Speech in the Al Isra’ wal Mi’raj Asy Syarif Celebrations 1440H /2019: The Value of Human
The keynote speech for the fifth Dandara Cultural Forum titled “The Value of Human” was delivered by Sumuwwul Amir Hashem Ad-Dandarawi, chairman of the Dandara Cultural Center. He covered on the value of human from the Dandrawi perspective. His speech was as follows:
When a person is applying for a job, he will be subjected to an evaluation by the people in charge of the role based on his or her education, working experience and a personal interview.
In another context, when a person lives with his parents in a building situated on a street in a city or in a house within a residential neighbourhood in a village, he will also be evaluated by his neighbours in determining how much he is welcomed and accepted by his surrounding.
In the third context, when a person is performing his occupation in the public or private field, he will also be evaluated by his colleagues in the work environment to determine his place, status and relationship with him.
In short, everyone will always be a subject of evaluation from his human environment in all aspects of life: education, work, family and social.
As a society model that concerns about human reform, we are drawn to learn about the criteria on which people depended on to evaluate each other.
We find that we are currently facing social environments which deploy various and interconnected scales in judging a person as deserving of appreciation and recognition.
There are some people who would measure every other person through the standards of their religion and taqwa, while some others may weigh every other person through the vastness of his culture and slick conversation.
Some people value good character and raise the person who possess this quality above others. They will strive to be close to them and secure companionship and may even give their trust for economic and financial dealings.
As for the vast majority of people — who are the masses — do not value a human being, do not give any consideration in terms of his social stature, make space for him in any occasion or strive to get close to him, unless he is rich, virtuous, famous, occupies a prominent position or has a grip at the edge of power to authorize a solution or a contract.
Sadly, this majority of people would flee from the figure whom they were enticed to, due to wealth, status, fame or authority once the figure loses what he used to own. They will then leech around any other figure that could potentially help them attain those temporary gains.
Based on the fact that the majority of the people amongst our societies evaluate people through what they own instead of what they stand for, we are demanded to reflect about this issue and ask three questions:
Who controls the value of the human being, is it the person himself or society?
What are the real sources for the human value?
How do we change the “evaluation culture” that prevails in our societies and are often revolved around external and volatile standards which never last?
In the context of answering the first question through the Dandarawi perspective, we say that it is the man himself who determines his own worth and the measure of his social status. However, when determining these, it cannot be done through words, a claim, assumption, feeling, by means of coercion and imposition or by exclusion from society. Rather, it should be firmly established through knowledge.
However, the role of society in this evaluation process is not marginal, because they are the ones who deal with the person, observe his work and pass a judgement on his value.
If a human being lives in a society of justice where authentic human values predominate, it is he who is able to control his own worth and leaves the evaluation to the society to say what they observe.
However, if the society is unjust and dominated by material interests and external measurements, the equation will be reversed and the society becomes an accomplice in creating the human worth — which often leads young people to the brink of despair due to the possibility of not being able to distinguish and establish themselves if they do not possess any value in the eyes of the people of the community.
The answer to the second question concerning the sources of human value: It is a cognitive question which gives us the task of drawing a linear map that provides the person with the necessary knowledge to attain his self-worth and social status. From the Dandarawi perspective, this cognitive map consists of 4 steps:
The first step
Building the human essence: The building of the self is the cornerstone on which the value of the human being increases.
Once the human being is able to achieve the peak of effectiveness for the practices of his human components — as effective as possible, flex them to interact with his surroundings in order to establish peace and security, then — it is without a doubt — the first step that obliges another person to be fair in viewing him with approval and recognition.
The second step
Care for the external aspect of the human: The human essence should always be of priority and importance, but it may fall if accompanied by an appearance that goes against the prevailing norms in the lifestyle of the society.
Hence, a person who seeks his human value in his own or public society must present his human essence in a manner that is acceptable to the people. Its pillar is as follows: cleanliness, good appearance, beauty of his actions and courteous words.
The third step
Commitment to the values of living together in harmony: The society from the perspective of Islam is pluralistic, and may combine in one social structure with differences in perspective, religion, ethnicity and cultural roots.
Hence, a person may achieve his value in his society from the power of his ability to preserve his human identity and merge with the others at the same time. The values of shared living are centered around moral values that obliges honesty, trustworthiness, modesty, courage and also social values that obliges us to be a good neighbour, accept differences, being positive in social partnership and respect for one’s belief and thought.
The fourth step
The practice of beneficial works for society: The work of any man is a necessity in the aspects of religion, moral, economic and social.
A person should never look down on his work, however humble and little the return (salary) is, because every work — whether by skill, professional, administrative or functional — is designated to the division of social works. Life and its necessities will never come to a full circle without its existence.
A person’s views on his work through how he could benefit his society instead of material returns will help him appreciate his work and strives to perform it with excellence. This will contribute to the development of his country’s economy.
Thus, the four steps will enable a person to manufacture his own value and raise the foundations of his social status; in his own eyes and in the eyes of the people of justice and virtue in the society.
This leads us to the third question on cultural change. As part of the response to the requirements of the third question, we reflect on the desired cultural and social change and its potential. Motivated by our sense of social responsibilities, we say:
Society is a living entity whose interactions never stop from either positive or negative change. This social change occurs either in this two forms:
- Repercussions, such as reactions due to wars, crises, technological advances, scientific invention, openness — voluntary or forced — to different societies of culture, or entering into a new world reality that imposes new circumstances, or
- Conscious and purposeful, in which every citizen who feels the duty of social responsibility is involved. They may come from different backgrounds. Such as: thinkers, writers, poets, artists, media, leaders of groups, assemblies, religious or civil groups, and many others.
One program may not gather them all, but they may be united by a common objective that is to strengthen the human status in society and to consolidate its own value away from the materialistic values.
In the context of contributing a share to this social good, we begin with ourselves and those who are convinced with our Dandrawi perspective. We establish the quadrant (measuring tool) for human evaluation, not by looking at the adornment of money, status, fame or position, but in view of the four criteria:
1– Building himself
2– Improving his appearance
3– His commitment in the values of living together in harmony
4– His efforts and endeavors in performing beneficial works
Since the Dandarawi family is a model for human in general and is not an attempt to form an exclusive community within the society, our interaction with the general community in the country — for the sake of human beings — is reflected in our activities throughout the year and in our annual conferences and economic and cultural forums.
We do not view our cultural forums as merely a “cultural event.” We hope that it will be a “cultural platform” in which all interested parties participate and that each forum will be a step towards cultural change that establishes social security and drives the human being — male and female, old and young — to work on himself and to bring himself to greater heights through his knowledge and work.
This speech was addressed by Al-Amir Hashem ibn Al-Fadl ibn Al-Abbas El Dandarawy, Sumuwwul Amir of the Tribes and Familes of Al Usrah Al Dandaraweyah and Head of the International Dandara Cultural Centres. To understand more about the two roles of Rasulullah ‘alaihi Solawatullah, Al Irtibat and Al Usrah Al Dandaraweyah, please click here to read Translation of Al Watsiqah Al Baidha’ Formation and Model © 2013