Livelihood And Life In This World

 

Contents:

• Introduction
• Prophets And Worldly Gains
• Means And Ends
• "Glitter of Wealth and Power"?
• Moderate Consumption, Without Excess Or Waste
• Charity
• Being "Possessive" about what appears in existence as Possessions
• Social Harmony
• Limits Of Human Knowledge about Livelihood
• Final Note

 

* Introduction

- A student once asked a Sufi master, "Why most wise men are poor?". The master, noting that the student confined the meanings of the Arabic word رزق 'Rizk' (provisions) to material things, said "Wisdom is part of Rizk, and they have plenty of it."

Rizk or provisions that humans can benefit from are much more than to be confined to material things. Some of what the word includes are:

- Availability of basic natural resources (food, water, fresh air).

- Total wellbeing (covering man's whole "being", it used to be the natural way to look at wellbeing in ancient medicine, in many different cultures, as I understand).

- Security

- Shelter

- Relationships

- Inner Peace

- Inner Sight

- Knowing God

None of the first five is necessarily tied to any particular amount of financial resources. And the last three have definitely nothing to do with financial resources. And the last three are the focus, and advancement in this aspects is the most prized and the most precious a human being can ever have, as far as mystics are concerned. A Sufi saying goes : "What did he find [of worth], he who did not find You [God]? And what is it [of worth] he missed, he who found You?" [from Ibn Ata-Ellah's Munajat (Prayer)].

- Every individual has sort of a share ('Nasib') of any particular type of Rizk at any particular moment. The less or the more of it at a certain moment is the share of Rizk at that moment. The basic religious rule in this regard is to avoid envy or feeling proud, with regards to one's share compared to others' portions or shares. The preferred attitude is to avoid comparisons and to concentrate on one's relationship with God, asking for and exerting effort toward what is best.

- The combination of different varieties of Rizk that each individual might get at a certain moment, is sort of obscure or not totally known, according to Ibn Ajeeba's comment on [51:22] "And in heaven is your Sustenance, as (also) that which ye are promised." And as verse [43:32] says "It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of the world", meaning that distributing the full breadth of provisions is not something that humans have much control on, even if aspects of Rizk, sometimes or to some individuals appear otherwise.

- Earthly life is described in a Hadeeth as the 'Abode of Test, not the Abode of Rest'. Fluctuations in provisions appear to be part of tests, where everyone without exception is constantly in a test; those who appear to have plenty of something as well as those who appear to be in need, as well as every one at any shade of "portions" in-between. It is an unceasing test, for as long as there is life on this earth, with regards to how each and every individual, as well as a community as whole, sees and reacts and deals with different situations.

- Typically, the Arabic expression الحياة الدنيا 'Al-Hayat Al-Dunya' is translated as 'Life in this world'. Literally, 'Al-Dunya' in Arabic means the Here as opposed to the Hereafter, or something that is closer to one as opposed to something that is farther away, and it also can be used to point to something that is at the lowest level or has minimal value.

- Existence is the same for all. It is the depth of awareness about the same existence that differs between different individuals. Prophets (then and at a lesser level followed by mystics) are at the high end of awareness. Most people are at "normal" levels of awareness. There are interesting differences. With regards to Provisions, here is an attempt to talk about some such differences, within the limits of what I think I understand about the Sufi view (which is presumed to be a "Balanced" view) and about what probably can be described as the 'normal' or the 'usual' or the more widespread view.

 

* Prophets And Worldly Gains

Prophets did not show any interest in worldly rewards. This is mentioned in several places in the Quran. It appears that nonbelievers often thought that offering rewards should persuade someone who claims to have a message from God, to stop preaching. It seems that they were at a certain level of appreciation of earthly wealth and power, that probably can be described as an obsession for earthly wealth and power, and that can be understood. But what I think is not clear and maybe needs justification is why the generalization and the prejudgment and the tendency to assume that such a position is "normal" and maybe even "natural", and regarding earthly wealth and power, everyone else should be feeling the same and seeing the same?

