RIGHT AND WRONG THINKING

RIGHT AND WRONG THINKING Differentiate SURAH AHZAB, a chapter in the Quran, tells us that man has been given something that has not been given to anybody else in the heavens and the earth—and that is, amanat or trust. It is this trust that makes man the most noble of all creatures. Amanat here actually means freedom of thought—the capacity to freely think and to freely plan one’s actions. The proper use of this trust makes a person eligible for Paradise, while failure to use it properly makes him fit for Hell. According to the Quran, misuse of freedom leads to two kinds of results: injustice, and ignorance. On account of misusing his freedom, man quickly deviates from justice. In the same way, misusing his freedom leads him to deviate from the path of wisdom. It is this deviation that makes one deserving of punishment in the Hereafter. If you reflect on the matter, you will realize that for a person’s reform it is enough if he does not deviate from his nature. If you exercise control over yourself and do not stray from the path of nature, nature itself will become your guide. Deviating from nature leads one to destruction. In contrast, remaining established in nature makes one successful. Further reflection tells us that our test lies in always making the right choice and saving ourselves from the wrong choice. This issue of right choice and wrong choice relates to both thought and action. In terms of thought, the model for making the right choice is provided by what the angels did at the dawn of creation. In contrast, making the wrong choice is epitomized by what Satan did. When the angels were told to bow down before man, they did so. Satan did not agree to this. He objected to man being given charge of the earth. This objection by Satan is an example of ‘selective thinking’. Satan was the chief of the Jinn (a living creation of God made from fire; they have free will just like mankind). God had assigned to him an important position. Yet Satan ignored this aspect and showed his resentment by refusing to bow down to man and disobeyed God's commandment. Misusing freedom leads man to deviate from the path of wisdom.