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Ubuntu – Is it feasible to practice everywhere Ubuntu? Before answering please see the details about Ubuntu.

In certain regions of South Africa, when someone commits something wrong, he/she is taken to the centre of the village and surrounded by he/she tribe for two days while they speak of all the good he/she has done. They believe each person is good, yet sometimes we make mistakes, which is really a cry for help. They unite in this ritual to encourage the person to reconnect with his/her true nature. The belief is that unity and affirmation have more power to change behavior than shame and punishment. This is known as Ubuntu – humanity towards others. 

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Question added by Heavenly J John , Head of the Dealership Operation , Automobile Company
Date Posted: 2016/07/15
Farhana Siddique Fari
by Farhana Siddique Fari , Coordinator , Coordinator at DFA, Dr Fazeela Abbasi, Advanced Skin, Laser & Hair Institute, Islamabad.

"You might have much of the world’s riches, and you might hold a portion of authority, but if you have no ubuntu, you do not amount to much." —

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

 

First of all, I would like to pay my heartfelt gratitude to Sir Heavenly J John for putting forth such a Constructive/Unique topic for discussion. Hats off to you Sir!

Now, I wanna pay my tribute to Mr. Emmanuel Wamweta for very beautifully knitting and narrating the concept of Ubuntu and explaining the rationale why Ubuntu is needed to be  practised globally. I fully agree with and endorse his Meticulous/Stupendous submission, but I would like to make a little addition.

The word UBUNTU comes from the Zulu and Xhola languages, and can be roughly translated as "humanity towards others" and "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity."

Ubuntu manifests itself through various human acts, clearly visible in social, political, and economic situations, as well as among family. According to sociolinguist Buntu Mfenyana, it “runs through the veins of all Africans, is embodied in the oft-repeated: “Ubuntu ngumtu ngabanye abantu” (“A person is a person through other people”). This African proverb reveals a world view that we owe our self-hood to others, that we are first and foremost social beings, that, if you will, no man/woman is an island, or as the African would have it, “One finger cannot pick up a grain. ”Ubuntu is, at the same time, a deeply personal philosophy that calls on us to mirror our humanity for each other. Ubuntu can be seen and felt in the spirit of willing participation, unquestioning cooperation, warmth, openness, and personal dignity.

When we act upon deeply feeling a sense of being connected to others by our common humanity, when we truly regard self and other as one, when we cherish human dignity, all of our relationships and the level of our behaviors and actions are raised to a higher plane. By understanding and practicing Ubuntu, we will realize that each person has a vital role to play, which must be held in balance, no one dominating the other. We must “Break the walls down. Build the body up. Bring the people together.”

 

Muhammad Adeel
by Muhammad Adeel , Sales And Marketing Executive , TANZEEM HEAVY EQUIPMENT RENTAL LLC

 Ubuntu can be describe a way of thinking about what it means to be human, and how we, as humans, should behave towards others.

An understanding of the interdependence between the individual and society leads to an understanding of one’s responsibility to oneself and to one’s society.  As society nurtures the individual, it is to the advantage of the individual to contribute positively to it.  In doing her/his best to build a compassionate society, the individual is doing the best for her/himself. 

Ms farhana has explain such a brilliant way and attractive words she used in explanation of unity. I think there are no more words for this topic. But my point of view is little bit different for this topic.

Ubuntu is a term or a punishment to bring the man on his right path to reconnect with the nature. It would be in few days they can re-correct themselves.  

I would like to add one of most heart touching words for Humanity and Unity.

last speech of Hadhrat Ji Maulana Yusof sahib Kandhalvi

Long, but worthwhile the read. On the morning of 30th march 1965 Hadhrat Ji Maulana Yusuf sahib Kandhalvi delivered a speech. It was given after Fajr salaah in an area of Lahore known as Raiwand. In it he discussed many important issues regarding the unity of the Ummah. He expressed with feeling and pain his mounting concern over continued hostilities amongst Muslims.