Prophets appeared not to be concerned about any worldly gains. Their simple and straightforward goal was to deliver a Heavenly Message of Mercy and Guidance to know God.

It is important to note that the Quraish tribe was known for its wealth, and many of the Prophet's companions were wealthy before Islam, and they continued to be wealthy after becoming Muslims. Yes, the Prophet peace be upon him selected to live modestly, but Islam is not against wealth. It is a total balanced view of life and existence that is urged to be gained, regardless of how much possessions anyone might have. In this regard the balanced view has signs, including seamless communication: there are no invisible boundaries or ceilings between people of the same community. Being Rich is seen as a positive thing, by everyone in the community, because sharing, caring and looking after each other is the norm.

 

* Means And Ends

It is important to work and have a home and family, have fun etc., but in the religious view these are means or aspects of living for a much higher goal: to know God. As important as aspects of living are, they are not to distract a believer from the ultimate goal. Forms and areas of knowledge are very important for improvement of earthly life, but they also can represent a means to know God. Politeness and good manners are very nice to have and an important aspect of a civil and healthy social environment, but they are also quite essential for advancement on the spiritual path. It is when means become ends in themselves and much higher, deeper, finer and subtle aspects/goals are absent, that a limited view of existence becomes the norm and much of the meaning of a really "full" life and living becomes sort of distorted or in best cases simply vague, regardless of the level of achievement in terms of earthly "success".

Knowing God is a very fine, pure and delicate yearning in every human being. Maybe the strength of that deep yearning is only a reflection of the level of awareness about one's whole being and about the essence of one's existence.

In many Sufi poems there is a sense of deep anxiety about "reaching a precious destination": Knowing God. They would try searching and looking for an opening toward higher levels of awareness. And those who have reached and experienced higher levels, (especially at the beginning of their experiences) might express a certain fear of slipping down to lesser levels (that appears to be possible to happen). I think Rumi meant to express this specific point, when he said in a poem (titled "Without You"), addressing God: "Without you, my world turns upside down, beautiful gardens become nothing but Hell. Without You, I cannot be."

"Without you" : without being at a deep level of awareness, and knowing You.

"beautiful gardens" : probably pointing to what most people would consider things that are "sought after" or "desirable" in earthly life.

"beautiful gardens become nothing but Hell" : Not only unhelpful in getting to the destination, they become like a wall of fire, hindering sight and needs to be overcome or circumvented. I think that the expression "beautiful gardens" indicates that there is a basic appreciation of appearing things, but temporarily, until the fuller and better view of Reality is gained, they can be obstacles distracting attention, and they will be "beautiful gardens" again, once the inner destination is reached and a balanced perspective is gained.

To such people, who have experienced what it is like to reach a high level of awareness, it appears to be sort of unbearable to even think about being at the "normal" level again.

What I understand is that there is a sense of inner incompleteness or shortage that cannot be filled or fulfilled with any thing at the material and physical level of living. There is a deep yearning, at levels of clarity (or vagueness), that some people might recognize. Of them, some might try to dismiss or ignore it, others might try to address and deal with in one way or another. To traditional mystics, (a) the feeling is clear and strong regarding that incompleteness and the deep yearning, and (b) they recognize that the age-old method to address and deal with it is to consciously observe Religious Guidelines, shedding light on the Path to tread, leading to (c) the ultimate fulfillment, which is in Knowing God.

 

* "Glitter of Wealth and Power" ?

It appears that such a "glitter" has always had a notable effect on the lives of many people throughout the history of man. I think Sufis would be quick to point that such a "glitter" is not real, Sufis might even link the strength and brightness of the "glitter" to the thickness of the "veil".

In the Quran [8:28] "And know ye that your possessions and your progeny are but a trial; and that it is God with whom lies your highest reward." In Yusuf Ali's comment about possessions and family: "They may turn out to be a source of spiritual downfall, if they are mishandled, or if the love of them excludes the love of God."

