Eighty per cent of the information received by a
human being from the outside world comes to him
through his eyes—provided he keeps his eyes open.
There is an abundance of oxygen in the air, but if it is
to do him any good, he must assiduously breathe it
in. If, however, we are to benefit from our
environment, it means rather more than just
depending upon our own spontaneous biological
functioning. It means that we must have the will and
ability to seize the opportunities given to us by God
and to learn to grapple with whatever their built-in
conditions may be. We cannot expect the world—of
its own—to lay its gifts at our feet.
This concept is of the greatest importance in the
sphere of Dawah work. The spreading of the Islamic
message is not something which is going to happen
automatically, and, if it is to come about, it will
depend upon our grasping whatever opportunities
come our way. In modern times the greatest
opportunity that has presented itself is the
widespread freedom of belief enjoyed all over the
world. (Only in a few communist countries are curbs
placed upon religious activities). This freedom,
however, carries with it a tacit proviso, i.e. that
propagation of the faith must not take place by
coercion, but by gentle persuasion. One reason for
this is that so long as one does not use force, there
will be no serious opposition to such activity. Perhaps
a more important reason is that everyone should
enjoy the same freedom of belief; the forcing of beliefs
upon others is tantamount to encroaching upon that
freedom, nay, destroying it. Failure to respect this
condition means misusing the opportunity which
presents itself; Dawah activity carried on in this way
would eventually prove counter-productive. After
such an abuse of another’s privilege, there would be
nothing to stand between us and God’s punishment,
for it is He who has provided us with this unique
opportunity to bring other people within the fold. It is
an opportunity to be seized, not wasted.
Missed opportunities spell ruin. That is the way of the
world. And that is the will of God. (114:10-11)
At the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in July
August 1984, about 62 Indian sportsmen participated.
When the games were over and they returned to New
Delhi on August 16, 1984, they received a chilly
welcome, as they had failed to win a single medal,
neither gold, silver nor bronze.
What was the reason for this failure? According to a
report published in the Times of India (August
17, 1984), “Lack of scientific and systematic training
was the main reason for India’s poor showing. We
did our best but that, unfortunately, was not good
enough. The entrants began their training just three
months beforehand.”
What has been said about the Olympic Games applies
to all walks of life.
In this world of competition it is necessary to enter
the field fully prepared. If you enter it inadequately
prepared, little else but failure will await you.
Your preparation should conform to two
requirements: it should be organized and it should be
consistent with the standards of the times. If it is not
so, you will fail to make your mark and you will be
unable to keep in step with modern developments.
Ref - The Moral Vision
- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
