- It’s a matter of degrees
When it comes to subjects one doesn’t quite have a grip on, there is a time-honoured tradition to announce upfront that one is not an expert in the field, and following it by illuminating the matter with all the shining light at one’s disposal. So, let me start by saying that I am no expert on insanity, although that doesn’t mean that I don’t have some absolutely brilliant things to say on the subject.
Which thoughtful soul among us can claim to be completely sane? Few among us have not been guilty of repeating the same things over and over, expecting different results each time. If wisdom comprises balance and seeing the bigger picture, then obsession with one thing or activity is also a form of madness. Only the other day I attempted to copy-paste a text off a hand-written sticky on the monitor of my laptop. For the record, I failed in the endeavor.
Sporadic incidents apart, there’s great benefit to be had if you can somehow get yourself acknowledged as a licensed eccentric (eccentric is a eumphemism for mad). For then you can get away with things that would get a nominally sane man ostracized by society, or worse. But, while it pays greatly to be a licenced lunatic, just make sure that you are not committed to an institution, because that is no fun at all.
The boundaries of madness are flexible and therefore constantly changing. Where a few years ago wearing crocs to the supermarket was considered a tell-tale sign; today, a bridegroom wearing boots without socks is considered pretty sane. Probably it has something to do with numbers, for sometimes it seems that it is like colour blindness, which is considered an abnormal condition merely on account of being found in a small minority.
Luckily, there is a litmus test proposed by the great Shafiqur Rehman: If you sometimes have a suspicion that you have gone bonkers, you are probably all right. If on the other hand you are absolutely convinced about the insanity of your relatives, your friends and all your acquaintances, then probably you went mad long ago.
So much for common, everyday kind of insanity to which we all are prone at one time or another. There are more serious manifestations too. I knew a graduate student in Japan who believed that a Muslim must never be on cordial terms with non-Muslims. When I asked him how he justified the Japanese government scholarship that he wasn’t averse to collecting each month, he said that it was permissible for Muslims to receive jizya from non-Muslims, and he considered it as the best he could do under the circumstances. I started laughing but soon realized that the man was quite earnest.
Madness comes in two types. One that is accompanied by a method, and the other that is not. We have ‘religious scholars’ that specialize in description of details of houris bordering on pornography; and detailed reports of all sorts of happenings in Paradise. Their celebrity status and huge incomes would imply that there’s a method to their madness. What about the legions of their devoted followers though, none of whom ever pauses to think or demand the source of such reports?
There’s a fine line between being mad and being a fool. Sayyadna Ali (ra) is on record sayong that every time he argued with a fool, he lost. Being a fool certainly has its perks, especially if one isn’t aware of being a fool. Although there is no dearth of those who play the fool, but here we again venture into the method-to-madness territory.
I had the misfortune of recently hearing the imam of the nearby mosque announcing to a large crowd that coronavirus can’t spread in mosques (which are good places), and neither can it transmit through handshaking (which is a good practice). But it would be a mistake to think that this sort of thing is confined to the clerics and their followers alone. While staying on the subject of coronavirus, many ‘intellectuals’ on the diametrically opposite side of the spectrum have pointed out triaumphantly, in what is supposed to be a supremely insightful observation (to be repeated ad-nauseum by their fans), that closing of mosques in many countries means that it’s medical science, not religion, that will treat the sick. Like love, madness certainly sees no boundaries or ideologies.
Some people are of the opinion that romantic love is also a form of temporary madness. Thankfully, we have a definite and permanent cure for it in the form of marriage, provided that the bride happens to be the love object.
While on the subject, mariujana was first criminalized on ‘grounds’ that it caused temporary insanity. It went well for a while, but it wasn’t long before defence lawyers started getting murderers off using the insanity defence. Then it was decided that though it was still bad for other reasons and hence deserved to stay on the banned list, marijuana certainly didn’t make you insane. You can take the powers that be for an occasional ride but you can’t consistently do that. They are too sane for that.
A man is rarely completely sane without having a sense of humour. The same goes for some exposure to literature. I remember an article that I wrote a while back in which I had asked about a certain group of people if they were children of a lesser god? To which, pat came a response asking me if I was unaware of the fact that God had no children.
Most of us are crazy in one respect or another – many just don’t know it. Luckily, there is a litmus test proposed by the great Shafiqur Rehman: If you sometimes have a suspicion that you have gone bonkers, you are probably all right. If on the other hand you are absolutely convinced about the insanity of your relatives, your friends and all your acquaintances, then probably you went mad long ago.
It could very well be that it doesn’t matter one way or the other. For sometimes it does feel that the world is such a madhouse that it’s only the completely insane that won’t be driven somewhat crazy by it.
