In the Name of God

Human reform

Have lone rangers of the world who claim human reform and introduce themselves as reformists of the world changed themselves?

There are different ideas and beliefs in this regard.

Some believe that as the cause of existence of each person is for benefiting and to be useful, surely people are going to move towards reform through goodness.

Some ideas are that inside desires of humans are fighting with each other and it is clear that they will be reformed by opposition. This is called seeking power. There are different views here that we cannot explain them in this site.

We should give you an example as a sample and that is Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea. He was a German philosopher in the nineteenth century who was born in 1844 in a religious family and he died in 1900. He was weak and used to suffer from illness during his life. It has been said that he was insane during his last 11 years. Is this view acceptable from a philosopher like him? Anyway, in his idea the goal of existence is creation of a superior human and he who wants to be so, will definitely become capable. He thought it was useless to discuss about the fact of existence.

He said: We should seek power. He believed originality and honor could be found in the body of the subordinates who reach perfection. He believed in cycles in the world that means events of the world will be repeated every thousands of years.

He said: The destination of anything becomes the cause of its creation, so every person should try to reach perfection.

As a result, the school of Nietzsche was neither based on love nor intellect; it was rather based on power. 

As was explained in the beginning of the article, his view was that the world is one of conflict and not affection. This idea was holy to him, but we cannot accept it and the true bases of the Holy Quran do not accept this idea either. Quran believes in being beneficent, trustworthy and kind. 

This was Nietzsche’s view and our response.

This question arises here that among the changing colors of the world what will calm tired and shelter-less people? The best lively example should be understood from the world of Arifs (Islamic gnostics) and the virtuous.

For instance, Abu Hafs Haddad who died in 266 AH in Neishabur of Iran appeared to live around the time of Minor Occultation of Imam Zaman (May Allah hasten his reappearance) but he was not very strong in Imamate. However, his power in Irfan (Islamic gnosis) was strong. He said, "I guarded my heart for twenty years and thereafter my heart guarded me for another twenty years." This was his method.

Whenever he became angry, he spoke in such a beautiful way till he was silent. He was engrossed in his worldly job. One day an Arif (Islamic gnostic) passed by his shop and recited this Ayah loudly with burning sensation:

Has not the time arrived for the hearts of those who believe to be humbled by Allah's remembrance? (Surah Hdid, Ayah 16).

Abu Hafs was enlightened and said, "Repeat what you said."

As he recited the Ayah, he was reformed and said, "I spent a lifetime engrossed in myself and did not come to know myself. I should now do so and become humble." He abandoned all he had and went towards Seir and Suluk (travelling the Path of God), not that he lost his daily life; he put his earning of his art as a blacksmith behind the doors of the houses of the poor at night or when it was necessary he made his relatives happy with the money he earned. 

He reached a state that he placed his hand into the forge and took hold of iron instead of tongs. His assistants asked him, "What do you have in your hand? Why do you not use tongs?"

He said: "Hammer the iron till it is disciplined; I also should be disciplined." They hammered until the iron was shaped but he would not stop holding the hot iron.

(How can a human reach the stage where he can affect hot iron which is not compatible with the texture of his blood, bones and veins? This appears to be difficult to understand; however, it is possible to a degree.)

Any way, he reached the point where it has been said: It was a night and there was a water vat. He decided to perform ablution and others too. He kept his hand in the vat and remained in that state till sun rise was approaching. His assistants asked, “O master! The sun is about to rise; why do you not perform ablution?" 

They saw tears rolling down his face. He said:” if I wash my face with water, I wonder with what I should wash my heart? Presuming that my face becomes bright with water, how should I illuminate my heart?”   

Therefore, it is concluded that conflict does not exist within humans. Rather, there is everything beautiful that should emerge and be uncovered.