Possessions are what one may posses of things, little or much is not the point. The strength or depth of attachment, that might even become an obsession, with whatever the possessions are, is the point.

Possessions are not bad, it is Obsession about them (the Glitter) and the possible tense attitude toward them that are seen as negative. A negative thing on the spiritual Path is what distracts one from "seeing" Reality, as it is. The same can probably be said about 'beautiful gardens' above; the Sufi and religious statements and expressions are not about such things in themselves , it is about how one's view of them or handling or dealing with them, is affecting his sight of Reality as it is, and one's relationship with God.

 

* Moderate Consumption, Without Excess Or Waste

- In the Quran [ 2:172] "O ye who believe eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to God, if it is Him ye worship."

So, man is to consume what is available and provided around one; what is good and beneficial (which might differ from one person to another) for "him". And as it is understood, one's total being is meant (physical as well as non-physical).

[6:141] "Eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for God loveth not the wasters."

With what is available of the good things (no note about how much is available), one is to consume with moderation, without excess or waste. The Prophet peace be upon him, once called a companion's attention to use water in moderation even on ablution, even if one might be at a running river or at the sea. (Also, maybe a note in the verse there regarding eating the fruit during its season.)

Also, [7:31] "O Children of Adam wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for God loveth not the wasters."

- In a Hadith, the Prophet peace be upon him said "It is enough for a son of Adam to eat what [the amount that] enables him to stand up straight."

- I have been told about a 'Hakim' (literally a 'wise man', the term is used in some communities for one who knows about traditional medicine and mainly prescribes natural ingredients like herbs) who often quotes [2:172] and [7:31] as well as the saying 'We eat to live, we do not live to eat', as he advises patients. He said that many health problems are due to (a) unhealthy or unsuitable food, and (b) excessive consumption is not appropriate even with good food and it is very concerning with unhealthy food. And that many problems could possibly be averted or cured if it is clear what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat.

- It appears to be spiritually important to consume what is good and beneficial and only by the amount that one really needs, with moderation, without excess or waste.

- If one is to always consume with moderation and modesty without excess or waste, what to do if there is excess of possessions?

 

* Charity

 [24:33] "give them something yourselves out of the means which God has given to you."

Whatever comes to anyone's possession is given by God, and how a person handles those possessions is a test.

Charity is part of religious duties for many reasons, spiritual as well as social.

It is spiritually important to look around and, as much as possible, leave no one hungry or poorly sheltered or clothed.

 

* Being "Possessive" about what appears in existence as Possessions

The Quran mentions the story of qaroon and Prophet Musa peace be upon him. Qaroon was a wealthy man. Prophet Musa asked him to give charity to the poor. Qaroon refused, saying [28:78] "This has been given to me because of a certain Knowledge which I have." In other words it is like saying : "I am smart and knowledgeable, and that is how I have my possessions. So, I owe nothing to anyone."

It appears to be something that is not rare in human beings. The Quran says [9:75-76] "Amongst them are men who made a Covenant with God, that if He bestowed on them of His bounty, they would give (Largely) in charity, and be truly amongst those who are righteous. But when He did bestow of His bounty, they became covetous, and turned back (from their Covenant), averse (from its fulfillment)."  [39:49] "When trouble touches man, he cries to Us; But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says 'This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!' Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!" Then in [39:52] "Know they not that God enlarges the provision or restricts it, for any He pleases? Verily, in this are Signs for those who believe!"

Verse 39:52 is about the idea of 'enlargement' and 'restriction' of provisions across individuals at any certain time, while 39:49 is about the Want/unfavorable or Plenty/favorable situations the same individual might go through across time. The same appears to apply to whole communities, tribes or nations. Both cases appear to be about the concepts of 'Qabd' and 'Bast' (literally, Contraction and Expansion), which are seen either explicitly mentioned or implied in Quranic and religious expressions in general.

Qabd and Bast can be seen in terms like Heart beat (Contraction and Relaxation), pulse, rhythm, waves, cycles, all, by the way, indicating or pointing to something full of energy, vibrant or alive.

