Time...Wisdom, Patience, Peace, ACTION - WORK
- Michael Folk
- Jan 2, 2022
- 19 min read
Updated: Jan 19, 2022
I really like this guy's blog: Good interesting posts
Comments I like:
Emma
Love the thinking in your posts. Would appreciate you adding to this by examining the environmental cost for our greed for speed.
Tim
What about wisdom and patience?
Jon
Great article! A lot to digest.
It’s ironic to me that just as we’ve brought the complexity and brittleness of the global supply chain to light, we are adding yet more layers to it.
The quote that struck me the most is “We’re losing these moments by the day, minute by minute”.
As a 30+ year tech industry veteran, I’ve yet to see an example where prioritizing the mandate to maximize shareholder value yielded beneficial results to customers / users. Not just first-order items like product & service quality, but second-order items that actively harm people in the name of profit *coughfacebookcough*.
Buying on Amazon is a GREAT experience. No argument there. But what price speed and convenience? What do people do with the rest of their time, when they are being unconsciously conditioned by Big Tech to expect simple, rapid solutions? I can personally attest that over time I’ve developed the tendency to be less patient with everybody and more easily distracted with even closest friends and family. I doubt that I’m the only one. (Very deep topic. I do not pretend to be an expert – but I’ve read enough about the harmful impact of tech-driven instant gratification culture to be afraid.)
I’ll leave it there. Personally, I’ve been reclaiming my time and attention – buy less, barter and reuse more, read a frickin’ book once in a while, consciously spend time and attention with family and friends, and like Don Quixote, boycotting Bezos’s behemoth.
Ashley Nichols 2 weeks ago at 6:37 pm Yes, time if you can afford it. For the person delivering it it is two jobs at 80 hours a week to live in sh*t on minimum wage… Reply
Alex Gochtovtt 2 weeks ago at 2:17 pm I hope that what’s next includes ORCHESTRATION of all these services! I work from home and live with 3 hyper-consumers so my dog literally barks all day at UPS, Amazon, Doordash, Wegmans, USPS, Drizly, Slice….
Mike Tuttle 2 weeks ago at 10:41 pm This reads more like dystopia than an advance of civilization (instant delivery, not boarding school). We are a nation of overweight, bored consumers who don’t want to get off the couch. It’s getting worse, and what we really get is a lot more disconnection and depression. Buy hey, we get our cheap plastic crap right away, so theres that. Reply
Connie 2 weeks ago at 1:33 pm I agree! It reminds me of the movie Wall-E… seen it?
Ben
It all works when supply chains are predictable and commercial property is fairly priced and well distributed, but the developed world isn’t going that way.
Editorial point: it’s ‘Sir Pryce’ or just ‘Pryce-Jones’. The UK is a decreasingly relevant country so forgive us for obsessing over idiosyncrasies.
Hope the boarding school works out well.
- Agree - "It all works when supply chains are predictable and commercial property is fairly priced", I think it should be illegal for companies to buy up property when there's obviously so much suffering and poverty in the world still, yet... Yes, the world is complicated.
Hyper-consumerism:
Andrew Molitor
Profoundly disagree with the conclusion. This sort of thing doesn’t give you any time back, it simply allows you to live your life with even less planning, even less forward-thinking, than you were using last week. In the end, this costs you time, because you’re just blundering around like a doofus all day every day.
In the same way cell phones and texting make it possible to rendezvous with friends without doing any planning beforehand, this sort of thing will let you just YOLO every second of your life.
Time that’s valuable is typically time you’ve carved out, set aside, reserved for whatever it it. If you’re just YOLOing everything, you never take that time. Everything is superficial, immediate, unplanned.
This is bad.
- Agree, it is bad, for a variety of reasons. I think it's good to stay busy. We have enough conveniance in first world countries IMHO already with all the variety of groceries we have on the shelves and at such low prices. I think things will pan out. Is crazy how much money some companies make and the valuations of others w/o realizing yet even a fraction or only a small fraction of their actual delivered service or product to the real world. - This is okay (IMO, all my opinion of course) to a degree of course (but IMO, not to create potential huge bubbles and busts), and I am a proponent of socially and globally (environmentally) conscious investing...