 

Firstly, i must inform you that my health is not very satisfactory. My night was spent restless and sleepless. Nevertheless, i feel it necessary that i address you today. Listen attentively, and act accordingly, Allah will make you honorable. Be negligent, and you will be an open invitation to ruin. This Ummah has been prepared only through tremendous sacrifices. The blessed Prophet peace be upon him and his loyal companions encountered difficulty after difficulty to see the formation of this Ummah. Their enemies have spared no pains in forcing crakes into the wall of the Ummah. They have struggled relentlessly to break the Ummah that it may disband helplessly. Now the situation we have before us is that the Ummah has lost its strength of unity. Until the Ummah retained its capacity to harmonies, a few thousand individuals were nt over the entire world. The then Islamic world did not boast a single finely structured building.Even the Masajids were bare, simple and modest. Not even a lamp could be found in the Masjid. The first lamp to be lit in Masjid-An Nabawi was in the ninth year after migration. It was lit by Hadhrat Tameem Daari who accepted Islam in 9AH. Prior to this date almost the entire Arab world had marched into the fold of Islam. Masses of people who's tribes varied, whose backgrounds varied, whose homelands and origins varied had formed what became known as the Ummah. It was only when so many hurdles had been cleared and this much progress made, that History recorded the first lamp to be lit in the Prophet's masjid. Many a year may have elapsed in making such seemingly insignificant progress as the use of a lamp. But that mattered little. What did matter and what is the key measure of achievement here is that the lamp of guidance with which the Prophet had been sent, had illuminated every house and dwelling of Arabia and its effects reached far beyond the boundaries of the peninsula. In fact the Ummah had been formed. I t rose to the challenges of humanity. Whichever direction it chose to march whole civilizations surrender to its authority. This Ummah was created only when every individual saw beyond the boundaries of family, tribe, party, nation and homeland. None was a blind patriot to his native land. Value for wealth and property, wife and family bore no importance at all. The only issue of any importance, the only factor never to be ignored, was the order of Allah and His beloved Prophet Muhammad. An Ummah can only be formed when every relationship in opposition to Allah and His messenger is severed. When the Muslims were one, the m urder of a single individual sent shock waves racing through the Ummah. Today thousands of lives are tragically lost but not a single eyebrow is raised.-Later in the speech Maulana Yusuf commented:-A set community of people, a group of settlers in a particular region is not an Ummah. An Ummah is a composition of thousands of communities and regions. Any person who believes one community or nation to be his own and a second community or nation to be alien is helping to reduce the Ummah into a sacrificial animal. He is destroying the Ummah. He is attempting to diminish the struggles of the Prophet and his devoted companions. The Ummah was not torn and conflict riddled. We ourselves are to blame for the ruin that has befallen us. It was only after the injuries had been inflicted that the non believers administered further punishment. The damage had already been done prior to their intervention. If the Muslims are to reunite even today the combined strength of world powers, atom b ombs and missiles cannot destroy them. But if, on the contrary, they continue to uphold the banner of nationalism and simply on the grounds of 'love for country' divisions appear within the Ummah, then i swear by Allah your weapons, your military power and your defenses will be of no avail to you. The only reason Muslims are being tormented throughout the world, the sole cause of their sufferings is that they have failed to remain an Ummah. They have totally disregarded the exhaustive struggles borne by their loving Prophet in its formation.

Friends, i am expressing to you the grief that lies in my heart. The root cause of all our calamities is that the Ummah has ceased to remain an Ummah. In fact, we have totally forgotten what it means to be an Ummah and we are ignorant of how the Prophet formed it.In order to be a united Ummah and to win the support of the Lord, it is not sufficient simply for the Muslims to be regular in Salah, for there to Dhikr in abundance etc. Take for example the case of Ibn Baljam, the assassin of Hadhrat Ali. He used to perform salah so excessively and engage in dhikr so fervently that when in punishment of his crime, outraged by his villainous act, people before slaying him, sought to cut his tongue of, he protested, ' Treat me as you wish, but i plead that you spare my tongue so that until i breathe my last, i may utter the name of my Lord. 'Despite appearing such a devout servant of Allah, the Prophet had declared that the killler of Ali would be the most detestable individual of this Ummah. As for religious instruction and education, well, the likes of Abu Al Fadhl and Faydhee were highly trained, learned scholars. So talented that they wrote the commentary of the Quran without using any letters with dots. Even so, their knowledge did not prevent them from misleading Akbar and making a mockery of religion. The lessons to be learned from these and many other examples is that merely acquiring the attributes of Ibn Baljam, Abu Al Fadh and Faydhee will not reunite the Ummah and they will not entitle us to divine help.- Later on in the speech, Maulana warned:-Rest assured, ' my people' , ' my country' ' my household ' this line of reasoning and this type of statement works to destroy the Ummah. Whoever, on whatever level, endeavors to ignite the the fire of conflict within the Ummah will be destroyed he Ummah will only be reunited if Muslims from all walks of life and from all quarters, without any internal barriers, discharge those responsibilities that were stressed to them by the noble prophet peace be upon him.