Points that might be worth noting: (a) It appears that going through cycles of Qabd and Bast is only the norm. (b) Neither still waters or strong waves are helpful for sailing and reaching destinations. (c) Maybe a gentle and favorable wave of ups and downs is the most ideal.

The Prophet peace be upon him said in a hadith, what means: All the situations (of ups and downs for instance) that a true believer goes through are good [or eventually favorable], because if something favorable happens he thanks God and that will be good for him, and if something unfavorable happens, he perseveres and is patient and that will be good for him.

It is the norm to go through ups and downs regarding various aspects in one's life, and it is how to see things and react to them, that can make a lot of difference, in this life, and in the Hereafter.

 

So, why an argument like qaroon's is not a good one?

A couple of points to cover: (a) Limits of man's knowledge. (b) Importance of Social Harmony.

 

* Social Harmony

- In Islamic history, Awqaf (Endowments), private as well as publicly administered, were so widespread, covering almost every need of everyone with need in society, most importantly Food, Shelter, Healthcare and Education. In many cases when human needs were sufficiently satisfied and there were still resources to allocate, many Awkaf were designed to take care of animals.

- Ideally, no human being should struggle to have at least the basics, and no one should reach the point of needing to beg. I think everyone understands that the appearance of a social phenomenon like begging is something negative. But trying to ignore it or trying to avoid mentioning it is a negative social phenomenon too. A negative phenomenon might only be an alarm or a sign that there is something that needs to be aware of and appropriately addressed with attention and care, and the intensity of the problem might just be an indication of how bad is the situation.

A person once knocked the door of a neighbor, who was known to be a pious man. Upon realizing the reason why the door was knocked, the man quickly went inside and came back and gave the asking person some money. Then he went back inside and his wife found him weeping. She asked him why he was weeping when he should have been feeling better having helped someone in need. The husband's answer was: "I should have found out that a neighbor was in need, and should have never let him reach the point of needing to ask."

Begging people might just be the tip of an iceberg. They might just represent the vocal portion of people in need. The Quran says [51:19] "And in their wealth and possessions (was remembered) the right of the (needy,) Him who asked, and him Who (for some reason) was prevented (from asking)." Yusuf Ali's comment: "True charity remembers not only those in need who ask, but also those who are prevented by some reason from asking. The man of true charity seeks out the latter. There may be various reasons which prevent a man from asking for help: (1) he may be ashamed to ask, or his sense of honour may prevent him from asking; (2) he may be so engrossed in some great ideal that he may not think of asking; (3) he may even not know that he is in need, especially when we think of wealth and possessions in a spiritual sense, as including spiritual gifts and talents; (4) he may not know that you possess the things that can supply his needs; and (5) he may be a dumb and helpless creature, whether  a human being or a dumb animal, or any creature within your ken and power. Charity in the higher sense includes all help, from one better endowed to one less well endowed."

Of course, as the verse states, help is to be extended to the asking person as well as those do not ask. Yusuf Ali's comment appears to be focusing on the second type, probably because it might be less noticed. Another point: The vocal portion of a population or any community or a family, actually has an important role of calling attention to the portion that tends not raise their voice or complain even if they are in the same situation as the vocal portion. And this can be considered in a wide range of social situations. For instance, different measures of crime rates might be just indicators about the percentage of people with negative feelings, like high levels of bitterness, in a society. The situation might require far more than just dealing with "criminals" = the vocal aspect of a bigger negative phenomenon lurking in the background.

- Social harmony is absolutely essential. Once an acceptable level of harmony is realized, there remains ideally no room for bitterness or envy with what such negative things can lead to in extreme cases. Social harmony is important for a strong and stable society, but it needs an inner aspect, the Essence of the Form. With social harmony there is a better environment for calmness at prayers and directing attention to inner and spiritual aspects, at a collective social level.

