The other twenty-four hour period every bit I was returning dwelling from Friday prayers, I was asked a rather interesting question past my eleven-yr-old boy. “Dad, wlid is empathy?”
I apace recalled its classic lexicon Definition too responded, “Well boy, empathy is the power to portion and empathize the emotions of others.”
Without much hesitation, my son followed up with, “So, is Islam an empathetic faith?”
Here I was looking forrard to the delicious Biryani awaiting us at domicile, too this philosophical interrogation was position forth to me. Imagine subsequently a draining operate week, I had to rack my overloaded brain for an appropriate answer. There goes my weekend, I thought.
My immediate reaction was “Sure, Islam preaches empathy.”
I was sure that respond wasn’t enough from the look of his face thus that prompted me to expect into its pregnant farther. Over that weekend, I’ve learnt plenty more than nigh it together with how our love Prophet s.a.w. had demonstrated an amazing sense of empathy. As mentioned by Allah s.w.t. in Surah Tawbah, verse 128:
There has sure enough come up to y’all a Messenger from amongst yourselves. Grievous to him is what you endure; (he is) concerned over you and to the believers is kind too merciful.
For case, our Prophet s.a.w. would hasten the congregational prayer when he would take heed a babe crying thence every bit non to movement hardship to its female parent. [Ibn Majah]
As I dug deeper into this, I discovered that the Definition of it had a more inward-depth together with various pregnant too to attempt to explicate all of this to my 11-twelvemonth-sometime would be an data overload. So instead, I based my explanation around 2 primary categories: cognitive together with affective empathy.
Daftar Isi
What is Cognitive Empathy?
Cognitive empathy is most understanding another somebody’s bespeak of opinion. There is a nifty example of this in the Hadith collection of Abu Dawud. It explained well-nigh how the Prophet s.a.w. showed attention as well as empathy towards animals.
Once, upon entering a garden, the Prophet saw a camel that was merely skin in addition to bones. Upon seeing it, the Prophet began crying. He then lay his manus on its head until it was comforted. He said to the owner of that camel, “Don’t y’all fear Allah nigh this beast that Allah has given inwards your possession? It has complained to me that you lot continue it hungry and charge it heavily which fatigues it.”
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. has always showed the greatest compassion, or some called it the universal compassion, together with he strongly encouraged his followers to make the same. There is some other cracking case from his life which demonstrated how far his empathy extended.
Awaking from a nap 1 afternoon, he found a small-scale, sick true cat fast asleep on the border of his cloak. The Holy Prophet cutting off his garment thence that the true cat could sleep undisturbed. Is this a human being who would advocate the unnecessary slaughter of harmless beasts? “Show sympathy to others,” the Holy Prophet Muhammad taught, “particularly to those who are weaker than you.” (Bilkiz Alladin, The Story of Mohammed The Prophet, Delhi, 1979, pp. 12-xiii)
What is Affective Empathy?
Affective Empathy, also known every bit Emotional Empathy or Primitive Empathy, is most really feeling an emotion that another individual is experiencing. A proficient case of this would be the next hadith:
A dying kid was in one case placed in the lap of the Prophet Muhammad (peace live upon him). Tears flowed from the Prophet’s eyes. When he was questioned nigh crying for the child, the Prophet said: “(Tears are a shape of) mercy that God has lodged inward the hearts of His servants, and God is merciful exclusively to those of His servants who are merciful (to others).” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
Another relevant case that nosotros as Muslims tin can relate to virtually affective empathy would be fasting. Why we fast is because, one of the many purposes, is to experience what hunger feels similar for the less fortunate amid us.
5 Practical Steps To Increase Empathy As A Muslim
Through my weekend inquiry, hither are five things that we tin can straight off take activity on a daily footing.
1. Take the time to sympathize someone else’s bespeak of opinion. For example, effort instead to empathise the soul. Put yourself inward their shoes. Try to imagine their background. If possible, speak to them. Find out their backstory. Everyone has one. If non, endeavor to imagine the circumstances that mightiness hold led to the someone acting or looking like they make.)
2. Respect other’s rights. We should larn to respect the award, reputation together with privacy of others as well as the constabulary of the dry land we alive inward.
3. Be patient. Consider an surface area of life you know yous’re impatient inward – for instance, one that impedes your productivity. List the triggers that cause negative results in those situations. Negative results could include procrastination, working slowly, getting angry, or displaying irritation too impatience. The next fourth dimension you striking that situation, tell yourself that you’ll attempt to endure it with patience for only 5 minutes. For those 5 minutes, y’all won’t react inwards those normal, negative ways. You’ll behave it with patience, together with volition attempt to get through it inward the most productive agency.
4. Treat others every bit nosotros would like to live treated by them. This is self-explanatory. If yous dislike rudeness and then don’t be rude to others. If yous detest liars so don’t lie.
5. Do not be judgmental. If you discovery yourself being judgmental, halt yourself. This takes a greater awareness than we usually have, hence the showtime step (in addition to an important 1) is to observe your thoughts for a few days, trying to notice when y’all’re being judgmental. This tin live a hard step. Always remind yourself to find starting time.
Empathy in Islam
(As Depicted In Mainstream Media Today)
Even though the dominant picture of Islam inward mainstream media is ofttimes depicted equally a religion of violence, it’s actually non. Since its inception, Islam called for a arrangement of social jurist together with responsibility for others. From early inwards his life, the Prophet Muhammad was concerned nearly the state of the less fortunate. In Prophet Muhammad’s s.a.w. fourth dimension, the Qurayshi society, which one time took aid of its members, not alone neglected the less fortunate but did non even render basic safety in a world that depended on tribal protection.
I wishing to conclude with the following Hadith Qudsi:
On the Day of Judgment God will say, “O boy of Adam, I savage sick, too yous did non see me.” The person will say,” O Lord, how could I see y’all when You are the Lord of the worlds?” He volition say, “Did you lot know that thence-and-thus fell sick and you lot did not visit him? If yous had visited him, you would have got plant Me with him.”
I personally experience that this hadith perfectly highlights that connection to God is interconnected with how yous process others inward Islam. May Allah s.w.t. provides us His Guidance always.