Man was created a unique being. Physically, he has a unique identity; his height, his weight, his complexion, his facial look and other physical traits are different from those of other men. Biologically, his genetic codes are not the same as those of anyone else; he has a unique fingerprint, his antigens and antibodies are distinctive. Psychologically, he is exceptional; his likes, his tastes, his abilities, his strength, and weakness are not comparable to those of his fellows. Despite his resemblance with his family members (or twin brother) or his sharing of similar characters with someone else, he is easily identified and singularised from the over 7 billion men of his like in the world. Indeed, man is completely unique.
While God has endowed man with a gift of exclusivity, exceptionality, and distinctiveness, man has imbibed upon himself, the spirit of artificiality, pretentiousness, and phoniness, thereby sophisticating himself with arsenals of comparison, imitation and copycatting. Definitely, with all available indices, man has lost his selfhood. No wonder he nags and nags and nags; all because he is not as eloquent as a friend. He rages and rages about his dark skin because he felt he should have been light in complexion. He jabbers and jabbers for his failure to be as artful as a workfellow. He grumbles and grumbles, and again grumbles because he wants to be as beautiful as a compeer. Oh, what a pity! A million of his nags, his rages, his jabbers and his grumbles couldn’t change his nature for another; he screws up his face with a grimace, he despairs!
The society is not helpful either. To his wife, he is not as caring as her friend’s husband. To his children, he is not as wealthy as their friend’s daddy. In the family, he is not as smart as his brothers. In school, he is not as brilliant as a classmate. In his workplace, he is not as successful as his predecessor. On the playground, he is not as skillful as a teammate. He is baselessly being compared with someone else every single day. Oh! He is helpless within and without!
Worse is the case if he has physical disabilities. He wishes to be a great basketball player like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, unfortunately, he is a dwarf. He loves to be a great footballer like Christiano Ronaldo, but then he is lame. She wants to sing like Beyoncé, but she is voiceless, deaf and dumb!
Such a downed fellow, unfortunately, has two options at his disposal; he either hates himself so much that he isolates from the “world” and attempt suicide, or becomes too much jealous of the possessors of his desired qualities that he begins to make malicious moves so as to rid them of such qualities or even attempt to murder. The former or the latter, none speaks well, they are grave sins against He who creates man!
While it is not wrong to admire and attempt to acquire qualities or good characters possessed by someone, desperation, and impatience over someone else’s natural ability only remind us more about things we do not possess than they do of the ones we actually do.
While it might be helpful to point someone to another who possesses greater, more commendable and more admirable qualities so as to encourage the one who lacks or possesses less to acquire more, unreasonable comparison of natural abilities, gifts or talents of one person to another is unfair and would only bring the worst rather than best out of the individual.
Option A above is the path of self-abuse and in fact abuse of the Creator. It is an option that gradually but silently destroys one’s self. It is an option of defeat and destruction in the present life and in the hereafter. A man once committed suicide all because people abuse him of his knocked knee!
Option B is the path of envy and jealousy. It is the path of the evil eyes, the path of accusation of the Maker of man. Man accuses his Creator of giving to someone else what he thinks or feels should have been given to him. He, therefore, sees himself as the rightful owner of the beautiful talents or ability possessed by his friend and strives to ensure its “redemption” by all means. He becomes malicious, he becomes evil-eyed, and he becomes a murderer.
This series provides you with option C. The path of submission and gratitude to one’s Creator, the path of contentment and satisfaction. The option that enables you to enjoy your life and brings you out of inferiority complex, self-bondage and distrust; and propel you to happiness and fulfilment without suicide or murder.