The World Has Gone Crazy

The world has gone crazy.

No really, take a look around. Everything is in complete chaos, nothing seems to make sense. It seems that with every coming day things just keep getting worse and worse. Humanity is lost. People do not care about each other like they used to. It is clearly apparent that the world as we know it is going down the drain and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Or is it? Think back to the “good ol’ days.”  The days when things actually made sense, and there was still humanity to be seen around every corner. Perhaps it was a time when you were young when the world seemed to be perfectly aligned, or at least for the most part. Or perhaps you can’t remember a time where things made sense, but you have heard about those times and secretly crave to be teleported back as soon as possible.

One of those times that is oft brought up is the time when the Prophet ﷺ  (peace be upon him) was present on the earth. We hear stories about when the Prophet ﷺ  was amongst the people, and we get swept away by the beauty of it all. A time when human life was still regarded as precious. It was a time when trustworthiness was praised and encouraged. It was a time when mercy, compassion and love were shown to all. Hearing these stories can make us want to get lost in this picture-perfect memory and leave reality for at least a few peaceful moments.

While the truth is, it was such a beautiful time and no one can deny the blessings and the beauty that radiated throughout the lands, we are overlooking some of the details of this time as well. We are forgetting that there were people living at that time who were burying their daughters alive simply because they were girls. We are forgetting that there were people who were plotting and planning to kill the beloved Messenger ﷺ for speaking the truth. We forget that people were murdering each other, stealing from each other and betraying each other. We forget that there was plenty of evil during that time as well, evil that our Prophet ﷺ was trying to erase.

The fact of the matter is that it is easy to look back on times and see the highlights of the good, the beautiful and the beneficial; although when in the situation, all we can see are the crazies and the evils. It is easy to think that the world is going down the drain when stuck in the middle of the whirlpool of life, but perhaps in 20 years you will look back and see the beauty that was surrounding you through it all.

The key to it all is trying to enjoy it while it lasts. To take the example of our beloved Prophet ﷺ who lived through times that are now seen as “the good ol’ days.” It is said that he was never to be seen without a smile on his face. That he would greet anyone he came across and ask about their well being. He even checked up on a person who had been throwing trash at his door when the trash stopped appearing, in fear that the person might have been sick. He was a light that was spreading love, and through his love he touched the lives of the people around him, granting them the light to carry through. It is this example that we should take and implement in our lives during the present moment.

Be a light and spread your love to every person you meet: be it through a smile, a kind word or even a small gesture. Know that, yes, there are crazy things going down in the world that are horrifically unexplainable, but that never stopped the beauty of love from penetrating the lives and hearts of others in the past—so it will not prevent us today. And realize that the days you are living right now, may in fact be “the good ol’ days” not too far down the line.

So, no, the world has not gone crazy. The world has been crazy from the start. But in that craziness we find the perfect opportunity to bring light to where it is needed most.