CHAPTER13

STRENGTH

Faith-A Revolutionary Strength

A firm and strong faith issuch anever-drying spring, from which flow the strength for the desiredactivities,coveted courage and forbearance to tolerate adversities and to facedangers. Itcreates in man such a restless feeling and deep attachment to his idealthat ifhe is unable to achieve his coveted objective, he does not hesitatetopartake of the drink of death.

When faith finds a place in aman’s heartand takes deep roots in it, it brings out these results only. It fillsa man’sheart and mind with such power and strength that cover and influenceall hisdealings. Accordingly, when he opens his mouth, he talks withconfidence andcertainty. When he undertakes a work, he attends to it with fullinterest andsincerity. When he starts on a journey, his destination is before hiseyes. Ifhe enjoys the wealth of the correct end firm thinking, the world of thehearttoo is inhabited by the enthusiasm and restless courage. Hesitation andambivalence do not find a place in his heart, and high-velocity windsdo notmove him from his path or make him deviate from his objective. It willnot besurprising if he says to every one, in the words of an Urdu poet:

“Come here O tyrant! we willtry ourart,

“You try your arrow, and Iwill trymy liver (courage).”

And he may challenge thepeople aroundhim thus:

“You work in your manner, Itoo amacting. Soon you will know who will get disgraceful punishment, and whowillget the everlasting punishment.”

(Zumar : 39-40)

 This challengingaccent, thisindependent spirit in action and deeds, this self-confidence inunderstanding  truth and tradition arethe qualities which make him a distinguished personality in life. Hedeals withthe  people in the light of the factsseen and experienced by  him. If hefinds the people on a policy which is right f and truthful, he extendshis handfor co-operation; and if he finds them committing errors, he withdrawshimself,,and leaves his conscience alive and wakeful.

 Allah’sMessenger has said:

“Everyone of you should desistfromwalking with every traveler. He  shouldnot say that he is with the people, and that if people would do gooddeed, hewould also do the good deeds; and that if they would do wicked deedsthen hewould co-operate with them. You should prepare yourself to co-operatewith themif they do righteous deeds and to keep away if they do wicked deeds.”

(Tirmizi)

But one who is weak, thecurrent customsand habits make one their slave. On such a man’s conduct rule thethings whichare current in the society. If these customs and practices are wronganddestructive, then he carries the burden of the troubles of this worldas wellas of the next.

Among the people, variouskinds of innovationshave become customary on the occasions of celebrations and mourning.They paymore attention to performing these innovative acts than on therealities of thereligion.

But a straight-going Momindoes not takeany interest in these things, for which there is no supportive proof inreligion. He is confronted with opposition and experiences difficultiesinopposing the popular and customary rituals, but it is obvious that heneed notcare for any condemnation from anybody in the affairs of Allah. He hastoachieve his ideal. No weapon of criticism and fault-finding and noinjuriesfrom tongue can obstruct his way.

Falsehood which sometimes issuccessfulis subsequently ruled by powerful individuals. They then destroy itspositionand rank. This also cannot stay for a long time with the help andsupport ofits allies, because many enemies who are today with it, having beendeceived byfalsehood, tomorrow they would become the supporters of the otherenemies; theyapprove of their aims and objects after knowing their character andpledgetheir support after severe hostility and spite.

Ibn Abbas has narrated thatAllah’sMessenger has said:

“He who has displeased Allahforseeking the pleasure of the people, Allah is displeased with him  and those people are also displeased forpleasing  whom he had earned Allah’sdispleasure. And he who pleases Allah by displeasing the people, Allahis alsopleased with him and also those people whom he had displeased forpleasingAllah, so much so that He made him splendid and his speech and acts inthe eyesof others beautiful.”

(Tibrani)

A Muslim should stick to whathe believesto be true, and he should ignore all the insults, fun-making, anddifficultieswith which he is confronted. He should adopt for himself such a policythroughfollowing which he should always try to get rewards (sawab) fromAllah.If those, who believe in superstitions and absurd things, make fun ofthefaithful people and laugh at them, then it is necessary for a Momin tobestrong and to stand his ground with firmness.

