The Problem with Negativity...

I just finished reading a post from a Muslim commenting (or lamenting) about politics in Malaysia. Though somewhat insightful and factual, much of the article, like too many we read today, was one-sided and negative. It made me reflect. Is all this negativity that we pre-occupy ourselves with getting us anywhere? Can it possibly lead to anything positive?

I have a good friend, a convert, who some look down upon because they say he's not a 'real' Muslim; after all, he converted to marry a Muslim woman. Even though he keeps up with his fardu 'ain and his other responsibilities, he doesn't look the way other more 'religious' Muslims look. The funny thing about my friend is that he has a heart of gold. He spends his days and nights working on scientific projects aimed at helping the Muslims and the world at-large improve their well-being through science-based development. He is a child of the 'atoms for peace' era where the dreams of the young people were to develop the entire world using science and technology, including nuclear energy. He's a holdover from that era and still believes that science and technology is the greatest weapon in the hands of those wanting to do good for ending poverty and other humanitarian crises. He puts his money where his mouth is. He is a freelancer who works with anyone who has the same goals and aspirations.

The interesting thing about my friend is that he doesn't get bogged down in the endless negativity plaguing the Muslim community, where everyone is a scholar, everyone is a critic and everyone has something to say but few actually DO anything to improve things. We have some brilliant critics in our midst. They spend hours on the web, blogging about how bad everyone else is, even their own countries, but couldn't tell you five good things they actually did in their lives. My friend has taught me an invaluable lesson and has reminded my about the importance of a unfettered, brilliant mind guided by a pure heart. This combination has the power to transform people and nations and is the greatest weapon against ignorance, greed, racism and every other evil out there. The Prophet (SAW) never spent a moment of his time talking about how bad his enemies were. He hated negativity and spoke about it in the following hadith: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say something good or keep quiet."

My theory is that we spend so much time on the negative because we have little positive to offer. We lack ideas and the creative ability to envision a better future. We don't really believe in Allah's promise of success through surrender and trust in Him. We need to learn, acquire knowledge and act on it. We need to envision something better and take small steps to work towards it, without expecting all the worldly rewards that so many are selling themselves everyday to attain. My friend is an inspiration for what good ideas and good intentions combined can do towards helping the less fortunate and building a better world.

This has been a great reminder to myself -- shut up and do something, no matter how small, to improve this world. Until we act, nothing will change.