His latest blog post: https://www.profgalloway.com/2022-predictions/ :
I really dislike the law of "profit over everything" and all the merging and takeovers by the wealthy and big huge powerful corporations - Monopolization. Amazon for instance, markets in its commercials how it helps small businesses succeed but what is reality? (They're making a 34% cut?! - and small businesses in our country are hurt much, during the pandemic, since Amazon getting huge, and because of gov. regulations - the gov. owned by corporations, our representatives being bought and sold and then telling us Gov. is bad, vote for me). To go against that in America, we are told then that that is socialist propaganda and socialism is the pathway to authoritarianism - but I see that as deception, as the real rulers of the world are the powerful and wealthy, not the people. That is why they don't want us to question.
I really agree (and have always agreed - going back to my intro to physics college course) that nuclear energy gets a really bad rap. and would be a good support and way of transitioning to clean energy - especially if we could build a large launching mechanism that could launch things into outer space cheaply (the nuclear waste) (also learned about in that class) and of course smartly place the nuclear plants that would avoid potential large environmental disasters.
-- I really like this and this site (note that returns are definitely not guaranteed with this kind of investing, do your homework! it is cool and interesting, definitely a cool way to support new business startup ventures and tech.
https://www.startengine.com/hylio-inc - seems awesome, great tech to improve the world.
https://www.startengine.com/rentberry : This seems like a good and profitable tech. but I don't like it because of my morals about the whole business of renting. On the one hand, if it would just be for simple common and good landowners, that would be fine, but it seems like it's going into the realm of big businesses and banks and the super wealthy to take advantage...ethics...
---------------------------
Islam - IMO, the religion of peace and uprightness - and action. Within and out...
Cure4Islamophobia
5 days ago
What Islam Teaches About Sin
Islam teaches that God (Allah) has sent guidance to human beings, through His prophets and books of revelation. Believers are expected to follow that guidance to the best of their ability.
Islam defines sin as an act which goes against the teachings of Allah. All human beings sin, as none of us is perfect. Islam teaches that Allah, Who created us and all of our imperfections, knows this about us and is All-Forgiving, Merciful, and Compassionate.
What is the definition of a “sin”? The Prophet Muhammad once said, "Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about."
In Islam, there is nothing like the Christian concept of original sin, for which all human beings are eternally punished. Nor does sinning automatically cause someone to be ousted from the faith of Islam.
Followers each try their best but fall short and seek Allah’s forgiveness for their shortcomings. Allah is prepared to forgive, as the Quran describes: "…God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is Much-Forgiving, a Dispenser of Grace" (Quran 3:31).
Of course, sin is something to be avoided. From an Islamic perspective, however, there are some sins which are extremely serious and are thus known as Major Sins. These are mentioned in the Quran as being worthy of punishment both in this world and the hereafter. (See below for a list.)
Other missteps are known as Minor Sins; not because they are insignificant, but rather because they are not mentioned in the Quran as having a legal punishment. These so-called “minor sins” are sometimes overlooked by a believer, who then engages in them to the extent that they become part of their lifestyle.
Making a habit of sinning brings a person further away from Allah, and causes them to lose faith. The Quran describes such people: “...their hearts have been sealed by the sins they have accumulated” (Quran 83:14). Additionally, Allah says that “you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great” (Quran 24:15).
One who recognizes that he or she is engaging in minor sins must vow to make lifestyle changes. They must recognize the problem, feel remorse, vow not to repeat the mistakes, and seek forgiveness from Allah. Believers who sincerely care about Allah and the hereafter must do their best to avoid both Major and Minor sins.
Major Sins in Islam
The major sins in Islam include the following behaviors:
Associating others with God (shirk or polytheism) – This is the only sin which Allah considers unforgivable, as it violates the primary tenet of Islam which is the Unity of God.