“When they see you, (0Muhammed !)they treat you only as a jest (saying): Is this he whom Allah sends asamessenger? He would have led us far away from our gods if we had notbeenstaunch to them. They will know, when they behold the doom, who is moreastrayas to the road.”

(Furqan : 42-43)

No doubt, a Muslim must feelin hispersonality the strength of belief and in his heart the pressure andawe offaith. If the things around him do not influence him, then he is like arockwhich is not moved by the lashing of the waves of the sea. What harmthese mencan inflict on a man who feels in his heart the strength of faith andbelief,and on account of his relation with his Lord and steadfastness in hisreligionfeels in himself a new determination and a fresh courage ? If all theserushand attack, they will not be able to harm him a bit.

Ibn Abbas says that he wassitting on amount be- hind the Prophet. The Prophet said:

“O child! remember Allah, Hewilltake care of you. Remember Allah, you will find Him everywhere.RecognizeAllah’s rights in your prosperity, He will recognize you in youradversity. Ifyou want to ask anything, ask from Allah. If you need help, seek helpfromAllah, for if all the men together decide to help, they will not beable to doso, if Allah has not written that for you and they have no control overit. Andif all of them decide to inflict some harm on you which Allah has notmeant foryou, they cannot harm you a bit. The ink of the pen has been dried andthesheets have been collected.”

The fact is that in a Muslimthe basis ofstrength and power is the belief in the oneness of Allah. Similarlyothervirtues prevent him from accepting any disgrace and insult in thisworld,because a Muslim is most honored and of high rank on account of hisrelationship with the heavens. In his own sphere of faith he  has the power to become a whole community.These  are Allah’s words, speaking forhim:

 “Say:’Shall I choose for a protecting friend other than Allah, theOriginator of theheavens and the earth, who feeds and is never fed?’ Say: ‘I am orderedto bethe first to surrender (to Him). And be not you (0 Muhammed !) of theidolaters’.'”

(An’am: 14).

Determination and Trust-the best Manifestationof Strength

Islam has declared achievementofstrength and power essential. Its one characteristic and manifestationis thatyou make a firm determination and a strong resolve to achieve, with thehelp ofyour nearest available means and resources, your objective. Try yourutmost inachieving your goal. You should leave no stone unturned and no room forchance,and thereafter leave the outcome in the hands of destiny. There aremanyindividuals who take Allah’s shelter in order to cover theirobjectionabledefects reprehensible negligence, inability and laziness, and grumbleagainstluck. Islam has disapproved of this tendency.

Auf bin Malik says thatAllah’s Messengeronce gave a decision in a dispute of two people. When the man againstwhom theProphet’s decision was given was returning, said:

“For me Allah is sufficient,and Heis the best support.” The Prophet said: “Allah sends curses onhelplessness and weakness. You should give proof of your wisdom. Whenyou areoverpowered in any matter say: ‘For me Allah is sufficient, and He isthe bestsupport’.”

(Abu Daud)

It is the duty of everybodythat heshould make full efforts and try to the best of his ability to overcomehisdifficulty, till the time he achieves his objective. If he overpowershisdifficulties then he has fulfilled his responsibility.

However, if after making allthe effortshe fails, then at such a time the support of Allah is the best shelterfor him,which would help him to overcome the sense of defeatism andfrustration. Inboth the states he is strong and powerful. First by making efforts andworking,and in the second case by relying on God he receives strength.

Islam does not like that inyour affairsyou should be a prey to vagueness and hesitation, You should not beundecidedin the matter of selecting the advantageous alternative. Your headshould notbe filled up with doubts and misgivings, resulting in an atmosphere ofindetermination and indecision, making it difficult for you to come toadecision. It does not like that due to your weakness you may not beable tostrongly hold the advantageous things in your firm grip, and theyshould slipthrough your fingers and may be wasted. This restlessness andindecision doesnot become a Muslim.

