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TAG: Seerah

Ten Principles Of Success In the Light Of The Seerah

It is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) 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 to achieve supreme success in this world.

By studying the life of the Prophet, we can derive those important principles that the Prophet followed. In short, the Prophet of Islam was a profoundly positive thinker in every 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 possible
This principle is well explained in a saying of Aisha 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.

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.

Meeting Family Obligations: Prophet’s Example

FULFILMENT of family obligation is the litmus test for greatness. Many men, considered being otherwise great, have failed in this test. There are persons, who go beyond the realm of right and wrong when it comes to serving the needs and desires, genuine or false, of their family members as if family was more important than society at large. There are other persons who consider family to be a liability and its obligations to be undesirable. Such persons simply ignore the genuine demands of family life. For these men their own engagements, activities and preoccupations are so much important and engrossing that family as such becomes impediment and so its demands are sacrificed at the altar of their greatness! Human beings err and falter and tend to adopt lopsided attitudes in life.

A balanced approach in life has to be taught to mankind. All the Prophets of Allah taught this correct approach in life where all its ingredients: the self, the family, the society, the other creatures along with the sole Creator have their specific obligations and there is no clash between their respective demands.

The last Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), taught this middle path and translated these into practices, leaving a recorded and rich legacy in the form of his Sunnah (the Traditions) which may also be termed as the Seerah, i.e. the Prophet’s life history.

The Prophet’s Tradition recorded by both Bukhari and Muslim (i.e. agreed upon Tradition) and related by Abu Masood is that a man who spends (his earning) on his family members, with the intention of getting reward (from Allah), will be (duly) rewarded. So earnings have to be spent on those persons who are dependent. There are many other clear and emphatic Traditions in this regard. Persons doing hard labor to fulfill the needs of their parents, children, wives and other family members are termed as those striving in the path of Allah.

Sa’ad Bin Abi Waqqas, a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), at the time of his critical illness sought permission to donate his total property in the path of Allah. He was not allowed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instead told him to leave at least two-thirds of his property for his natural heirs because any benefit derived by the family members from the property will also be rewarded by Allah.

Islam – Balance Between Individual And Society

A unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality of man and holds everyone personally accountable to God.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: “Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it.”

The Prophet also said, “A man is a guardian of his father’s property and is responsible for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and things under your care.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Islam also guarantees the fundamental rights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper with them.

It makes the proper development of the personality of man one of the prime objectives of its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man must lose his individuality in society or in the state.

In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or nationality. It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed and continue to exist even today in the so-called enlightened age. Islam removes all of these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the whole of humanity being one family of God.

Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory, as was the case before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Unfortunately, these prejudices remain rampant in different forms even in this modern age. Islam wants to unite the entire human race under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of life and hope and of a glorious future.

A complete record of teachings preserved
Last, but not least, is the fact that the teachings of Islam have been preserved in their original form. As a result, Allah’s guidance is available without adulteration of any kind. The Qur’an is the revealed book and word of Allah, which has been in existence for the last 1,400 years. It is still available in its original form. Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet and of his teachings are available in their pristine purity. There has not been even one change made in this unique historic record.

The saying and the entire record of the life of the Prophet have been handed down to us with unprecedented precision and authenticity in the works of the Hadith and the Seerah (the Prophet’s Biography). Even a number of non-Muslim critics admit this eloquent fact.

These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its credentials as the religion of man, the religion of today, and the religion of tomorrow. These aspects have appealed to millions of people in the past and the present and have made them affirm that Islam is the religion of truth and the right path for mankind.