The Secret Sauce of Greatness
By Zulfiqar Ashraf Chaudhry
Roseville, CA
Last Friday, as the Imam was talking about the resilience of Hazrat Ibraheem (AS), I was reminded of our 16th president of the same name: Abraham Lincoln (AL). They both had many similarities. For example,
- Both failed again and again, before they finally succeeded. AS was disowned by his own father, put in the fire, exiled to a foreign land, saw his disciple (Hazrat Lot’s people) fail, endure separation from his wife and son (Hazrat Hajra and Ismaeel), until he became the “friend of God” (Khalilulah) and a “Nation onto himself.” As for AL, he was defeated for State legislature, failed in business, lost his sweetheart (to death), had a nervous breakdown, defeated for Speaker, then US Senate (twice), then for Vice President nomination, until he succeeded as the savior President of the USA.
-Both hailed from humble beginnings: AS's dad was an average idol maker, while AL's dad was a poor farmer.
-Both were at odds with their dads' professions: AS was not interested in making idols (in fact, he hated idols); also, AL was not interested in farming (in fact, he hated physical labor). Both were scolded, first by their dads, later by society, for not being interested in the "family business."
-Both were self-taught: AS used deductive reasoning (using the articles of nature: Sun, Moon, Stars) to finally arrive at the Ultimate Reality, while, AL taught himself the knowledge of reality by voraciously reading books. Once, he had to walk 20 miles to borrow a book on Washington from a farmer, but when the book got wet in rain, he had to do hard physical labor for two days to repay the farmer.
- Both were grief stricken: AS by having to leave his wife and son (Hajra and Ismael) in the desert, while AL to lose his son, Willie (age 11), to death from typhoid.
- Both had tough wives: AS had Sarah, while AL had Mary Todd. The latter had a mercurial temper, loved to over spend, was arrogant, and constantly nagged and scolded her husband.
-Both had soft hearts: AS kept praying for his parents (the same dad who disowned him), until Allah had to stop him, while AL could not see a turtle get hurt with hot coals by young boys.
But, you ask, what made these two Abrahams great? Were they born with greatness (i.e., was greatness in their genes)? Or was it the environment, or their circumstances, that made them great?
One answer to the above question could be: they were made great by their RESILIENCE. It was their resilience, in the face of great challenges (that their God /environment / circumstances threw at them) that enabled them to succeed so admirably.
To understand resilience, I will rely on Diane Coutu's influential article, "How resilience works" that was published in Harvard Business Review, May 2002.
According to Coutu, Resilience is made up of three things:
1. Facing reality
2. Having faith
3. Improvising solutions
1. Facing Reality: Both AS and AL always tried to understand Reality. AS realized that articles of nature, be it stone idols, or magnificent sun, moon, or stars, could not be taken as true protectors. As they themselves were dependent on a Higher power, he reasoned, how could they be worthy of full, undivided, allegiance, and obedience. Thus, only the Ultimate Reality was worthy of obedience, allegiance, true protection, and guidance.
As for AL, although he hated slavery, he realized that facts on the ground (economic dependence and addiction of South on slavery) would not allow him make slavery as the rallying cry for the Civil War. Instead, he used the country's unity as the rallying cry. It was not until he started winning battles on the ground that he made his Emancipation Proclamation. This well-timed approach, in sync with the facts on the ground, like the need for more fighting men, which could be met by freeing slaves, held by the Southern states, led to victory on both the battlefield and the slavery front.
Kabhi Ae Haqiqat-e-Muntazir! Nazar Aa Libas-e-Majaz Mein
Ke Hazar Sajde Tarap Rahe Hain Meri Jabeen-e-Niaz Mein
For once, O awaited Reality, reveal Yourself in a form material,
For a thousand prostrations are quivering eagerly in my submissive brow
2. Having faith: AS had tremendous faith in God. It was his faith in God that enabled him to endure the wrath of his parents, society, and King; then gave him the courage to leave his country, then his second wife, Hajara and his first born, Ismaeel, in the desert, and then later put a knife to his son's throat.
AL also had unshakeable faith. He had faith in God and humanity. He believed in fairness. He was against injustice, whether it be against animals or blacks. He was a deeply spiritual person, without wearing religion on his sleeves. He believed that everyone should be treated fairly. It was his fairness and magnanimous attitude that endeared him to everyone. For example, he was notorious for pardoning deserting soldiers on whimsical excuses. He looked for reasons to forgive and pardon rebels. His attitude 'charity towards all, malice towards none', became the healing words for the wounded nation.
3. Improvising solutions: When AS was cornered by the King of Egypt, who desired his wife, AS had to think fast on his feet to avoid getting killed by the King. So, he improvised. He told the honorable king that the lady accompanying him was his sister, not his wife. Another example of his improvisation was when after destroying all the smaller idols at the local temple, he did the ‘tongue in cheek thing’: i.e., he left the axe in the hand of the largest idol. Too bad, his people did not buy his story.
When AL was losing battle after battle, he improvised. He used the latest technology to defeat the South. He used the telegraph to keep abreast of all the developments in the field, even issued direct orders to his Generals from the White House; he used the railroad to transfer thousands of soldiers and heavy artillery hundreds of miles into deep South; he freed the slaves just at the right time to take advantage of their numbers (and enthusiasm) to win the losing war.
In other words, resilience is the secret sauce that makes someone great. But then the question arises: if greatness is due to resilience, then what is resilience from? In other words, can resilience be acquired, or is it inborn? Allama Iqbal gives us a clue:
Aaj Bhi Jo Baraheem (A.S.) Ka Imaan Paida
Aag Kar Sakti Hai Andaz-e-Gulistan Paida
But if the faith of Abraham there, once again, is born,
Where leaps this flame, flowers will bloom, and laugh its blaze to scorn.
