The significance of volunteer work stems from the importance of this era itself. It arises from the severe damage that this age has inflicted on the intellectual structure of humanity and from the angle of rescuing human thought from the ravages of such destruction.
Indeed, the fortresses of human thought have been shaken, crumbling before the attacks of ignorance and marginalization in this tremendous age. This necessitates that every conscientious individual roll up their sleeves, descend into the arenas of volunteering, and engage in voluntary work.
What we specifically engage in as volunteer work at Masarat is not merely repairing partial damages or renovating a small dilapidated house. Instead, we are rectifying general damages and restoring a mighty fortress that embraces and surrounds society. Our goal is not to fix a specific heart or mind; rather, it is to heal the wounded collective heart and bandage the grief-stricken general ideas. Yes, we seek to remedy the extensive wounds with the medicines of knowledge and thought.
This time we are in is not the time of the individual personality. The moral person emerging from collective action is the one who implements his rule and withstands hurricanes.
To acquire a vast reservoir, an individual must cast their personality, which is like a piece of ice, into that reservoir and let it melt within. Otherwise, that piece will inevitably melt away and the opportunity to benefit from the reservoir will be lost. Let us understand this through an example:
Five people jointly lit an oil lamp. One of them was tasked with bringing the oil, another the wick, the third the lamp’s glass, the fourth the lamp itself, and the fifth the box of matches. When they lit the lamp, each of them became the owner of an entire lamp.
If each of those participants had a large mirror hanging on the wall, then their reflected image in the mirror would show a complete lamp – along with everything in the room – without division or deficiency. This mirrors the participation in enlightening matters with the secret of mutual support, brotherhood, and the union of efforts. The total work of the participants will enter, and all the light emanating from it will fully enter the results of each individual’s work.
The people of ignorance in this age have ridden the “I” and are wandering with it in the valleys of misguidance. The people of knowledge can only serve knowledge by abandoning the “I” and adhering to the “we.” Our path is volunteering, and consequently, there are many candidates for this honor. There is no room for rivalry in competition.
Dr. Ahmed Khatib – Advisor at the Masarat Initiative
