Food for thought!!
10 Principles Of Achieving Supreme Success
It is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam (saw) has been the
supremely successful man in human history. But he was not just a hero, as
Thomas Carlyle has called him.
According to the Qur'an, he was the best example for all mankind. He has shown us the way of achieving supreme success in this world.
By studying the life of the Prophet (saw), we can derive those important
principles which were followed by the Prophet (saw). Indeed, the Prophet of
Islam (saw) was a positive thinker in the full sense of the word. All his
activities were result-oriented. He completely refrained from all such
steps as may prove counter-productive.
1. First Principle: To begin from the possible
This principle is well explained in a saying of Aishah (ra). She said:
"Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he always opted
for the easier choice." (Al-Bukhari) To choose the easiest option means to
begin from the possible, and one who begins from the possible will surely
reach his goal.
2. Second Principle: To see advantage in disadvantage
In the early days of Mecca, there were many problems and difficulties. At
that time, a guiding verse in the Qur'an was revealed. It said: "With every
hardship there is ease, with every hardship there is ease." (94:5-6). This
means that if there are some problems, there are also opportunities at the
same time. And the way to success is to ignore the problems and avail the
opportunities.
3. Third Principle: To change the place of action
This principle is derived from the Hijrah. Hijrah was not just a migration
from Mecca to Medina. It was to find a more suitable place for Islamic
work, as history proved later on.
4. Fourth Principle: To make a friend out of an enemy
The Prophet (saw) of Islam was repeatedly subjected to practices of
antagonism by the unbelievers. At that time the Qur'an enjoined upon him
the return of good for evil. And then, as the Qur'an added, "You will see
your direst enemy has become your closest friend" (41:34).
It means that a good deed in return of a bad deed has a conquering effect
over your enemies. And the life of the Prophet (saw) is a historical proof
of this principle.
5. Fifth Principle: To turn minus into plus
After the Battle of Badr, about 70 of the unbelievers were taken as the
prisoners of war. They were educated people. The Prophet (saw) announced
that if any one of them would teach ten Muslim children how to read and
write he would be freed. This was the first school in the history of Islam
in which all of the students were Muslims, and all of the teachers were
from the enemy rank. Here I shall quote a British orientalist who remarked
about the Prophet of Islam (saw): He faced adversity with the determination
to writing success out of failure.
6. Sixth Principle: The power of peace is stronger than the power of
violence
When Mecca was conquered, all of the Prophet's (saw) direst opponents were
brought before him. They were war criminals, in every sense of the word.
But the Prophet (saw) did not order to kill them. He simply said: "Go, you
are free." The result of this kind behavior was miraculous. They
immediately accepted Islam.
7. Seventh Principle: Not to be a dichotomous thinker
In the famous Ghazwa of Muta, Khalid bin Walid decided to withdraw Muslim
forces from the battlefield because he discovered that his army was
disproportionately outnumbered. When they reached Medina, some of the
Muslims received them by the word "O Furrar (O deserters!)" The Prophet
(saw) said "No. They are Kurrar (men of advancement)." Those Medinan people
were thinking dichotomously, either fighting or retreating. The Prophet
(saw) said no. There is also a third option, and that is to avoid war and
find a time to strengthen yourself. Now history tells us that the Muslims,
after three years of preparation, advanced again towards the Roman border
and this time they won a resounding victory.
8. Eighth Principle: To bring the battle in one's own favorable field
This principle is derived from the Ghazwa of Hudaibiyya. At that time, the
unbelievers were determined to engage Muslims in fighting, because
obviously they were in an advantageous position. But the Prophet (saw), by
accepting their conditions unilaterally, entered into a pact. It was a
ten-year peace treaty. Until then, the meeting ground between Muslims and
non- Muslims had been on the battlefield. Now the area of conflict became
that of ideological debate. Within two years, Islam emerged as victorious
because of the simple reason of its ideological superiority.
9. Ninth Principle: Gradualism instead of radicalism
This principle is well established by a hadith of Al-Bukhari. Aishah (ra)
says that the first verses of the Qur'an were related mostly to heaven and
hell. And then after a long time when the people's hearts had softened, the
specific commands to desist from adultery and drinking were revealed in the
Qur'an. This is a clear proof that for social changes, Islam advocates the
evolutionary method, rather than the revolutionary method.
10. Tenth Principle: To be pragmatic in controversial matters
During the writing of Hudaibiyya treaty, the Prophet (saw) dictated these
words: "This is from Muhammad, the Messenger of God." The Quraysh delegate
raised objections over these words. The Prophet (saw) promptly changed the
word and ordered to write simply Muhammad, son of Abdullah.
These were the principles through which the Prophet of Islam (saw) gained
that success which has been recognized by historians as the true success.
Please, send any feedback to: [email protected]
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, President,
The Islamic Centre, 1,
Nizamuddin West Market,
New Delhi - 110 013; INDIA
Tel. 91-11-4625454, 4611128
Fax 91-11-4697333, 4647980
Thank you for your time,
Sawa Emas