What Islam entails include every aspects of human existence. Our living in the present world, including family, workplace, recreation and sports, civil and community life, among others, are covered by certain guidelines enumerated in the Quran and Hadith.
This is coupled with the fact these guidelines not only is blended with time and space, but also it’s universal across all cultures. One major advantage to living by these guidelines is the ability to navigate through situational and existential challenges that stems from family issues, work-life imbalance, and career path challenges, among others.
A fundamental point behind the divine guidelines is the belief structure that solidify the understanding and it effectual adherence. Allah says in the Quran, “Say, If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that you have gained; the commerce in which you fear a decline; or the dwellings in which you delight – are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause -then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious.” (Quran 9:24)
It is obvious that Allah’s guide is for those who believe in Him and not the rebellious, and the former is expected to exert efforts towards striving in His cause, fulfilling certain family and community responsibilities, engaging in prosocial behaviors that fosters the betterment of humanity, among others.
The Islamic faith also covers human existential concerns like goals and aspirations, exercising limited freedom, attaining meaning and spirituality, living between uncertainty and hope, including psycho-spiritual practices that helps to reduce death anxiety. In all, the focus of this discourse centres on our existential area of authentic existence.
Drawing a line from Cohen’s existential theory, being satisfied with our career path is a function of our abilities and possessed skills, attaining meaning, and the opportunities for authentic existence that our abilities provides. Here, it is more of a responsibility for every Muslim to exert certain efforts within his reach in making his existence, his family, his community, and the entire humanity live a meaningful and authentic existence.
Most notably, these efforts can stern from our abilities, our skills, what we do best from the workplace to the open public, puts us in the position of those who work for Allah’s vicegerents on earth.
The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic for example, remain a challenging situation for humanity. Depending on geographical location among other factors, pushed some number of people towards facing challenges to acquire opportunities for meaning and authentic existence.
Some number of research findings reflects distress, depression, existential anxiety, and hopelessness, among others, as threats to living a meaningful life. Recent economic downturn in some locations has exacerbated these psychological and existential problems.
Alongside these challenges, every Muslim vicegerent is expected to still hold on to the belief structure that connects one to Allah who is in control of everything. Coupled with this point is continuous spiritual acts of worship from the prayer rooms to the work ethic and conducts in the workplace.
From every little step of prosocial activities in helping others to contributing and sharing noble ideas from ones area of expertise to the betterment of humanity.
Comments