Remember! The factors that crush the oneness of the Ummah are unjust dealings carried out within Muslims. Crimes that are against society, against humanity. When a person or a group of people treat others unjustly, when they deny them what is rightfully theirs, when they are a cause of grief to other, when they humiliate and dishonor other, the seeds of bitterness and conflict are sown. Crakes begin to appear in the Ummah. That is why i reiterate, mere recitation of the Shahadah and abundant dhikr will not establish the Ummah. THE Ummah will only be re-established when internal dealings are reformed, responsibilities are to society are understood and discharged, the rights of all are fulfilled and each individual is received with kindness. In fact, unity will only come when one's own rights and interests are sacrificed for the convenience of others. The compassionate Prophet, his companions, Abu Bakr, Umar and others sacrificed everything in their means to make this Ummah a true united Ummah. They volunteered themselves in the most punishing difficulties to achieve this.- Maulana Yusuf further commented:-To establish an Ummah it is necessary that we all strive to create mutual harmony and guard against internal dispute. The tongue plays a key role in making or breaking the Ummah. It has the capacity to unify hearts. It also has the capacity to destroy the unity of the hearts. Misuse it, and it presents a whole barrel of insoluble problems and disputes. Use it sensibly and a simple phrase can bring an end to ill feeling and repair broken friendships. This is why it is so important to be cautious in the use of our tongues. This attention to speech will only be possible when each person develops a strong awareness of the presence of Allah, that at every moment, in every place he is with him, watching him, studying his every action listening to his every word. All the teachings of Islam have been prescribed to generate mutual love and harmony. In salah there is unity In fasting there is unity. The Hajj is an exhibition of unity amongst people of different races, nations and languages. Grouping for religious discourses creates unity. Kindness and hospitality for Muslim brethren, the exchanging of gifts and presents all create harmony and unity. They are actions which ease the path to Jannah. Those who engage in such activities will be amply rewarded. Their faces will gleam and radiate on the day of reckoning. On the contrary, enmity, envy, publicizing confidentialities relating to others, dishonoring and humiliating others, causing grief and heartache to others, these are all actions that are the ingredients of disunity. They pave the way to hell and those guilty of these actions will have their faces darkened in the hereafter.- Drawing attention to actions that may be taken to eliminate disunity, Maulana explained:-Today we find a universal effort to break the solidarity of the Ummah. The only safeguard to this is that we devote ourselves entirely to the divine mission of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Let us encourage the Muslims to flock to the Masjids. There, let them be reminded of the sweetness, beauty and importance of Imaan. Let there be groups of people collected for Ta'leem, collected for the remembrance of Allah, groups sat addressing the issue of religion and its revival. Differing sects of people, diverse nationalities, people of varying languages be assembled on the same basis, with the same intentions, conforming to the same prescribed methods, engaging in the same activities as were once to be witnessed in the Prophet's Masjid. Only then will we succeed in unifying the Ummah.We must refrain from activities which allow shaytaan to fuel disputes within us. A group of three people should be conscious that the fourth amongst them is Allah. A company of five or six individuals should be aware that the sixth or seventh amongst them is Allah. He is present, He is listening to their entire conversation and studying their activities. Does their speech flow with mutual love? Does it generate harmony and brotherhood or does it destroy brotherhood? Are they engaged in backbiting, tale telling or evil conspiracies? The compassionate Prophet sacrificed his priceless and suffered the pangs of hunger to establish this Ummah. Today, over totally minor issues we are slaying the Ummah. Note! forgoing Jummah salah will not be such a punishable sin in the courts of Allah as the detestable crime of tearing the tissues of this Ummah.If the Muslims are to unify then they will never see the face of disgrace in this world. The superpowers will bow to their sovereignty. The Ummah will only be one when the Quraanic pronouncement: Azillatin Alal Mu'mineenonce again becomes a living reality. The Muslims become a visible example of these words. That is each individual amongst them treats his fellow Muslims with humility, humbleness and regards them superior to himself. This characteristic is taught and practiced in the work of Tabligh.When the Muslims will discipline themselves to:Azillatin Alal Mu' mineenthen as a result they will be elevated to:A'izzatin alal Ka'fireenthat is they will be nt and triumphant over the non believers, whether they be settlers of Asia or nationals of Europe. That is, no one would be in a position to oppose a united Ummah.This Ummah will unite through self sacrifice, sacrifice of time, wealth and comforts. Once these sacrifices are given and the Ummah is made it will receive honor and dignity. Honor and dignity does not lie in the trends of any nation, not even in the social and political set-ups of the super powers. Honor lies in the hands of Allah alone. In order to be deserving of his favors, He has prescribed a particular code of conduct, issued guidelines and stipulated that certain principles be adhered to. Any individual, family, community or class of people who fulfill these requirements and adorn their lives with these radiant characteristics they themselves will become radiant. The Jews are descendants of Prophets. They behaved arrogantly and violated divine law and displeased Allah. The companions of the blessed Prophet were the offspring of idol worshippers. They chose to adopt the flawless principles of the Quran and teachings of the Prophet. Allah made them the shining stars of this Ummah. Allah is pure of any family ties or relationships. In His court all that is taken into account is obedience to law and conformance to principles. Friends, with an intense fervour, devote yourselves to the cause of making the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad a united Ummah, an Ummah bubbling with faith and belief, an Ummah constantly engaged in the remembrance of Allah, his Grace, His bounties, one concerned about the religious education of its individuals of the Ummah that surrenders to the will of Allah, an obedient, helpful, tolerant, loving and caring Ummah. Let us strive to make it an Ummah that condemns evil scheming, detests disobedience to Allah, deplores the humiliation and abuse of others, deplores prying into the private affairs of others and backbiting of others.If on any plot of earth this banner is lifted and effort is made in the required manner, then very shortly, every nation on earth will follow suit. What is needed now is that people of every community, origin, race and language be teamed together in groups and sent out for the work of Da'wah. Let each group be teamed, meticulously bind itself to the principles of this work then inshAllah the efforts of uniting the Ummah will come to blossom and Allah willing shaytaan and the dictates of our desires will pose no danger to us whatsoever.

