Principles of Success
From: www.islamicity.com
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Source: rbsHYPERLINK "http://www.rbstudios.com/"tudios.com
According to the Quran, Prophet Muhammad was the most excellent example for all
of humanity. Even non-Muslim historians recognize him to be one of the most
successful personalities in history. In 1946 Reverend R Bosworth-Smith in
"Mohammed & Mohammedanism." wrote about the Prophet: "Head
of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was
pope without the pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar,
without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed
revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine
It was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its
support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life
was in keeping with his public life." In 1978 Michael Hart in his book
" The 100 Most Influential Persons In History", selected Prophet
Muhammad as the most influential person in history and had this to say about
his choice: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others,
but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the
secular and religious level... It is this unparalleled combination of secular
and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the
most influential single figure in human history." The Prophet's words and
actions show us the way to achieve success, not just in this world but in the
hereafter as well. In short, the Prophet of Islam was a positive thinker in the
full sense of the word. All his activities were result-oriented. He refrained
from all negative elements of behavior that are counter-productive to achievement
such as hate, envy, arrogance, greed, etc. All the actions of the Prophet were
solely based on a pure intention to please God. By studying the life of the
Prophet we can identify some of the principles of success. The First Principle:
Take the easier path. This principle is well explained in a saying of A'ishah.
She said: Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he always
opted for the easier choice. (Bukhari) To choose the easiest option means that
you should evaluate your options and choose the most feasible. One who begins
from this starting point will surely reach his goal.The Second Principle: See
advantage in disadvantage. In the early days of Makkah, there were many
problems and difficulties. At that time, a guiding verse in the Quran 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. The way to success is to overcome the problems
and avail the opportunities. The Third Principle: Change the place of action.
This principle is derived from the Hijrah. The Hijrah was not just a migration
from Makkah to Madinah, it was a journey to find a more suitable place to put
Islam into action. Physical migration and perseverance is an important element
in establishing Justice and Peace. This also planted the roots of intellectual
migration from the subjugated minds to an awakened spirit. The Fourth
Principle:Make a friend out of an enemy. The Prophet 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 Quran
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 is a historical proof of this
principle. The greatest example of amnesty was shown by the Prophet after the
blood-less conquest of Makkah. All enemies of Islam were granted pardon
including Hinda, the wife of Abu Soofyaan who had disemboweled the martyred
body of Hamza, the Prophet's uncle. In spite of her detestable mutilation of
Hamza's body, the Prophet forgave her. The Fifth Principle:Education is central
to success. After the battle of Badr, about 70 of the unbelievers were taken as
prisoners of war. They were educated people. The Prophet 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. The
Sixth Principle:Don't be a dichotomous thinker. In the famous battle of Mutah,
Khalid Ibn Walid decided to withdraw Muslim forces from the battlefield because
he discovered that they were disproportionately outnumbered by the enemy. When
they reached Madinah, some of the Muslims received them by the word 'O
deserters!' The Prophet said: 'No, they are men of advancement'. Those Madinan
people were thinking dichotomously, either fighting or retreating. The Prophet
said that there is also a third option, and that is to avoid war and find 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. The Seventh Principle:Do not engage in
unnecessary confrontation. This principle is derived from the treaty of
Hudaybiyyah. At that time, the unbelievers were determined to engage Muslims in
fighting, because they were in an advantageous position. But the Prophet , 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. The Eighth
Principle:Gradualism instead of radicalism. This principle is well-established
by a Hadith quoted in Bukhari. A'ishah says that the first verses of the Qur'an
were related mostly to Heaven and Hell. After some time when faith had taken
hold in peoples hearts, God revealed specific commands to desist from unjust
and self-deprecating social practices that were prevalent in the Arabian dark
ages. This is a clear proof that for social changes, Islam advocates the
evolutionary method, rather than the revolutionary method. The Ninth Principle:Be
pragmatic in controversial matters. During the writing of the Hudaybiyyah
treaty, the Prophet dictated these words: 'This is from Muhammad, the Messenger
of God.' The Qurayshan delegate raised objections over these words. The Prophet
promptly ordered the words to be changed to 'Muhammad, son of Abdullah'. This
simple change placated the Qurayshan delegate.These are just some of the
principles by which the Prophet of Islam conducted his life. His achievements
have been recognized by historians as the supreme success. We would be wise to
live by following his example.
You have indeed in the Messenger of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for
any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day .. (Quran 33:21)
Adapted from the "Principles of Success in the Light of Sirah" by
Wahiduddin Khan - Renaissance Islamic Journal
http://jesussecondcoming.blogspot.com/2008/01/principles-of-success.html
