By: Farhad Ahmad Pir
Fear is something we encounter on a frequent basis. We experience it in different ways each and every day. Broadly, fear can be divided into two types, natural and worldly fear. All other fears are the extension of these two categories.
In the past few decades we were engirdled by the natural fear that is to say the fear of divinity. Other fears that were associated with Godly fear where the fear of parents, teachers and elders. The fear of God and other extended fears appended to it give us strength, purity of soul, spiritual contentment, order of life in the long run. Fear of God is viewed as a positive quality and a fountain of life and he who has it will abide in satisfaction and will not be visited by evil. This fear is instructive and makes our life meaningful and purposeful. It inculcates moral values in us which make us a responsible member of a society. It gives us understanding to distinguish between good and bad. Inviting this positive fear in our lives makes us different from other species and makes us accountable and socially developed being.
In the modern times, man is fed up with this faith and fear and runs after materialism. He comes in the clutches of worldly fear. By neglecting the Godly fear and bringing worldly apprehension in our lives has made us spiritually and morally barren. The other positive fears are too diminishing. It is a misconception of the modern man that escaping from the certain practices he will live a contended life. But that isn’t true as such a thought leads us towards great agony and loss and opens a pit of endless troubles.
We come across several reports of oppression being meted out with Muslims all over the world. It is true that certain vested forces have prejudice against Muslims and want to belittle their morale and engage them in such activities that are indirectly dictated by the west. But most significantly we ourselves are responsible for our appalling conditions.
Our state, particularly Kashmir valley, is a glaring example that open heartedly has embraced the worldly fears which have put us in great quandary. Our replacement of Godly fears to worldly fears has made our life meaningless and purposeless. We have become a Skelton of fears of different agencies who are working for their egoistic motives. Our liberty of living a fearless life has been snatched by these ignoramus hoodlums in diverse silhouettes. Our mentality is replete with unexamined fears like anxiety, trauma, phobias and other psychological ailments. Our faces have worn out a gloomy and dreadful look. People could not freely chatter like they are always being watched by one or the other invisible force.
It becomes crystal clear with this that our valley is living under the surveillance of agencies that are working on vested agendas and look for tarnishing our happiness. Around late evenings, nearly all roads reflect a desolated and deserted look and there is no movement on the roads. Life becomes traumatized; shops are shut early and ways remain untrodden, especially in villages.
To avoid falling prey to these fears, do all you can to strengthen your love for God. By holding the rope of Allah tightly and by inviting the fear of God in our lives and develop respect for parents, teachers and elders will certainly purify our rusted hearts and souls for there is no one to be feared than Allah!
The writer is a lecturer in Govt Degree College, Leh. pirfarhad123@gmail.com