Essence and Form go hand in hand and complement each other, but the Essence is the more important aspect: 13:11 "Lo! God changes not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts" (I think Pickthal's translation is better here). Deep positive inner change is the trigger for a comprehensive, stable and balanced outer change.

As I understand the religious view, seeking an outer change alone is not the best way to go about for a "full" experience of life in this world. It is possible to try to ignore the spiritual aspect of existence, but the spiritual aspect is always there, tightly intertwined with, being affected and affecting, the material aspect. Ignoring it or taking it into consideration, is man's option. Any outer/material change that happens, has its spiritual dimension (non-physical or whatever it might be called or how it is viewed and to what depth).

Every Thought System has a set of Basic points of beliefs regarding the nature of existence. Such points determine how narrow or wide is the adopted view of existence. Some times they might appear as 'basic assumptions' that are implicitly accepted, or they might be explicitly declared and appropriately acknowledged and recognized as in the religious view.

- When the Prophet peace be upon him entered Madina after migrating from Makkah, the first sermon he gave was short and specific: "O people [ 'Al-Nas' - a word that appears in the Quran and Sunnah. When used it covers all mankind, regardless of breed or creed], spread Peace, give food, keep a good relationship with anyone who relates to you, and pray at night when [most] people are asleep".

Basic guidelines for a stable society. They include (a) spreading peace. Saying 'Assalam Aliakum' (Peace be upon you) is about being cordial as well as reassuring anyone around about one's peaceful and positive intentions. It is quite an ice breaker too. [I recall a story of a teenager boy who was quite shy and avoided socializing as much as possible. A friend of his father urged him to say Assalam Aliakum to every one he comes across, everyday. After a couple of months or so, the boy was a different person. He found it much easier than before to talk to people and start a conversation, something he was not comfortable with before. There are so many stories about the positive psychological and  social effects of just warmly greeting others, even total strangers.] By the way, even having a welcoming and a smiling face, is considered a righteous behavior, which of course can have a positive effect in a social environment (b) Give food. No one needs to ask for food. And also, another ice breaker when gathering people around in general genuinely friendly and casual meetings. (perhaps there should never be a need to use an expression like "ice breaking", but, as far as I can tell, unfortunately at least in some cases, there appears to be a need to use it). (c) keeping healthy family relations is another cornerstone for a strong, well connected society (d) pray and have a real strong relationship with God. This is the Essence of Forms of positive earthly living.

The guidelines can be seen as circles, the wider one is the most general covering everyone one can meet or society as a whole, then comes all those with any kind of acquaintance, then extended family and of course one's own small family, then oneself and one's relationship with God. The guidelines can also be seen as cornerstones for a strong building or seen as poles holding up a tent and keeping it stable.

Other important ingredients of social harmony include:

- Forgiveness. One of the not very known companions of the Prophet entered the mosque, said Salam and went on to pray. Just before his entrance the Prophet said: "A man will enter now, who is going to Paradise." This happened for three days and the same man would enter the mosque at that moment. The other companions were alerted, obviously keen to know what is it that made that man deserving Paradise. One of the companions followed him until he reached his home, then introduced himself, and as it was a regular habit, the man invited the companion for supper. They talked and the companion did not notice anything unusual about the man. They ate and then noticing that companion wants to stay more, the man invited him to sleep at his house. Houses were usually small and modest. The companion stayed awake most of the night, but nothing unexpected happened. In the morning the companion informed the man about what the Prophet peace be upon him had said, and asked him what could be the reason for that. The man said I pray and perform religious duties like everyone, there is nothing more than what anyone else does. Then he thought a little and said "I do not keep in my heart anything [negative] against anyone. Every night before sleep, I forgive everyone for anything [negative] they said or did, and I ask God to forgive me for my mistakes and for whatever inappropriate thing I have done or said to anyone". More about the Importance of Forgiveness, here.

Forgiveness and keeping hearts always clean are essential for advancement on the Spiritual Path to know God, and they also have a tremendous positive effect on social harmony. That might be seen to apply mainly with regards to personal relationships within a community, at a certain time. But, I think it seems to apply also across human groups of different scopes and sizes.

