COLLEGE PARK, MD –
The United States’ Declaration of Independence declares that each person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
How true that is.
Like most matters, though, it is not as straight forward as it sounds.
It’s metaphorical
I suspect that a big reason many of our generation fall into a lifeless existence is that they take this accurate statement from our nation’s Declaration of Independence literally.
It is true that we all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that right, like all rights, does not come easily or freely.
The reality is that statement is metaphorical. Life, liberty, and happiness are not things that can be given to someone. They must be obtained.
The way to obtain those stations is through slavery – to God. It is through submitting to Him via the path paved by His messenger Muhammad and those messengers that preceded him, peace upon them all.
Many times that slavery and submission is defined as commitment and responsibility towards creation. That is the opposite of the growing trend in society for people to want to be “free” from serving others.
Freedom isn’t free
Those who truly live, the ones who are free and happy – those are the ones who are willing to pay the price of struggling against their lower selves.
They are willing to serve others and commit to them even though it is hard – perhaps it is the hardest training we’ll undergo.
No amount of money, no amount of worldly power or influence, no degree, or anything else rooted in this ephemeral existence can allow us to taste life, freedom, or happiness.
Life and happiness are connected to freedom from the lower self. Lifelessness and misery are connected to slavery to it.
The lower self is the one that commands us to a life of isolation, selfishness, and, ultimately, irrelevance. We avoid that sad plight by being givers. We are the actual beneficiaries of our giving.
Once we understand that, the pursuit of Happiness begins.
To freedom,
Tarif