Allah’s Prophet has said:

“ A strong Momin is betterthan a weakMomin and is more liked by Allah, and there is good ill each one.Desireprofitable things and seek Allah’s help and be humble. If you areharmed thendo not say that had you done in this way the result would have beendifferent,but say Allah is Controller, whatever He likes He may decide, becausethebotheration of ifs and buts opens the door of the devil’s workshop.”

(Muslim)

What is the work of Satan? Toremind ofthe troubles and the difficulties of the past, which would create asense ofheart-breaking disappointment and de-privation. Man thinks about theprospectsof his present and future. As regards shedding tears on the defeats ofthepast, to bring back the memory of the past sadness, to think of oldenmitiesand to be entangled in the net of ifs and buts, are inclinations whichdo notsuit the conduct of a Muslim. Quran has listed them with sorrow andfrustrationin those manifestations which are generated in the hearts of theinfidels:

“0you who believe ! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of theirbrethrenwho went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field : If they hadbeen(here) with us they would not have died or been killed; that Allah maymake itanguish in their hearts. Allah gives life and causes death and Allah isObserver of what you do.”

( Ale Imran ..156)

One hadith has it:

 “Onewho wants to be strong among men, should rely onAllah.”

Trust in Allah which makes aman powerfulis a kind of confidence in Allah, which saves a man from destruction ata timewhen he is surrounded on all sides by harrowing difficulties, and whenhe is unableto get help from anyone else, nor is there any hope of getting it fromelsewhere.

Accordingly he becomes amountain ofstrength at the time of confrontation with the enemy. If the relianceis onAllah, then in spite of the shortage of weapons and war equipment andinsufficient number of supporters, he feels that he has a strongsupport. Fromthis trust in Allah he receives encouragement and support to besteadfast. Hesticks to his job till in the dark and frightening atmosphere the gladtidingsof victory are heard by him. The holy Quran says that trust is such aneternalfood for war that with its help prophets and their followers havebravely andsuccessfully faced the tyrants of their time:

“How should we not put ourtrust inAllah when He has shown US our ways? We surely will endure that hurtyou do us.In Allah let the trusting put their trust”

(Ibrahim: 12)

The faithful and theirsupporters standtheir ground, sticking to their mandate. They have expectations ofwell-beingin the future. They have full confidence that their present weaknesswill beconverted into a powerful victorious force, but the wicked and evilrulers andtheir disciples term this determination and trust of the faithful astheirpride and madness:

“When the hypocrites and thoseinwhose hearts is a disease said: ‘Their religion has deluded these.Whosoeverputs his trust in Allah (will find that) surely, Allah is Mighty,Wise.”

(AI-Anfal: 49)

The correct and true trust isthat whichaccompanies profitable striving and firm determination. From thesethings trustbecame deprived when the face of Islam was disfigured and religion wasmade aplaything For becoming strong and powerful a Muslim should take carethat hekeeps away from the life of wickedness and evil, loves the policy ofcleannessand steadfastness. A man who is ill mannered, and bereft of decency andconsideration, cannot attain strength. He should put on the hide of thebeastsand walk in the wake of the kings as a servant.

Allah informed the nation ofHud, thatwas tyrant and rebellious against Allah, the correct and profitablecauses ofstrength:

“Askforgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him repentant ; He will causethe sky torain abundance on you and will add to you strength to your strength.Turn notaway, guilty.”

 (Hud:52)

The kind Prophet wanted topresent theworship to the people in a beautiful form and to persuade them toperform it.When a man performs a righteous deed, he opposes the Satan and tries torisetowards the angels. At that time how great becomes his sanctity andmagnificence! To focus attention on this the Prophet has explained itby givingan example:

“When Allah created the earth,ittilted and was unsteady. Accordingly Allah put the stakes , (nails) ofmountainsin it, and it became steady, and stood in one position. The angels wereamazedby  the strength of the mountains. Theyasked the  Creator: ‘Our Lord! Have youcreated anything harder than the mountains ?’ He replied: ‘Yes, Iron isharderthan this.’ The angels again asked: ”Is anything harder than iron ?’ Hesaid:’Yes, Fire has more power,’ They asked: ‘Is there any- thing morepowerfulcreated by you than fire ? He said: ‘Yes. Water is morepowerful thanthis.’ The angels asked: ‘Does anything among your created things existmorepowerful than water ? He said: ‘Yes, air has more power thanthis.’ Theyasked: : ‘Have you created anything more powerful than air ?’ He said:’Yes.Adam’s son is more powerful, provided he gives charity from his righthandwithout letting his left hand know it.”