Murder
Adultery or fornication
Theft
Consuming usury (interest)
Stealing from an orphan’s estate
Bearing false witness
Engaging in magic or fortune-telling
Abandoning the battlefield during a time of war
Drinking alcohol
Slandering chaste women
Disrespecting one’s parents
Minor Sins in Islam
It is difficult to list all of the minor sins in Islam. The list should include anything which violates Allah’s guidance, which is not itself a Major sin. A minor sin is something you are ashamed of, which you would not want people to find out about. Some of the most common behaviors include:
Breaking a promise
Being immodest (flirting, watching obscene movies/TV, etc.)
Being suspicious or spying on others
Name-calling or bullying another person
Talking excessively about things which are not our business
Swearing
and so on.
Repentance and Forgiveness
In Islam, committing a sin doesn't eternally separate a person from the Almighty. The Quran reassures us that Allah is prepared to forgive us. "Say: Oh, my servants who have transgressed against their own souls! Do not despair of Allah's mercy. Indeed Allah forgives all sins, for Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Quran 39:53).
One can rectify minor sins by seeking forgiveness from Allah, and then practice good deeds such as giving to the needy in charity. Above all, we should never doubt Allah’s Mercy: "If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise)" (Quran 4:31).
Islam on the value of hard work (especially important for males, for the male is the responsibility to go out in the world and provide for his family, for the best practices anyway if possible, for Allah SWT created us differently - we (society) know this and why we separate men from women in sports, for example, we are alike but also have real differences between the sexes, it is just a biological fact):
Hard work and responsibility in Islam - Abu Amina Elias
https://www.abuaminaelias.com › hard-work-and-respo...
Dec 5, 2013 — Islam calls us to be responsible to our community and to work hard to provide benefit to others, rather than relying upon begging for charity.
The concept of hard work in Islam is the struggle to be better as a human being and this makes one closer to Allah. The Holy Prophet (saw) was fond of ...
"The Fruits of Hard Work
Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Kaleem ‘Attari al-Madani
Even a cursory look at the lives of the most successful men and women in the world will reveal an undeniable fact; those people, all of them, share one quality, hard work.
We all aspire to succeed but regardless of the paths we choose, hard work must be at the heart of our efforts if we want to taste success. This is a universal principle, encapsulated in the Arabic adage, ‘Those who work hard, attain.’
Our Merciful Creator, Allah Almighty, declares:
وَّ قِیْلَ لِلنَّاسِ هَلْ اَنْتُمْ مُّجْتَمِعُوْنَۙ(۳۹)
And it was said to the people, ‘Have you (also) gathered?
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 19, Surah Al-Shu’araa, Verse 39)
We learn from this verse that a person will only attain what he strives and works hard for. So whether you aim to achieve a qualification, a job, a dream house, or you wish to earn a Halal living to support your family and others, whatever aspiration it may be, hard work is the only way. After all, we live in a world of means and as Muslims, we resolutely believe that Allah Almighty, the Provider and Nourisher of all creation, rewards hard work, so the more we strive for His sake, the more we will gain from His infinite treasures.
Even the noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام strove relentlessly, despite their lofty ranks. Although they could have had entire communities serving their needs, they chose to lead by example, working hard so that their followers learn the value of work and effort.
Sayyiduna Dawood, for example, was granted authority over a vast realm, yet he never had a meal unless he earned it himself. Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ reported that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم said: وَلَا يَأْكُلُ إِلَّا مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ ‘He (Sayyiduna Dawood عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام) would only eat from [the earnings of] his own hand’s work.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2073)
As for the king and leader of the prophets, Sayyiduna Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, his humble nature was unparalleled. All of the noble Companions were yearning to serve him, believing it to be the essence of life and faith. Yet, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم chose to work throughout his life and attend to his needs himself.
Sayyidatuna Aisha رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, described it thus: وَيَحْلُبُ شَاتَهُ وَيَخْدُمُ نَفْسَهُ ‘The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would milk his sheep and serve himself,’ (Musnad Ahmad 25662).
So now that this formula of hard work is imbedded in your mind, let me present some accounts from our pious predecessors in relation to striving and working hard, and how their efforts produced grand results and glad tidings.