Is it possible to find historical negative events that have happened some long time ago and to find modern day individuals stuck with them in some way (from either side of the event), or unable to reconcile such events with an evolving and a developing World?

An important key might be a genuine and an honest attitude based on forgiveness and the desire to heal. An event that happened a long time ago had its whole situation, mindsets, personalities and circumstances etc., that cannot be changed now. It appears that what can be done is to recognize, try to reconcile, with appropriate expressions and deeds, and show real positive intent regarding a better future, and move on.

- Thinking Well of others by default. There is a common saying that goes: "Thinking Well always comes ahead of Thinking Ill" ( "حسن الظن مقدم على سوء الطوية" ), meaning to start with and not to leave the positive and constructive view of someone, unless there is a clear sign that tells otherwise.

- A non-Arab delegation came to Madina and they wanted to meet the Caliph, master Omar (RA) (the second Caliph). There was no palace and no guards and the Caliph was sleeping under a tree. The leader of the delegation found it surprising and impressive and said "You ruled with Fairness and Justice, [hence,] you felt totally Safe, and you are full asleep [with no guards or walls]".

Many stories about master Omar and the first four Caliphs might sound like fairy tales, but they were true stories.

Trust between individuals of a community is without a doubt essential for any positive social environment. It comes naturally when there is Transparency and Fairness.

Social hierarchy is natural. It forms naturally at various levels, whenever there is a group (regardless of size) at any place or time. There is always a need for leadership and there is always a need for discipline and loyalty. To be at the best positive level, there is a need (from everyone) for genuine caring, sharing, and looking after each other. Genuine discipline and loyalty cannot really be bought or forced. Only when they are natural and real would they stand the test of time and be naturally sustainable.

- Individuals and communities are interconnected, that can be clear in some aspects and maybe not so clear sometimes or in some aspects. Speaking about a society then, it appears that in a "collective whole system" that might go way beyond kinds of boundaries that any given view might select to stop at: (a) saying that I am concerned about my personal and my community's issues is natural, but keeping a wider view might be important too. (b) At any certain moment, there will always be someone somewhere who is relatively rich, and someone somewhere who is relatively poor. There is always some sort of social hierarchy. There is always a group that is relatively at the lower level of any given community, either with regards to income or education, etc., and they are the ones who deserve the most attention from everyone else. A building is as stable and solid as its first floor. Nothing is wrong with having fancy upper floors, it just makes sense to ensure that the first floor is well taken care of, and that no one should feel the need to knock on anyone's door. (c) From history, it appears that total equality is not achievable or even practical. Maybe, differentiations as in incomes represent the norm, but, (d) as important as Hierarchies are for any fruitful outcome, they should not be only about strictly physical or material laws. The overall implementation does reflect the level of purity of human nature. Some firmness might be needed but it needs to be balanced with the ability to reach hearts. An uplifting, firm and organized yet courteous and humane apparatus can go a far way in maintaining a continuously stable social environment, (e) maybe it is better if attention is given to the essential social/ethical/spiritual bond between different groups of the community. The intensity of social problems might only be an indication of how strained is that crucial bond. (f) if all that sounds understandable with regards to groups within a given community maybe that understanding can also be extended to cover the whole human family.

- Being at (having received) a relatively better level of any kind of a beneficial Rizk (numerous kinds available, and everyone might have a better position at something), is definitely not about nurturing any sense of superiority. It is a provision and it is a test. Being at a better position appears to mean more responsibility and maybe the need to consider a positive social participation or contribution in a specific area.

Being at a better level and considering it an exclusive privilege that has nothing to do with the rest of the population appears to be a negative attitude (from the spiritual point of view) and one that can bring back unnecessary and unwanted outcomes. The Quran mentions the story of some rich brothers who inherited a big and fruitful garden and thought [68:24-25] " 'Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day.' And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve." Because of their attitude,  something happened, the night before that morning: [68:19-20] "Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep. So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot".