(Tirmizi)

Man is the strangest creatureof theuniverse. The day his personality attains greatness and excellence ofmoralcharacter he becomes the hunter of the universe. He brings under hiscontrolthe hardest and the most powerful things of the universe, and derivesbenefitfrom it. But the day when his personality declines, he earns the cursesof theinhabitants of the heavens and the earth, and the particles of dustcarry himwith them in their flight.

In the hadith quotedabove thevalue and importance of such a virtuous man has been mentioned whotries toforge ahead in the field of righteousness and who tries to touch theheights ofexcellence and decency.

One factor of strength is thata Muslimshould be in the habit of stating the truth unhesitatingly. He shouldmeetpeople with an open heart, and on the basis of righteous values andprinciples.He should not compromise in the matter of truth, so that his decencyand hiscompanions’ character may not be tarnished.

He should consider hisstrength a directoutcome of his belief which he represents and for which he is alive. Heshouldnever waver in unhesitatingly and courageously proving a reality.

It is reported that when theProphet’sson Ibrahim died, the sun went into an eclipse. The people said thattheeclipse was due to the death of Ibrahim. Allah’s Messenger gave asermon to thepeople, and said:

“The eclipse of the sun andthe moonare not on account of the death or life of some person, but they bothare thesigns of Allah, which He shows to His slaves. So when you see theeclipse ofthe sun or the moon, you run for offering salat.”

(Bukhari)

A man who breathes in theatmosphere ofrealities, does not compromise with falsehood and absurdities. He isalwaysindifferent to such things, and his uncompromising words point to thevasttreasure of greatness and nobility, whose owner does not derive anybenefitfrom deception and his character, stands on the rock of excellent moralcharacter.

The performance of the duty oforderingthe righteous thing and preventing the commitment of the forbiddenthing comesfrom the personal excellence, because it results from the courageoustalk ofthe sincere people who want to earn Allah’s reward by ending their ownegoistleanings.

 Inour other books we have explained the social and politicalobjectives which is related to the performance of the righteous and theforbidding of the forbidden. (Author’s Arabic book)

Here what we want to emphasizeis that aMuslim must necessarily straight away criticize the general evils,should becourageous in attacking them. neither the fear of a big man nor theconsideration for a relative should prevent him from doing the rightthing, andin the path of Allah no condemnation from any source should block hisaway.

Islam has disliked that a manshould feelweak in the presence of wicked and evil persons, and should addressthem in arespectable way. Allah’s Messenger has said: “When a man addresses ahypocrite as ‘Ya Sayyedi’ (My master), he makes Allah very wrathful.”

This is a double crime that aman shouldnot respect the Allah’s commands about forbidden things, and then heshouldonly listen to those who think him respectable and should not care forthosewho consider him mean and humble:

“He whom Allah scorns. thereis noneto give him honor. Surely, Allah does what He will.”

(Hajj: 18)

Islam has declared backbitingas haram,so that man’s life may continue and the factors of strength mayremain init, for the man who states the defects of a person in his absence andderivessatisfaction from it, is undoubtedly very mean and low.

But the man who has thestrength torespond to the motivation and call of truth, he stops those whom helikes, inwhatever manner and words he thinks proper he criticizes them. He doesnot keepanything hidden in his heart for condemning anybody behind the scene.

However it does not mean thatwe mayaddress anybody whom we like in an insulting way. If we find anydefects inpersons, we may fix up certain] norms about dealing with them.

