to him everything He had taken of him kindly and generously.

The ideology, at the time which it orders the Moslem to endure, it advises him not to complain of disease, as complaining means that one accused Allah of injustice in His determination, it also abases one’s dignity in peoples’ eyes, it incites disappointment and mockery. Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) says: “I had previously a brother whose brother hood was for the sake of Allah, what makes him great in my view is the meanness of this world in his view.. He wasn’t complaining of a pain except after it heals…” [^50]

It is worth mentioning that the ideology at the time which scatters the clouds of fear within the self it grows up in him the feeling of fear from Allah (be exalted) only as it is the only way to be released from all kinds of fear and it (the belief) bewares of disobeying Him and brandish refers at His severe revenge.

The Holy Qur’an in so many verses deepens the feeling of fear of Allah (be exalted) some of them are: “Say, surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of a grievous day” [^51]He also says: “And for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lord and forbids the soul from low desires, then surely the garden- that is the abode”[^52]

The prophet (S.W.A.) says: “Allah has not invested with power over Man except of whom Man has feared, and had Man not feared except Allah, Allah wouldn’t invest any one with power over him except Allah…”[^53]

He also said: “blessedness is to whom fear of Allah has occupied him and diverted him from fearing people” [^54]

It is natural that this kind of fear has educational influences from which the individual benefits. In this concern imam Alsaadiq says: “He who knows Allah fear Him and he who fears Him abandons this world” [^55]

Social advantages result from this fear as it motivates the individual to help others, Allah (be exalted) said: “And they give food in spite of their love for it to the poor and the orphan and the captive we only feed you for Allah’s sake we desire from you neither a reward nor thanks* Surely we fear from our Lord astern distressful day” [^56]

In short, the ideology had changed the souls, opened to them immense horizons by releasing them from their fears. It also connected their rope with their Creator, and made it feel His favors and frightened them of His painful chastisement.

THIRDLY: KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF:

One of the advantages of this ideology is that it motivates the Moslem to know himself. It is impossible to elevate the self without knowing its nature. This knowledge is the first step to take control over it and to rein its caprices. Imam Albaaqir says: (there is no knowledge like knowing your self” [^57]

Then, there is a strong associative relationship between knowing Allah (be exalted) and knowing the self. For by knowing the self, its nature and powers, Man can know its Creator and evaluate His greatness. It is in the prophetic Hadeeth “He who knows himself, knows his (Creator)”. In return forgetting Allah (be exalted) results in forgetting one’s self: “And be not like those who forsook Allah so He made them forsake of their own selves” [^58]