July 11 , 2014
Never Give up
Muslim history is replete with instances of never-say-die resolve in face of humongous odds: Tariq bin Ziyad’s conquest of Spain in 711, Babur prevailing against superior forces in the 1526 Battle of Panipat, and Mamluk Commander Baibars’ defeat of the 7 th Crusade of King Louis IX of France as well as the first-ever trouncing of the Mongol army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.
But that was then and this is now.
Vast resources and information networks may have unveiled new riches to explore but they have not led to an exponential stiffening of the spine and the stick-to-itiveness to carry the day. The mission of minting money by all means necessary (to paraphrase Malcolm X) has emasculated character and enfeebled commitment.
Pragmatism is a double-edged sword. It gives a much-needed reality check but it sometimes serves as an all-purpose rationale to give in and succumb before discouraging odds and pressures – pressures sometimes prone to be magnified by a psyche already riddled with imaginary fears. Fear does have a crippling effect on action.
When the status quo is not adequately questioned or scrutinized, the socio-political structure becomes even more exclusionary. It lends itself to situations fraught with untold risks, particularly so, when the excluded aspire to be included. That is how the Arab Spring erupted, toppling in its wake the incumbents in Tunis, Cairo, and Tripoli. The curtains have not been drawn yet. There is more to come.
Like elders before them, the youth too often do what they are told to do. Risk-averse mindset makes them susceptible to be easily swayed by the lure of associating with the already over-privileged.
1400 years ago, Hazrat Ali’s letter to Malik Ashtar, Governor of Egypt, outlined the basics of governance. Hazrat Ali’s warning about the futility of appeasing the privileged remains most pertinent today when he wrote then:
“Maintain justice in administration and impose it on your own self and seek the consent of the people, for, the discontent of the masses sterilizes the contentment of the privileged few and the discontent of the few loses itself in the contentment of the many. Remember the privileged few will not rally round you in moments of difficulty: they will try to side-track justice, they will ask for more than what they deserve and will show no gratitude for favors done to them.They will feel restive in the face of trials and will offer no regret for their shortcomings. It is the common man who is the strength of the State and Religion. It is he who fights the enemy. So live in close contact with the masses and be mindful of their welfare.”
Amidst the elite tendency to wilt and crumble under pressure, silver linings exist in unexpected quarters. Sometimes, those most jolted by misfortune are the ones most unwilling to quit. They may be handicapped by circumstances, but their spirit remains unbroken and their resilience shines through the sometimes encircling gloom of despondency.
Those who never allowed their spirit to be vanquished in pursuit of Haq live on by inspiring others never to give up.
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