If his defect is limited tohis ownperson or if it is not in consonance with his position, then it wouldbefoolish to castigate him in his presence or in his absence.

And if his steps are slippingtowards asin, and he does not seem to be in a mood to give it up like a horsewhoflounders and falls on his face then to defame such a person among thepeopleis meanness. 

However, if he is a blatantsinner, andhe openly breaks the rights of Allah and usurps the rights of hisfellow men,then it is necessary that he should be opposed with the words of truthandwithout caring for anybody he should be properly warned.

Since this dialogue has to bestraight,it is necessary that curses and abuses should be avoided and physicalhurtshould be averted. The purpose should be to change the bad habit and toreformthe individual and the society. It does not mean that his mentionbefore hisenemies should be in demeaning words, so that you may get closer totheirhearts, or may derive some benefits or may claim yourself to beinnocent ofthose sins. Allah’s Messenger has said:

“He who has eaten food inexchangefor the honor of a Muslim, Allah will feed him fire of hell incompensation onthe Doomsday; and he who put on clothes in exchange for dishonoring aMuslim,Allah will clothe him in compensation with the cloth of hell fire; andif hewho earned respect and fame by playing with the chastity of a Muslim,Allahwill make him taste fully for this on the Doomsday.”

(Abu Daud)

 Backbitingis the policy of the weak persons, and “only thosepeople try to indulge in backbiting who are unable to strive forthemselves.”

Sycophants are Disliked by Islam

Islam dislikes those personswho becomemerely a supplement of other people, those persons who live on thecharity ofothers, those who want to live like foxes that is content with eatingtheremnants of a Lion’s prey.

A Muslim is much above thiskind ofliving, to maintain himself in this superficial way on the support ofothers.It is necessary that he should shun all places or situations of insultsandignominy, and should go to the end of the world in search of a life ofhonorand dignity.

Allah’s Messenger has talkedof thepeople of the  Paradise and theircompanions, and the people of the hell and their companions.Accordingly he hasmentioned in the first group the good qualities and advantages ofstrength,decency and morality, while in the other group he has mentioned theinfamy,ignominy, helplessness and immoral enjoyments.

“People of paradise will be ofthreekinds. First that powerful man who was just and balanced in his  dealings, who popularized the practice ofcharity and  virtue, and adopted theattitude of softness and rightness. Second will be that person who waskind,who was soft hearted for every relative and every Muslim. Third will bethatperson who having a wife and children, yet was able to save himselffrom theforbidden things. In the people of the hell will be that dishonestperson whosegreed will not be discernible, but he would be indulging inmisappropriation,that man who may deceive you every morning and evening in connectionwith yourproperty and your family. And the Prophet talked about miserliness,falsehood,speaker of vulgarity and ill-mannered person, and said:

“Allah has inspired me to saythatyou should be humble and none should feel proud, nor should anyoneoppressothers.”

(Muslim)

Although many occasions comewhen aMuslim is caught in dilemmas and sometimes he feels mean in his owneyes, if heis bound by these melancholic handcuffs. Accordingly the fear ofindividualinfamy and social ignominy sometimes compel a man to be inactive. 

He thinks on wrong lines andconsidersthese misfortunes as bad omen. His productivity in the field of lifereducesconsiderably. But it is the responsibility of a Muslim that he shouldbreak allthese chains of sorrow and adversities and should strive fully toextricatehimself from these crippling curbs.

The last Prophet of Allah usedto prayfor shelter under his Lord from all these adversities:

“O Allah! I seek shelterthrough youfrom sorrow and hardship. I seek shelter from humility and laziness,and throughyou seek shelter from cowardice and miserliness, from the defeat of thereligion  and from the cruelty andtyranny of the oppressors.”

(Abu Daud)

Patience andhope are the weapons of the presentand the future. In their company man is able to bear the severest ofthehardships and is not disgraced, and all sides of his life become moresafe fromevils, and he rises above the mischief and trials, because he is aMomin afaithful slave who begs and supplicates in humbles before Allah only