Altruism

Definition: Altruism is unselfish concern for other people’s happiness and welfare. – Collins Cobuild Dictionary

On Thursday, 26 Feb 2009, the Straits Times ran an article titled ‘Altruism is all around’ in its weekly Mind your Body supplement, written by Gary Hayden.

Personally, I find that article’s contents have close parallels with what Tasawwuf is teaching. That article featured criticism of altruism by this psychological egoist, which can be likened unto our Nafs.

Some of the criticisms fired by the egoist, in refuting claims that an act of kindness done on our part is sincere and pure:

1. People do good to earn a good reputation. (Ostentation, or Riya’)
2. To earn rewards in an afterlife (not being sincere, to yearn for paradise instead of Allah)
3. To enjoy self-satisfaction that comes from regarding oneself as a ‘good person’. (Self-gratification, or Ujub)

These things were researched by psychologists trying to understand the Human Ego and trying to tweak things in favour of Evolution. Because theoretically, in evolution, there can never be such a thing as pure and sincere Altruism. Every individual is essentially selfish and wants to outdo others in survival.

But for millennia past, Sufi Shaykhs have already understood these diseases of the heart, and have diagnosed them, prescribed cures for them and even came up with preventive measures against them.

True enough, as found by the psychological egoist, these diseases to a certain extent are an intrinsic part of our nature, and that it is our struggle to cleanse our hearts of them.

The other thing mentioned in the article is Sympathy, to sum it up, it is said that sympathy is the quality that moves people to sincerely doing acts of altruism. And in Islam we are exhorted to emulate our beloved Prophet s.a.w., who himself is a source of Mercy.

This article raises questions about our intentions, when we do an ‘amal, what is it for?
Is performing an ‘amal with the intention of becoming a better Muslim different from doing it for Allah?
And other similar questions, such as when seeking knowledge, is our intention to become knowledgeable or simply to obey His commands? Or simply for Him?

In tazkiatun Nafs, by Said Hawwa, intention is by various degrees; it cannot be said that doing an ‘amal to obtain the reward of paradise is insincere and therefore rejected, since it is good. But of course doing it for Allah solely is better, and no doubt, this is the difficult part.

In contrast, any 'amal tainted by Riya', ujub, gossips, the lack of Mercy to creatures of God, Takabbur (pride), love for dunia and others will be rejected.

May Allah help us all.