The successful student who strived
Imam Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, whose books are integral to Islamic curricula around the globe, was an unintelligent student when he joined the classes of Qadi ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Shirazi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه. He had become somewhat of an example of how a student should not be. Despite this, he رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه remained determined, disregarding the comments of those around him. Then one day, while he was reviewing his lesson, an unknown person approached him and said: ‘Sa’d al-Din! Come, let’s go on an excursion. He replied: ‘I have not been created for excursions. (My situation is such that) even after studying, I am still unable to understand anything, so how can I go on an excursion?’ Hearing this, the unknown person left but then came back again after a while and asked him again to come on an excursion. He again replied with the same answer. The unknown person left the second time but then came back again and this time said: ‘The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is calling you.’ These words made his body tremble, forcing him to run out bare-footed, eager to see the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Reaching a place outside the city, he saw the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم under the shade of a tree. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw Sa’d al-Din Taftazaani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and smilingly said: ‘You did not come even though I called you many times.’ He replied with a very humble tone of voice: ‘Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! I did not know that you were calling. You know the state of my weak memory. I seek in your court a cure for my illness.’ The Merciful Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم heard his request and said: ‘Open your mouth.’ He opened his mouth and the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم placed his blessed saliva into his mouth. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then prayed for him, gave him the glad tidings of success and ordered him to go back home. The next day, when he attended the class of Qadi ‘Abd al--Rahman al-Shirazi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, he asked a few complex questions during the lesson. The other students were unable to fully grasp the questions, so they deemed them unnecessary and useless and did not pay attention to them. But his teacher, who was a polymath, began to weep and remarked: ‘Sa’d al-Din! Today, you are not the same person as yesterday.’ Sayyiduna Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه then narrated the whole event to his teacher,’ (Shazarat-uz-Zahab, vol. 7, p. 68).
Sayyiduna Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazani رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه continued striving, never giving up despite the challenges. Eventually, his efforts bore fruit and he was blessed to receive immense bounties from the court of the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. This should drive us to striving and work hard. May the Grace of Allah Almighty and the gaze of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم be with all those who work hard.
The great jurist of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه summed up the value of hard work in his advice to his student, Imam Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه: ‘You were very unintelligent but through striving and steadfastness, you have progressed. Therefore, always distance yourself from indolence as it is a calamity and an unfortunate state,’ (Rah-e-Ilm, p. 53).
Laziness is a substantial barrier in the path of success. It is a harmful state that begets many vices. Therefore, never ever allow laziness to seep into your life. Rather, you should always be resolute in doing worldly and Islamic works because a hardworking person is loved by everyone and a lazy person suffers loss wherever he goes. An indolent person can neither do any worldly work nor Islamic. The holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would teach the following supplication: اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنِّیْ اَعُوْذُبِکَ مِنَ الْکَسْلِ ‘O Allah! I seek Your refuge from laziness,’ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 6371).
In conclusion, if we desire success, we need to ensure that hard work and effort are ingrained in us. Always adopt those means that will aid you in this regard and stay far away from those traits that will become an obstacle in achieving success. Work diligently and then leave the results to the mercy of Allah Almighty.
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ enable us to diligently achieve our goals and grant us success in both worlds."
-------------------------------------------
The Book of Destiny
(1)
Chapter: How The Human Being Is Created, In His Mother's Womb, And His Provision, Lifespan And Deeds Are Written Down, And His Misery and Happiness
(1)
بَاب كَيْفِيَّةِ خَلْقِ الْآدَمِيِّ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَكِتَابَةِ رِزْقِهِ وَأَجَلِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ وَشَقَاوَتِهِ وَسَعَادَتِهِ
Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who is the most truthful (of the human beings) and his being truthful (is a fact) said: Verily your creation is on this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel to it with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune and misfortune. By Him, besides Whom there is no god, that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.
-------------------------------------
Allah is the greatest.
"
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
This Surah was revealed at Medina after the migration of the Prophet (S) from Mecca to Medina. It contains the glad tidings of a great victory for Islam, after which, people, in droves, flocked to the banner of Islam.
Then, to thank Allah for that great gift, the holy Prophet (S) is invited to
'glorify'
and
'praise'
Allah, and to pray for His
'forgiveness'.
