Sense of Belonging
by Anisa Tufail
Al-Ahmadiyya, September/October 1980 Issue (Vol. 2, Nos. 9–10, p. 3)
The Ahmadiyya Convention in Trinidad was an example of Islam in action. People from many places and varying backgrounds came together for the ten days and departed closer than brothers and sisters, having shared many enjoyable moments with one another.
The subject of ‘belonging’ came up more than once in various discussions during this period and this set me thinking as to its origin. The search for belonging is universal to all human beings and stems from the common experience we all share by being separated from our mothers at birth. This aspect of the awakening of the inner personality had some bearing on the theme of the convention which was renaissance or rebirth.
I think everyone, in his own way, goes through life searching for this goal of belonging, and the search leads one down to many paths. One looks for the answer in people and places, in cultures and traditions, philosophy and religion, etc., all in different degrees depending on one’s circumstances. The best and most satisfactory answer to this search lies towards the direction of God — our Creator and Sustainer. We can only and truly belong to God. We cannot comprehend the essence of the Divine Being but we can belong to Him from Whom we came and to Whom we all return. He is the only permanent factor in our life. The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement [Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian] said in one of his poems, which was sung over and over again in the Convention:
ڈھونڈو وہ راہ جس سے دل و سینہ پاک ہو
نفسِ دَنی خدا کی اطاعت میں خاک ہو
Search for the way which will cleanse your heart and soul,
and reduce the baser self to nothingness in obedience to God.
When we belong to God, by being obedient to His command, we learn to belong to ourselves. Life, which is so precious to us, is a blessing and a favour of God and we are held responsible for all that God has given us — our life and all other faculties. Because we do not live an isolated life, our belonging to God and ourselves means our belonging to our family, community, neighbours and friends. I heard a speaker quote a saying of the Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)] about personal and social rights:
“Your body has a right over you, and your eye has a right over you, and your wife has a right over you, and a person who pays you a visit has a right over you.”
Taking part in the Convention was an illuminating experience. However, a convention is not possible without people and it was through my contact with all the wonderful people that I was caught up by an overwhelming feeling that we belonged to Islam, which is a religion open to all mankind.