Empathy

Written by: Barah

It’s all about me.

That’s the kind of world we live in today, unfortunately. It’s sad to see so many people only think of themselves and only what effects them; when in reality we are all one. We should feel with one another. Feel all the bad and the pain, just as we feel all the good and the happiness.

Do you know what our problem is? As a society? We lack empathy.

Something that as humans, we should automatically feel. It’s supposed to be in our nature to feel for another being.

I wonder, when does empathy die? Why does empathy die? Are we becoming so cold hearted that we stopped caring what happens to others; so long it isn’t happening to us?

Empathy is emphasized in Islam. It’s mentioned many times because of its importance.

Here is a Hadith that described it in such a beautiful and intense way.

يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى ‏”‏‏.‏

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 6011]

How beautiful was that? Worded in such a powerful way, resembled to the complexity of the human body and its connection to its different parts. When one part isn’t doing well, the whole body isn’t doing well. And this is how we should be.

Another Hadith that gave me a strong connection to empathy is,

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ ‏”‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 13]

I mean, what better way to show empathy than to wish for all those around you what you wish for yourself?

We, as a society must find a way to be more empathetic towards the world around us. It’s so important to do so.

It’s not all about me. It’s about you and I, and everyone else. It’s about us.