There were many victories for Islam, but no triumph was as important as the bloodless conquest of Mecca, especially the Arabs believed, according to some narrations, that if the Prophet of Islam (S) could conquer and capture Mecca, then, it was a sign of his legitimacy because if he were not right, Allah would not let him do so, as He did not allow Abrahah and his great force to destroy the Ka'ba. It was for this reason that the Arab pagans entered Islam, in groups, after the conquest of Mecca.
Some have said that this Surah was revealed alongside the 'Hadibiyyah Peace'; six years after migration and two years before the conquest of Mecca.
But, it is completely improbable to say, (as some have said), that it was revealed at the time of the farewell Pilgrimage after the conquest of Mecca, in the year 10 A.H. because, the ideas involved in the Surah, which inform of the incidents regarding the future, not the past, do not fit with this meaning.
One of the names of this Surah is /taudi'/ ‘leave-taking',” because it implicitly implicates the death of the Prophet (S).
A tradition indicates that when this Surah was revealed and the holy Prophet (S) recited it to the followers, they all became happy, but Abbas, the uncle of the holy Prophet (S), began shedding tears. The holy Prophet (S) asked him why he was crying. He answered that he supposed the Surah contained the implication of the Prophet's death.
And he (S) said:
"It is so, my uncle"1
The commentators are divided on how this meaning is understood, from the Surah, when there is nothing apparent in it to imply the idea. The Surah is wholly about the victory, and it seems that the Prophetic mission of the holy Prophet (S) is completely fulfilled and his religion is fixed. It is clear that in such a case the departure of the Prophet (S) from this fleeting world to the next, eternal world, is completely predictable.
The Virtue of Studying this Surah
A tradition from the holy Prophet (S) says:
"He who recites it (Surah Nasr), it is the same as if he had been with the Messenger of Allah (S) at the conquest of Mecca". 2
Another tradition from Imam Sadiq (as) says:
"He who recites Surah Nasr in his optional3 or obligatory prayers, Allah makes him successful in defeating his enemies, totally, and on the Day of Judgement he will come with a letter which talks. Verily Allah has brought him out of his grave with that letter as an immunity from the heat and fire of Hell...”4
It is clear that this virtue and honour is for the person who, with reciting it, follows the way of the Messenger of Allah (S) and practices his religion and his tradition, not only suffices its recitation with the tongue.
Surah Nasr, Verses 1-3
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
إِذَا جَاء نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ
وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا
1. “When there comes the help of Allah and victory",
2. “And you see people entering Allah's religion in multitudes",
3. “Then celebrate the praise of your Lord and seek His forgiveness, (for) surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy)”.
Allah's Help Brings Multitudes to Allah's Religion
"When there comes the help of Allah and victory",
"And you see people entering Allah's religion in multitudes".
“Then celebrate the praise of your Lord and seek His forgiveness, (for) surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy)”.
In these three short, but, expressive verses, there are some elegant, elaborations whose careful observation helps us to understand the final goal of the Surah.
In the first verse, it says that the victory belongs to Allah.
It is not only in this occurence that this meaning is mentioned, but, in many other verses of the Qur'an the idea is reflected, including Surah Baqarah, No. 2, verse 214:
“...Ah! Verily the help of Allah is, (always) near!";
and Surah Al-'Imran, No. 3, verse 126; and also Surah Anfal, No. 8, verse 10, says:
“...there is no help except from Allah...”
It is true that preparation and supplying forces are necessary for defeating the enemy, but a believing person knows the victory comes only from Allah, and for the same reason when victory comes he does not become deluded or proud, but thanks and praises Allah...
In this Surah, the words are about, at first, the help of Allah, then, the victory, and then, the influence and spread of Islam, and finally, the entering of people, in groups, into the religion of Allah. All of them are causes and effects for each other.
Victory is absent unless there is the help of Allah, and people do not enter Islam in multitudes unless there is triumph and victory in order to remove the barriers and hindrances from the way. Of course, along with these stages, each of which is a great, divine blessing, the stage of being thankful and praising Allah; comes forth.
On the other hand, the help of Allah; and the victory are all for the final goal, i.e., people entering Allah's religion in multitudes, and guidance for all.