 

 

Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani
by Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani , Snr. HR & Finance Officer , Sarri Zawetta Company

Thanks

First of all, it is a great model to change others, especially those whom made mistakes. And this method does not existing between us .

But unfortunately, many people in this world judge others without take a look inside their humanity

As we all know, people do unmeant mistakes sometimes, just because they are angry or have no knowledge, so, your example gave a good manner to habituation – train the human being to be good person inside the society. And make him-her thing again and again before doing or taking any decision  

Emmanuel Wamweta
by Emmanuel Wamweta , production supervisor , Tembo Steel Rolling

Wonderful question from a top & senior expert.

"Ubuntu"- humanity towards each other is a beautiful ideal model every society & region should be embracing especially in this Global village. No one loses anything by practicing this model & it costs nothing to love & care for one another wherever we may be.

We don't need to do all the rituals done in S. Africa, but just loving one other, caring for one another & treating one other like human beings is what counts most and utimately moves or leads us forward.

I salute all the people in the world would practice such- who treat everything rightly irrespective of their family-ethnicity background, colour, race or nationality, God bless you all.

Thanx so much Mr. Heavenly, I am truly humbled & honored to contribute here

Ghada Eweda
by Ghada Eweda , Registered student MBA-marketing , AOU

Many wonderful answers are lareday herein. Thank you Mr. Heavenly John

Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi
by Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi , Shared Services Supervisor , Saudi Musheera Co. Ltd.

agree with all expert answers above

 

Patrick Zamachacha
by Patrick Zamachacha , branch administrator , Tm & PICK n PAY Supermarkets

it is very feaseable to practice ubuntu everywhere.ubuntu or humanity comprises of special qualities that makes a person workable withsociable with,likeable and most of agreable with.It starts with self presentation emotional aspect ,your general view and or observation on matters at hand.those who behave well and respect others are bound to be respected back more ,those  who have good association with others can be valued too whilst eyesores are those who always have negative attitudes in every aspect.The success of workplaces,homes,churches organisations and or establishment depends  on good humnity or ubuntu as those who are are directlly in charge have complete influence  and such influence can be for the better if it  is of good ubuntu.where there is no good humanity there is bund to be great chaos ,crisis  and even unending confusion.ubuntu starts with me and you ,lets be the best in our understanding,emotions,practices,in the counsil that we offer others let it transorm their lives.no man can stand on his own and be able to achieve everything,lets have eyes to see ,ears to hear and the mind to think properly.this all constitute ubuntu or humanity and therefore ubuntu remins feaseble in every sphere. 

Ramesh Ramanujam
by Ramesh Ramanujam , general manager , oleander brands

Ubuntu cannot be practised everywhere, Please remember you can say SORRY for doing something wrong but SORRY will not bring back the dead alive 

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