Principles Of Success - The Prophet's Way
It
is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam (Peace and Blessinsg be upon Him)) was the supremely
successful man in the entire human history. But he was not just a hero,
as Thomas Carlyle has called him. According to the Qur’an, he was a
good example for all mankind. He has shown us the way of achieving
supreme success in this world.
By
studying the life of the Prophet we can derive those important
principles which were followed by the Prophet. In short, the Prophet of
Islam 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.
First Principle:
To begin from the possibleThis principle is well explained in a saying
of Aishah. 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.
Second Principle:
To see advantage in disadvantageIn 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" (Quran
94:5).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.
Third Principle:
To change the place of actionThis 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.
Fourth Principle:
To make a friend out of an enemyThe 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 Qur’an added, "You will see your direst enemy has become your closest friend" (Quran 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.
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 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: He
faced adversity with the determination to wring success out of failure.
Sixth Principle:
The power of peace is stronger than the power of violence. When Mecca
was conquered, all of the Prophet’s direst opponents were brought before
him. They were war criminals, in every sense of the word. But the
Prophet 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.
Seventh Principle:
Not to be a dichotomous thinkerIn the famous Ghazwa of Muta, Khalid bin
Walid decided to withdraw Muslim forces from the battlefield because he
discovered that the enemy was unproportionately outnumbered. When they
reached Medina, some of the Muslims received them by the word "O Furrar"
(O deserters!) The Prophet said "No. They are Kurrar" (men of
advancement)."
Those
Medinan people were thinking dichotomously, either fighting or
retreating. The Prophet 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.
Eighth Principle:
To bring the battle in one’s own favorable fieldThis 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, 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.
Ninth Principle:
Gradualism instead of radicalismThis principle is well-established by a
hadith of Al-Bukhari. Aishah 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.
Tenth Principle:
To be pragmatic in controversial mattersDuring the writing of
Hudaibiyyah treaty, the Prophet dictated these words: "This is from
Muhammad, the Messenger of God." The Qurayshi delegate raised objections
over these words. The Prophet promptly changed the word and ordered to
write simply Muhammad, son of Abdullah.
These
were the principles through which the Prophet of Islam gained that
success which has been recognized by historians as the supreme success.
In the end, I would like to repeat those ten principles of success:
1. To begin from the possible
2. To see advantage in disadvantage
3. To change the place of action
4. To make a friend out of an enemy
5. To turn minus into plus
6. The power of peace is stronger than the power of violence
7. Not to be a dichotomous thinker
8. To bring the battle in one’s own favorable field
9. Gradualism instead of radicalism
10. To be pragmatic in controversial matters
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