When I was like 12 13 years, he used to visit us. Shaukat, uncle Shaukat. Lanky stature, weak eye sight, oily hair... He was a family friend but we didn't have such a high opinion of him. Actually not many had. Reason was his fierce temperament, irresponsibility towards his wife and children, and his unquenchable thirst to preach. Mysterious he was. We haven't heard from him in last 4 5 years and I have no idea where is he and how. But I still remember something he told my father way back then. I was just sitting next to him listening. At that time, that statement sound impressive but it’s just now that I can relate to it. Somewhat, I mean.
"Never ask God for justice. Never say 'Oh God! He is doing this wrong to me. Give me justice'. Never say that. Just ask for His mercy. Ask for his Reham. His justice is total and you don't know it might not be in your favor either".
How often in our lives we ask for justice? How many times we say... This matter and that matter should be brought to justice. Equality, impartiality, fairness from our minuscule perspectives. Its just when you look from totality, from a total perspective, you find that the standpoint you took all your life is itself continuously in motion. It’s only then you realize that through your lives, all you bloody asked for was unjustified justice, partial impartiality and unfair fairness.
Seldom have we understood this. And we yearn for justice and equality. We don't realize justice in a total sense can actually work against us. It has that potency. It can actually counter-act and reshape the entire life of the one who seeks it. Sometimes in some confrontations, we want justice to swing in our side. It something like you wear yellow, your enemy wears black and then you ask God to sway justice in favor of whose wearing whiter. You see... no one is.
Justice. Hmmmm.. Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Mumbai holding candles as fragile as their characters asking for peace, end to war and justice. But which justice? If they're talking about the justice in its totality then every day at least 100 people should be killed in metros like Mumbai and Karachi. Isn’t so? Justice should be such that for every blast that happens in FATA or Afghanistan or anywhere, a blast should happen in Mumbai too. What these Mumbaikars want is that they shouldn't be disturbed from watching their 3rd grade movies, eating pani purees and enjoying their so called booming democratic lives while others burn. This is their minuscule way of perceiving justice.
Africa in on a verge of famine. And we ask for justice when someone spills our coffee. 40% people live below dollar a day and we seek justice saying the CJ Chaudhry hasn't got salary for X number of months. Such tiny creatures we are. With such narrow view. And it gets narrower when the spotlight is on us. When we feel the heat. When we lose our religion. That's when it all happens. And happens with everyone. You me, both!
Indeed such insignificant creatures with no influence over the outcomes should never ask for justice. Ask for mercy, kindness, rahem. May be it suits our stature.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
1:38 AM