The Prophet peace be upon him once said what means: "You only get provisions because of the weakest of you [in your community]." Those who are vulnerable, who cannot help themselves (like children), who are weak in one way or another and those who appear to be in need are a very important part of any community. From a religious view, it appears that the whole community is given provisions so that eventually an appropriate portion would reach the weakest. It appears that an inappropriate treatment or ignoring the weakest in a community (or in the human family at large), might affect the provisions of those who appear not to be the weakest.

 

* Limits Of Human Knowledge about Livelihood

It appears that Economists love Mathematics, maybe as much as Physicists do.

Physics has been developing for centuries, and so has Economics been. The achievements on the ground and the huge positive effect in our daily lives, because of the developments in Physics, are quite notable and appreciated. Theories in Physics appear beautiful and maybe even quite admirable. What about Economics?

From the News through recent decades, there were economic decisions and views about the "best" economic policies that appear contradicting, like:

- Joining a common market vs. exiting it.

- A globalist open policy vs. a protectionist policy.

- Stimulating Demand vs. Supply side Economics.

- Big intervening government vs. small governments and "freer" markets.

One might be left wondering if there are some ideal yet what appear to be hard to pin positions that lie somewhere within different views. Or that different situations need appropriate policies and that there is no such thing as a fixed optimal view good for every community at all times.

Also with a huge amount of accumulated research and a very large number of experts across the world, it is not reassuring that a stock market meltdown is not something about ancient history, or that there are stock market bubbles and different kinds of deficits, and that poverty is still a real problem. All that happens even when advanced mathematics and computer programming are basic tools in Economics and Finance (just as they are in physics), and even when some efforts in Economics and Finance might sometimes be described as "Engineering".

So, what should information such as the above tell the non-specialist spectator about the present level of knowledge regarding Economics and Finance?

No one claims that there is perfect knowledge, in any modern scientific field. But the level of vagueness and uncertainty appears to be relatively higher in a field like Economics especially when compared to a field like Physics. (For more on "Social Sciences vs. Natural Sciences", please see the comment on verse 46, here)).

Please forgive me if any thing I said above sounds offending to anyone, that is not my intention. My intention is simple: Pointing to what I think are signs of the limits of human knowledge with regards to livelihood.

Yes, vagueness and uncertainties are there, but there are benefits from Economics. Infrastructure and economic conditions in general have improved in many countries over recent decades, quite remarkably in some cases, and I think that simply says that something right has been going on.

 

Anyway,

- Many are the stories about intelligent people not succeeding at projects, regardless of how smart they were and how much time, effort and money were spent. And probably just as many stories about people getting worldly gains without much effort or sometimes not even much education.

- According to verse 39:49 quoted above, for someone with insufficient spiritual background ("those who understand not"), when things are going as he expects and wants, he might tend to attribute that to some understanding or knowledge he has, but when they do not, he might forget to mention his inherent shortcomings and the limits of what he thinks he understands, and instead, what might appear are complaints and attempts to find scapegoats. The appropriate attitude appears to be to always trying to do one's best hoping for positive and beneficial results while being aware of limits of human knowledge, and not to gloat about success or to despair otherwise. A balanced view of existence might help with keeping a much calmer, steady and balanced attitude about life.

- Human Knowledge, modern academic or in any form, cannot be claimed to be perfect, there are always limits. Knowing that, it appears that modesty is the appropriate attitude with regards to human knowledge.

- Regardless of success or knowledge or place, the Haves have a moral responsibility towards the Have Nots.

- There needs to be gentleness as much as possible. Genuine sharing, caring and looking after each other is the beneficial short and long run policy, materially, ethically, and spiritually, whether it is within a family, a community, or all of humanity.

- There is one and only ship that we need to steer as best as we can, safely, together.

 

* So, what happened to qaroon after the confrontation with prophet Musa peace be upon him?

[29:81] "Then We caused the earth to swallow up him and his house; and he had not (the least little) party to help him against God, nor could he defend himself."

