Understanding Evil

Photo by Pagie Page on Unsplash

The angry guy in a club, punches a poor drug addict in the face, his veins gush open, flooding the floor with blood. It is a dreadful view. People around are standing in shock. Boxer is the bad guy who made use of his strength.

Who is this boxer?

There are some questions which might make us familiar with the boxer.

Does this boxer always punches weaker guys?
No he does not always punches people around. He also sits at home with his family, eats meal and talks normal.

Does he always react angrily?
No he is not always angry to people talking to him.

What all other activities he has to do in his life?
He goes out, takes bus daily, pays his bus fare, does grocery, laundry and all things normal people do.

Just like every bad person who gives us good reasons to get rid of him. Every drug addict, murderer, lier and thief. They all have one thing in common, they all act human some part of their every day. I am not going to say, they were bullied their entire lives or this society pushing them to their limits. Their wrong acts can not be justified. But their good actions can not be ignored.

Who is the nice guy?

Somebody who acts all religious, talks truth, stays clean, gives good sermons, write good articles?

No, this guy is not always truth, honesty, cleanliness and good sermons. This guy also tells a lie, goes extra angry in his affairs, at times is aggressive in his speech, is bragging about his actions and goes all out correcting people, hurting them, making them go away from ‘nice’ world.

Common factors in bad and nice guys

They both do bad things. They both hurt people. They both sin.

They both do good things. They both want to correct their lives.

Who is the real bad guy?

The person punching the weaker or the extremist watching porn or a feminist bullying men or the soldier beating the Kashmiri. Who is the real bad guy?

They real bad guy is desire, lust, addiction, anger. Islam names this bad guy ‘Satan’. Atheists name it ‘bad actions’. Humanitarians name it ‘in-humane’.

We have given this bad guy a name, we know who is behind all these punches, lies, stealings and aggressiveness. The real bad guy is always hiding behind the skin, flowing through our blood, convincing us to label the extremist ‘an extremist’, the fornicator a ‘sinner’, the killer ‘an evil’, instead of a human.

Understanding bad guys

Each bad guy is a human under his skin. People left out in asylum houses due to depression and oppression are always human. Kids rotting in solitary confinements are again human. The guy who is angry and the firown (cruel leader), who is killing are again human. These people are not the culprit. They can be blamed for listening to their desires but they can not be labelled ‘evil’. They are a kid under their skin who need protection from the evil dominating them.

If we want to correct the killer, do not label him killer and evil, label him ‘mistaken’. He did a mistake, but he does not do mistakes all day long. He also needs the comfort of bed just like all preachers and sobers. He also needs a blanket to lighten him up a little. He needs a sober guy to understand him and fix him.

Even if we fail to protect him from his own wrath, do not attack him. Do not bully him. Let him live. Let the sinner live that he finds his way to comfort.

Conclusion

Do not hate the boxer. Hate the ‘Satan’ who made him fall. Give it a real image; long face, evil horns, black face, two long teeth. Consider it standing behind the boxer, feeding him with anger to make him punch people around.

Do not feel bad if you are a boxer. No body is humane around us. ‘Satan’ is always beatable. Repent now to your Creator, tomorrow if you sin, no problem, repent day after tomorrow. Keep the cycle of repentance alive till it really brings you out of misery.

Launch, Fail, Iterate.

And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know. Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers.
Surah Al Imran verse 135 - 136