They set out to confer equilibrium to the nation...

They set out to confer equilibrium to the nation, but instead increased its state of disequilibrium. The reason behind this was that they themselves did not enjoy inner stability. They had sullied their souls with selfish desires and their reform movement was nothing but another manifestation of their selfish interests. They forgot that the transience of their life would not be the end of the story.

Rather, their ‘so-called reform’ would be left as a destructive heritage for future generations to inherit. An apt manifestation of such a reform movement is ‘the Renaissance’, which instead of bringing life to the nations, created a foundation for the destruction of the future generations. The spiritual crisis in the Western world partly reflects this contention. The Holy Qur’ān says:  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُوا فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ.

أَلاَ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلٌكِنْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ  “And when it said to them, do not create disequilibrium (mischief) in the earth, they say verily we are reformers. Mind, they themselves are mischief mongers, but they are not aware.” [^3] This is a very dangerous state, for the hypocrites believe that they really are reformers [after engaging in repetitive ills and losing their power of identifying the elements of equilibrium and disequilibrium].

This reflects their compound ignorance. They imagine that they are reformers and have conviction about the matter whereas in reality, they are mischief mongers.

The following are verses from the Holy Qur’ān and traditions that underline the essential requisite of self-reform before one ever tries to embark upon reforming others: Almighty Allāh says in chapter 10, verse 35:  أَفَـمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلـى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لاَ يَهِدِّي إِلاَّ أَنْ يُهْدَى  “…Is He then Who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided?” Readers should not limit ‘guidance’ just to conceptual knowledge that one acquires after having been taught what is right and wrong.

Rather ‘guidance’ is a change of the previous state of deviation. When one follows the religion properly and rectifies his previous state, then only can he be known to be guided. Imām ‘Alī (as) is reported to have said: عَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ يَتَصَدَّى لإِصْلاَحِ النَّاسِ وَنَفْسُهُ أَشَدُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَسَاداً فَلاَ يُصْلِحُهَا وَيَتَعَاطَى إِصْلاَحَ غَيْرِهِ.

✦ ✦ ✦