What does it take to
achieve a sense of freedom and well-being?
When we raise
children, and animals in that respect, we base it on routines, habits
and regularity with the knowledge that this is necessary to achieve
happy and confident children. If children don’t
have clear limits, instructions and things to do at the correct point in
time they will be confused and restless. They don’t know what to expect,
the daily routine becomes a mess and a chaos. Without routines
well-being could be difficult to achieve and the freedom becomes a
burden.
What aboutadults?
Could we just deprive us from the need of routines? Many react on the
“non-freedom” that comes with Islam and they see Islam as a huge
violation at one’s personal freedom. “There are rules for everything”.
It is perceived as a strain, a hinder for well-being and freedom because
one cannot do what one want, when one want.
Then the question becomes: Can well-being and freedom be achieved
without fixed limits and restrictions? Can adults waive this
requirement, while pushing fixed frames and limits on their own
children? If one believe that adults “have learned to stay within the
boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable”, it is in
this case not a correct statement. One only need to look to oneself, or
look around, to see the inability among many adults in regards of being
responsible towards themselves and their families. Maybe we think to
highly of our human nature?
Islam is a
thorough recipe for how to lead one's
life, down to the slightest detail. Muslims do not live after self-made
rules and routines; we follow what our Creator recommends as a life in
harmony. Islams recipe for our life is fascinating. It is also
fascinating to non-Muslims who dare to swallow there pride and with
humility acquire knowledge about it. It contains everything and more,
and everything has natural explanations. For instance:
● 5 times obligatory prayers
a day:
Muslims praise and thank Allah the way He wants man to do. Muslims
around the whole world, every 4th citizen of the world, pray in the same
manner. It has the same language, the same preparations and movements.
Wherever one travel around the world, the prayers are done exactly the
same way. With 5 prayers during the day, one is not lost in the present
life, one remember God, what one worktowards and
who one loves the most. The prayer becomes a breathing space, a refuge.
It gives the day clear limits, no matter the form of that day, and
circumstances of life. Prayer is an important part of the day, even if
you are extremely happy, sad, sick, angry, have lost your job, lost a member
of the family,
received a
new family member… The prayer is not “a strain”: It provides
recognition, stability and deeply rooted roots.
● Cover oneself: It does not come naturally to expose
ones bodies in public. Someone prefers to keep their bodies to
themselves instead of being objects for evaluation. To cover oneself
is to demand
personal
space. The guidance of Islam includes the covering of men and women; it
shows the limit for that which belong to the private space, for
protection, self-respect, equality and worship. The dress code reminds
the believer of his identity, what one should be aware of and what real
beauty is. It is not “a loss” to express one’s piety through clothing.
Men and women of piety with knowledge of their religion embrace the
religious demands about covering and reap the fruits of it.
● Prohibitions: like alcohol, drugs, and extramarital relationships.
● Limitations: like music and mixing of gender.
Everything that is harmful for the individual and the society, or that
leads one to worshipping
and idolizing something other than Allah has Allah made forbidden or
made restrictions. Pious Muslims observe these prohibitions the best
they can because they understand the reason why, through the
descriptions from the Quran and Sunnah.
One is told that “you are missing something” but no. It is not difficult
for Muslims to abstain from this because Allah has planted love for that
which deserves our love. Love is energy and time-consuming. Muslims
don’t want to waste their love at something that doesn’t bring them
closer to Allah and well-being in the hereafter. We should love the good
from the creation, but not put something besides or over Allah. The
prohibitions and limitations are for the individual’s protection, for
harmony and well-being for everyone in this life.
Freedom
doesn’t benefit if it doesn’t bring stability, safety and harmony in
life. People
search for that which safeguards this principle, which leads many people
to Islam.If one listen to
the stories
of reverts you can
see,as Muslims
how they find
for the first time in their livesthis state
of peace. Verily correct practice of Islam gives the ultimate sense of
freedom.
