For the sake of society we must be our brother's keeper

Needless, to say, little Billybob continued to shoot away at me! I was taken back a bit, because I thought that in today’s climate and the outcries of ‘stop the violence’ this little two-year-old (who by the way was still aiming at me), would have been taught that this was not acceptable behaviour.

Obviously, he has been in a negative environment recently. I thought, “Have his parents taught him that behaviour is incorrect?” I shudder to see him in the next decade or so, if some intervention does not take place.

As it was confirmed to me, this child is not getting the proper direction at home. I pray to God that he is getting it from perhaps his daycare or other adults he may come into contact with like his grandparents, godparents, uncles and aunts. As the old adage goes, “it takes a village to raise a child”. 

It was asked in the scriptures: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” After Cain had murdered his brother Abel, God asked him where his brother was. Cain answered, “I know not; am I my brother's keeper?”

Unfortunately, Cain’s words have come to symbolize people’s unwillingness to accept responsibility for the welfare of their fellow brothers and sisters.

In Islam, it is considered that people do have the responsibility of being each other’s keeper. In the Majestic and Noble Quran in 9:71 it says: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of one another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise.”

How beautiful! Indeed we are our brother’s keepers! On the other hand, most of the time, our brothers and sisters do not want to hear from us when we try to give good counsel or advice; they prefer to tell us “to mind our own business”.

However, I draw an analogy — when one comes into money, say for instance a huge or even small inheritance for that matter or wins the lottery – well you guessed it – all your friends, family, the universe of brothers and sisters want you to make their business yours! 

They ask for loans and handouts without conscience or hesitation. They tell you how they need your financial assistance, and in fact tell us that we should be looking out for them. They want the term “brother’s keeper” to go into full force and effect then!

Hence, in the case of the little toddler who pointed at me with a bang bang, I will definitely follow up on him and gently guide his mother into intervening to correct that behaviour.

It would break my heart if years from now, I hear that he did not take his rightful place in society.

We have let too many of our young ones go without our guidance and assistance – we the elders need to get in and assist 100 per cent in raising our village.

The outcome of us not being protectors of one another can only result in catastrophe as “without vision, the people perish”.

Bermuda, here is the following hadith to remind us of our duty to one another and ultimately for the preservation of ourselves.

Umar ibn ’Abdul ’Aziz said, “Allah the Most High does not punish the common people for the sins of the elite; but when the evil is done openly, and they do not repudiate it, they all become deserving of His punishment.” (Bukhari) .

Indeed, we are “our brother’s keeper” and the “Believers, men and women, are protectors one of one another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil”.

As salaamu alaykum and may Allah guide and protect us to all that is good and just. Ameen.