There were no sort of physical actions taken against him. It was basically a fall from Grace first, followed by some sort of a material fall. It does not only happen in a grand way, but in different ways and with different levels of severity. It is notable that qaroon along with what he thought is his treasure, all were swallowed up by earth. Probably showing how that treasure was unimportant, and instead it was the attitude toward it and what it could have been used for that were important. Positive attitudes and beneficial uses of resources in general, appear to be the real treasure.

Humanity can probably be seen as a huge tree. Any certain group might be like a big branch, and individuals are like the smaller branches. Thinking that a community or a part of a community or an individual can be totally independent from the tree, might be like trying to sow the the link between the smaller branch and the rest of the tree. Some sort of a fall can be expected.

A home consists of different parts that support each other to erect a solid home.

Our planet is getting smaller by the minute, mutual interests are expanding and economic interdependence is getting deeper between various parts of the world. Looking at the current situation and the future, one has to ask if total economic independence is practically achievable for any nation. If not, then I do not think anyone, anywhere in the world, can realistically afford to ignore others, their feelings or their welfare.

Nations of the world have been integrating their resources and complementing each other for a long time. Relying on other nations to provide some of our needs, and to receive our products and services, is a given these days. I think it is important to ask if feeling that such a reliance can be doubted, is a step forward for humanity? For problems to occur is only in the nature of human relationships. But maybe relationships should not always be seen as an engagement on certain terms or breakup. A positive attitude might be in dealing with issues in the best possible ways, and when something breaks or is about to break, try to fix things and not to run away from problems.

 

* Ghandi once said "There will always be enough for every man's need, but there will never be enough for every man's Greed.

Fairness in dealings is important too. Attempting to take full advantage of a favorable situation, and only thinking about taking and receiving, and not equally thinking about giving back, is not fair.

Being genuinely conscious about the common good of humanity is important. And a good integration policy only goes well with fairness and integrity.

 

* Final Note

Spirituality is about pristine uplifting teachings guiding one on the path to know God. With Spirituality as a personal background and underlying the social environment, things like calmness, forgiveness, natural chastity, politeness, open-mindedness, gentleness, compassion for others, treating others with grace and generosity, are natural. And in such an environment, I think many (at least theoretically speaking) social problems should not have the chance to arise. That might be sort of first class treatment of social problems at the root level.

But, is it a realistic view? Yes, for those who are keen to reach the higher and better levels of precious awareness about Oneself, Existence, and the Presence of God. The best of manners, the best behavior and character are basic requirements. Man is to live on earth, build, and improve livelihood for himself and for as many around him as possible. There are many means including behavior, treating others, earning, spending, etc. When there is a very valuable goal, the means are obviously not ends in themselves.

Given this background, when a personal or a family or a work related issue arises, it should not be surprising if a difference is noticed regarding (a) how the issue affects one (does it overwhelm and occupies all of one's mind or is it quietly and calmly considered within a far wider context), and (b) how it is seen and dealt with (Emotions, Rationality, and Wisdom are options here. Just as rationality does not totally cancel out emotions, Wisdom does not cancel out either. Wisdom is about considering the widest possible view of a situation, it takes emotions and rationality into consideration but also considers the spiritual dimension of it all).

If my understanding is correct, for a spiritual person, as he or she progresses on the Path, and as attention towards God intensifies, "worldly" issues continue to appear more limited, and Ups and Downs continue to have a lesser psychological effect (The Ups do not excite as they used to, and the Downs do not disturb as they used to). Worldly issues are not things that would occupy all of such a person's attention to begin with, and they are dealt with, with peace inside, and in the best positive possible ways.

For some people, this is all about a level of awareness that is probably not common. However, there is plenty of evidence that some people have been to such high levels. And of course there are many levels towards the higher levels, that different people might have found themselves at.

Anyway, please note that I am not an expert, and the above is just an expression of a regular guy's personal understanding. Carefulness and consulting qualified people are important in these matters.