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The cause for defeat has been very clearly manifested
through numerous situations in our history; it is a deficiency in the tarbiyah (education and cultivation). A clear manifestation
of this is what happened in the battle of Hunayn
when Muslims were defeated at the beginning of the battle, about which Allah
said: "And on the day of Hunayn,
when you rejoiced at your great number, but it availed you naught, and the
earth - vast as it is - was straightened for you, then you turned back in
flight." (9: 25)
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim
said: "From the wisdom of Allah, He first gave them a taste of the
bitterness of defeat and of being overcome, despite their large number,
preparation and strength, in order that heads which had been raised up due to
the conquest of Makkah, should be lowered out of
humility before their Lord, humbling before His Greatness and submitting to
His Might.
All of this occurred so that He should make clear to those
who said: "We will not be defeated today because of our numbers!"
Explaining to them that the victory comes only from Him and that whomsoever
He aids, then none can overcome him; and whomsoever He forsakes, then there
is none to grant victory to him, besides Allah.
And that He took it upon Himself to aid and grant victory
to His Messenger and His deen (religion) - not due
to their large number which they (falsely) delighted in, since that was of no
avail to them. Rather, they fled, turning their backs. So when their hearts
had become downcast, Allah sent them the removal of their distress and a
prior taste of victory, by sending down His tranquility upon His Messenger
and upon the believers and by sending down the unseen forces (i.e. the
Angles). So from His wisdom was that He only granted victory and its gifts to
them when their hearts had become downcast and saddened:
"And We desired to do a favour to those who were weak in the land, and to make
them leaders and make them the inheritors. And to establish them in the land,
and We let Fir'awn (Pharaoh) and Haaman and their hosts receive from them that which they
feared." (28: 5-6)
Impatience: an Obstacle against Tarbiyah
From that which negates tarbiyah
and prevents its completion is: being hasty and having lack of sabr (patient perseverance). This produces a negative
result, the least of which is a delay in victory. Our Lord said: "And what made you hasten from your people, O Musa (Moses)? He replied: They are close on my footsteps,
and I hastened to You O my Lord, that You might be pleased." (
20: 83-84)
A clear goal and a clear intention: "I hastened to You, O my Lord, to please You." So
Allah said: "Indeed We have tried your people
in your absence, and As-Saamiree has led them
astray." (20: 85)
So this is Musa, and he was one
of the Ulul- 'Azm
(foremost in resolve) from the Messengers, yet he sought to hasten the
affairs. So when he sought to hasten the affairs, fitnah
(trial and discord) occurred amongst his people - which was
that they began worshipping others besides Allah.
Ib al-Qayyim
said: "Whosoever considers the trials and discords that have come upon
Islam, the small and the great of them, will realize that they were due to
abandoning this principle of not being hasty, and of having Sabr (patience) upon that which is harmful, and seeking
to remove the harm in a hasty manner. This in turn produces that which is
greater and worse than the initial harm."
Tarbiya and Sabr (Education and
patience): the Key to Victory
Muhammad Qutb said in his book: Waaqi'unal Mu'aasir, while he
was speaking about the Islamic Movements in Egypt,
internally and externally. "So with regard to within the country, then
there occurred from them hastiness in showing the strength of the jamaa'ah (i.e. the Muslims) - whether in making
themselves manifest, or in demonstrations, protest marches, entering into
political affairs of the time - such as fighting the communists; and
supporting the affairs of the country in the security council, and other than
that.
It is as if the jamaa'ah, each
and every time, wanted to say: we are here, and we are able to do such and
such
leaving aside the matters of the day. Was this something which was
permissible for the Muslim jamaa'ah to enter into?
Or was its obligation to call to the correction of the fundamental manhaj (methodology) of living, to the establishment of
the firm pillars and to the perfection of the desired tarbiyah.
However, seeking to hasten the movement before its time,
then produced an effect upon the overall direction."
What will very clearly demonstrate the matter of hastiness
and its many negative effects is the saying of Allah when He said:
"Have you not seen those who
were told to hold back their hands (from fighting) and perform salaat (prayer) and give the Zakaat
(obligatory charity), but when fighting was ordained for them, behold! A
section of them fear men as they fear Allah, or even more. They say: Our
Lord! Why have You ordained fighting for us? Would that You had granted us
respite for a short period." (4: 77)
"So those who were resolved upon jihad and loved it,
when they were tested with it, they were averse to it and fled from it."
And they were from the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) those who received tarbiyah (cultivation and education) beneath the shade of
Revelation and whom were guided by the Sharee'ah
(Islamic Law). So how about those after them - the greatest of whom cannot
even reach a handful, or even half a handful, of their caliber?
So finally: due to all that has preceded, it has been said
by the Callers to Islam and the people of culture, and the people of
Movements - after previously denying it: "Indeed I certainly believe in
the strength of knowledge, and I believe in the strength of culture and
learning, but I have a greater belief in the strength of tarbiyah."
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