Be Kind To Others, Kindness Is Contagious
Flipping through the pages of newspapers seems to be a devastating ordeal nowadays. Stories of abuses, bullies, rage and killings dominate headlines which leave us with feelings of sadness, fear and anxiety. On top of these stories, how many times have we actually found ourselves to be absolutely flabbergasted by the lack of civility of the people around us? The world that we live in today is full of individuals who lack an important criterion of the heart which is kindness. Kindness is a behavior marked by principled traits, a pleasant temperament, and a concern for others. The problem with unkind individuals is their failure to nurture the hearts to value life and well being of others and also lack empathy. Due to this, they resort to immoral and unacceptable behaviours and take actions which are unjust, disrespectful, inconsiderate and rude.
Kindness is not just a matter of the heart. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) says that “Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith” (Narrated by Muslim). In another hadith, the Prophet says to Anas Ibnu Malik: “…Try to pass your mornings and evenings in a state where your heart is free from all ill-feelings, jealousy and hatred for everyone, and remember that this is my Sunnah, and he who loves my Sunnah will be with me in paradise.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi). When people are kind to one another, it will create a society that is selfless and compassionate. The survival of humanity is dependent upon human kindness as acts of kindness encourage altruism and benevolence. Our fixation with the material world and the fatigue that we feel everyday through our daily routines actually strains our emotional and mental conditions. This necessitates the need for us to pause and reflect on the purpose of our actions and also our lives whether for individual gains or in relations with the people around us. Principle of kindness rejects conditions such as hypocrisy, feeling of superiority, narcissism and self- indulgence.
In the context of the larger social setting, individuals are the main components of society. Thus, for the society to be able to live in harmony and co-exist peacefully, we need to have people who treat others with respect despite differences in religion, culture or social standings. It is wrong for us to mock other people or degrade them just because we fail to acknowledge the differences that exist among us. Even if there is disagreement, it must still be dealt with reverence. The precondition for a strong society is not economic progress and material well being, but more to the composition of ethical values such as justice and kindness that characterized individuals and groups in the society. Only by having such values would the society remain resilient and harmony will become a permanent condition.
When we read in the news about actions of bullies and aggressors, we wonder over the absence of patience, kindness and respect that supposed to be their mental guide during those turn of events. In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty says: “Kind Speech and forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury; and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing (Chapter 2, Verse 262).
This verse serves as an important reminder that it is always best to consider the feelings of others in any particular situation by being more empathetic. We never know what life challenges that other people might be facing at a particular point in time. We must realize that just as we struggle through tribulations, other people also experience similar ordeals. Our friendly gestures, smile and simple greeting could be enough to significantly improve someone’s day.
Unfortunately, there are people who are insensitive, which leads to the devastating existence of incivility. To make things worse, with the prevalence of technology and social media platforms, some individuals have no hesitations about being less polite virtually. Rudeness on social media and other forms of technology is becoming a huge concern in our society which can be tackled through education and campaigns. The challenge for the the social media users is to always be mindful of what we post, share and comment. Even if we feel that we are alone when using the technology irresponsibly, as people of religion, we need to realize that God sees every little actions and what lies beneath our hearts. Allah the Almighty reminds us in the Quran:
“On that day men shall come forth in sundry bodies that they may be shown their works. So, he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And, he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it” (Chapter 99: Verses 6-8)
Kindness is actually contagious. When we do just one kind gesture towards others and it significantly has an impact on them, this will lead to ripples of other kind gestures pass on to others. Therefore, we should always start with the intention to do good deeds and be kind towards others. It sounds like wishful thinking, but if we are sincere in making the world a better place for everyone, we should look within our hearts and start from there.
