BaKhabar, December 2011, Page-7

better light a candle than curse the darkness

BaKhabar, Vol 4, Issue 12, December 2011

Arrival of 7 billionth person: a moment of joy, or, a moment of sorrow?

By Shakeel Ahmad <shakeeluae@gmail.com>

“The birth of a baby is usually an occasion for joy. The arrival, however, of the seven billionth person is being awaited with growing trepidation about the devastating impact of humans on the plan...”
… an article in The Hindu [this sentiment reflected in almost all the news-media on 31st Oct 2011]

7 billionth baby

The hype created by the media, so much so that we are really confused whether the birth of Nargis in Lucknow or Danica May Camacho, in Manila (both being claimed as the 7 billionth child) should make us happy or sad! No matter what we think or do on this occasion, for the parents of Nargis (Ajay and Veenita Yadav) and Danica (Camille Dalura and Florante Camacho), no moment in their lives have been more delightful than this! So, why is the media scaring us, with these few births at the onset of 1st November, of population explosion and the imminent crisis the world faces? Is it just another media ecstasy, a chance to sensationalize, to boost their own TRPs, or is it really dangerous? If it is genuinely perilous, no one from now on should celebrate a birth, or a birthday; is it not? And, countries must ban new births, or at the least, ban the celebrations on births! The only celebrations that they should allow should be the ones on the death of human beings! And, in that case, larger the number of deaths at any moment, higher should be the intensity of celebrations! And, the entire world must unconditionally and wholeheartedly support the missions of the merchants of death.
I wonder why "The UN chose yesterday to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide to welcome the new occupant on Planet Earth."!!
The world may be scared because "Despite all our advances, there is still one in seven of us who goes to bed hungry" [Gulf News: http://bit.ly/tGmv22], news like these filled the columns of newspapers and tabloids all over. As if the responsibility for feeding the new-comers was theirs!!
I wonder then why we, the human beings, are called "the assets", "human resources", rather than "liabilities" or "share-grabbers"?
This scare may be credited to our belief that the nature has limited resources and we have to compete with each other and work hard to grab our share, before it is gone to someone else. If you have ever rushed to a bank to withdraw all your deposits on hearing that the bank has gone bankrupt and would be closed down, then you understand the scare better. It is perhaps similar scare that makes us fight for every little space in a lift, a crowded bus or train, on the road, or in a beloved’s heart!
If the scare-mongering is the right thing to do, because of our firm faith in the theory of scarcity (resources are scarce), then we must shed tears at each new birth we learn about, and rejoice at each death that we come to know of! Can we refer to it as schadenfreude or morose delectation?
An alarm was raised at the birth of the first human as well, so the current panic might not be new at all.
Quran tells us the story of the very first birth (of Adam) for the inhabitant of earth, in Surah Baqra, Ayah 30: Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth."
The angels sounded the scare: They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?"
So, what did the God say? He said: "I know what ye know not."

If our faith is aligned with Islamic teachings, then we certainly know that everyone who comes into being brings his own rizq (sustenance). What about those who are making a noise about the dangers of population explosion? Don't they believe in this? I think, all of them do! Then, why is there so much of hue and cry?
A colleague of mine used to say in his spiritual moments, "How nice it wold be if some calamity strikes

and everyone dies, except ME! I will be the king of the world, everything will be just mine!" And, I used to interrupt him with a quip like "when there is nobody else, no subject to rule, how would you feel like a king?" The danger may lie in the “I, Me, and Mine” attitude, rather than in the birth of another child!!
Those of us who reflect upon the abundant bounties of Allah, as He wants us to, know that the resources are plentiful, ample for each creature in the universe. The one who created us also made sure that he created enough for the sustenance of universe. We would rather leave the knowledge of how much is needed for everyone to the One Who created us. The Holy Quran says (51:47) "And it is We who have built the universe with power (full might); and, verily, and it is We who are steadily expanding it." As the people are being sent to earth from aalam-e-arwa (“world of souls” from where every soul is sent in human form), so are the resources expanding to fulfil their needs. Allah, the Creator, is also the Sustainer; He is sufficient for all of us, for all of our needs, for the appearance of sun, moon, and stars, on time every day, for all the perfect rotations or revolutions or movements of moons, planets, or stars, for vital resources like clouds, rain, wind, oxygen, electromagnetic or radio-waves; then why do we need to worry? Who teaches the new-born baby to cry for mother’s milk, to open the mouth and part the lips which remained locked throughout his/ her existence in the womb? Who teaches him/ her immediately after the umbilical cord is cut, to start for the first time breathing through the nostrils which had never opened before? Who makes it possible for only the oxygen to be inhaled and carbon dioxide to be exhaled and not the reverse? Who opened up our faculties of the five senses, and the sixth one as a bonus? Who replenishes every heartbeat after the previous one has exhausted? Who teaches the bird to fly, the fish to swim or breathe under water, the carnivorous to just pick non-vegetarian food and the herbivorous to choose just the vegetarian? Muslims comprehend that knowledge, the most vital of all resources, also comes from the Creator Who is also the Sustainer, and the best of sustainers at that, not a miser like us! Allah never fails to replenish whatever is consumed by us, nor delays it.

So, a Muslim does not for a moment doubt the fact that all the resources required by the millionth person were made available by the Lord Almighty, as was for the billionth, and would be for all those who join us until the population touches the trillionth mark and beyond. What we may need to understand, however, is how best to make proper and efficient use of all the resources that are given under our command, without over-spending, wasting, or hoarding them. A muslim must enjoy every birth because he knows every new child born is another muslim, without exception, so whatever the faithless world does, let’s rejoice the moment along with the happy parents. But, let’s also try to fulfil our responsibility and do whatever we can to prevent every newborn from being misled into disbelief, faithlessness, atheism, or into deviated cocktail beliefs. If it is important how we live, it is even more important how we die.
“O My Lord, You have granted power to me on Earth and taught me the true meaning of events. O Originator of the heavens and Earth, You are my Friend in this world and the next. So take me as a Muslim at my death, and join me to the people who are righteous.” (Surah Yusuf, 12:101).