Victory, here is stated in general, and with some evidences that were mentioned before, the purpose is, undoubtedly, the conquest of Mecca which had such a wide effect and verily, the conquest of Mecca introduced a new chapter in the history of Islam, because the main center of polytheism was disturbed; idols were destroyed; the hope of the idol worshippers changed into disappointment; and the barriers in the way of people's faith in Islam were removed.
That is why the conquest of Mecca should be considered as a stage of the settlement of Islam in Arabia and then, in the world. It was after the conquest of Mecca that no opposition from the pagans was seen (except once, which was quickly controlled) and people from all parts of Arabia came to the holy Prophet (S) to accept Islam.
There are three important instructions, in the verse, given to the holy Prophet (S) (and naturally to all believers) which are, in fact, a gratitude for this great victory and an appropriate response to the help of Allah: the instructions of celebrating, praising, and seeking His forgiveness.
This great victory caused the polytheistic thoughts to disappear; the perfection and beauty of Allah to become more clear; and those who had lost the right way to return to the truth.
Further, it is possible that at the time of victory, some disgraceful behaviour appears in a person and he becomes involved in pride and self-conceit, or tries to take revenge and clear the personal accounts against his enemy.
These three instructions train him 'to remember the attributes of perfection and the beauty of Allah at the sensitive moments of victory'; and 'to know all of the effects from Him'; and 'to seek His forgiveness in order to both remove pride and negligence from himself; and avoid revengefulness'.
It is certain that the Holy Prophet (S) of Islam, like all other prophets (a.s.), was sinless; then what is the instruction of seeking His forgiveness for?
To answer this question, it should be said that this is a model for the whole community, and on the part of a sinless, infallible one like the holy Prophet (S) and his Ahlul-Bait (as) who have already been purified by the Lord, Himself will mean seeking further grace and greater blessings or further protection of the Lord against the forces of Satan.
Here, /istiqfar/ means Holy Prophet's beseeching the protection of the Lord, for himself and his followers, against the forces of evil, and seeking pardon of the Lord on behalf of his faithful adherents who, might have been prey of human weakness, as did Moses for his people who had yielded to the worship of the calf.
The phrase
/innahu kana tawwaba/ ‘surely, He is Oft-retuming (to mercy)’
is the statement of reason in proportion to 'seeking forgiveness', that is, seek forgiveness and repent because Allah is Oft-returning (merciful)’.
By the way, it may also refer to the meaning that 'when Allah accepts your repentance, you, too, should accept the repentance of the guilty after victory, as far as you can, and do not repulse them from yourselves as long as there is no sign of offence or plot coming from them.’ So, the holy Prophet (S), himself, on the event of the conquest of Mecca, showed the feature of Islamic grace and mercy to his defeated, hostile enemies at its highest standard.
It was not only the holy Prophet (S) who celebrated Allah's grace and glory on his final victory against his enemies, but all prophets throughout history also did so.
For example, when Joseph (as) became exalted in Egypt and his parents and his brothers succeeded in seeing him after a very long time, he said:
"O my Lord! Thou hast indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams and events, O Thou Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my Protector in the world and in the Hereafter. Take Thou my soul (at death) as one submitting to Thy Will (as a Muslim), and unite me with the righteous"6.
Or, when Solomon (as) saw the throne of Bilqis (Queen of Sheba) ready before him, he said:
“...this is by the grace of my Lord! -to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!...”7.
The conquest of Mecca was the greatest victory. After that conquest, whole tribes from all parts of Arabia gave their allegiance to the holy Prophet (S), collectively, and before his earthly ministry was finished, the ground was prepared for the introduction of Islam to the world.
What was the lesson to be learned from this episode in world history? It was not about Man's self-glory, but humility; not power, but, service; not an appeal to Man's selfishness or self-sufficiency, but, a realization of Allah's Grace and Mercy, and the abundant outpouring of Allah's Praises in word and conduct.
Supplication
O Lord! You are able to give that glory back, again, to Muslims under the light of following the traditions of the Apostle.
O Lord! Set us among the true advocates of the Messenger of Islam.
O Lord! Bestow on us such a success that we can spread Islamic Justice in the world so that the people of the world eagerly accept it in multitudes
"
Comments