comings in your behavioural
approach, attitude, and way of
thinking.
4) Think about which types of
behaviour annoy you and then
analyze if you have any of those
traits within you
It is also easy for a person to
name the traits they do not like
in a certain individual. If given
the opportunity, we may be able
to list tens of annoying traits in
our colleagues. However, seldom
does one actually ponder whether
they also possess such weak traits.
By taking a step back and analyzing
ourselves, we may actually
realize how many of these faults
we have within us.
Fourth Cause of Disunity: Lack of Communication
Another cause is the lack of regular
gatherings, get-togethers, and mutual
discussions. The excessive usage of
mobile phones plays a huge part in
that. Even when people do assemble,
the increased addiction to their
devices often means that they are not
actually interacting with one another.
Lack of conscious experience is
evident.
You would often see people sitting
down together in a meal and glued to
their mobile phones. We are excessively
engrossed in social media to an
extent that we often are totally oblivious
of people around us and events
taking place in our surroundings.
This disturbing absence of attention,
respect, and consideration for people
around us often lead to grudges, biases,
and confrontations. This oblivious
attitude can also give birth to misunderstandings,
misconstructions, and
misapprehensions.
An effective way to prevent these
issues is to encourage your friends
and fellows to openly point-out any
mistakes in your behaviours that they
come across. It would not just help
you in avoiding discord but will also
promote a sense of understanding
and appreciation between you and
your acquaintances.
In fact, this was the approach the
Messenger s himself embraced. It has
been reported that the Messenger s
had instructed his companions to resolve
their internal feuds on their own
(and come to the Messenger s only if
they wanted him to act in the capacity
of a judge for them), without bringing
them to the Prophet’s knowledge.
Although the Messenger s encouraged
the companions to forgive and
forget, there are many circumstances
when it is not possible for an individual
to ignore someone’s imperfections
and wrongdoings. In those
situations when a person cannot clear
his mind from the negative thoughts
and issues, it is best suited to openly
discuss the matter with the concerned
individual and clarify things.
There have been many examples in
Islamic history where issues were
resolved by simply having clear communication.
After the demise of the
holy Prophet s, gloom surrounded
everyone. One day, ‘Uthman g was
lost in his thoughts, with his mind
racing elsewhere, as ‘Umar g passed
by and said assalamu ‘alaykum. However,
‘Uthman g did not respond or
greet him back.
Instead of exaggerating the whole
matter, ‘Umar g simply requested
Abu Bakr g to act in the capacity of
a conciliator. ‘Uthman g was called
upon and asked about the incident.
He looked stunned and replied that
the incident never took place. Abu
Bakr g got to the bottom of the
whole issue and it became obvious
that ‘Uthman g was so deeply engrossed
in his thoughts that he didn’t
realize ‘Umar’s g presence at all. This
is a perfect example of a matter that
may have led to bitterness but was
resolved graciously and a potential
misunderstanding was averted.
These are the fundamental teachings
of Islam to follow to make sure that
all possible disputes and potential
discord are controlled, avoided,
and prevented. Now, it is up to us to
transform our lives in light of these
teachings to ensure that we are able to
avoid all these unfortunate happenings.
In case a person fails to do so,
their life of dissatisfaction, anxiety,
and distress will only continue and
increase.
May Allah enable us to live a life characterized
by peace, happiness, and
prosperity by following the teachings
and guidelines of Islam. Ameen.
8 November – December 2021 | AL-MADINAH