Whispers of Al-Waarith
…..with Abdulwarees Solanke
Man shall attain only that which he strives for, so says the book of guidance which distinguishes the truth from error, “The Furqaan”
The implication is that we are not to gamble about life. We are to make deliberate choices, plan and act in accordance with verifiable and objective criteria. We are not just to wish or dream or to pray only. But to reflect and visualize and work that vision with passion, then pray.
So, in management classes, we learned to plan, act and review. We are also told to ensure that our plan is SMART; that is, it must be simple, not complex or confusing because if it is, we can get stuck.
We are to ensure that it is measurable, as well as realistic and has a timeline or time-bound within which we can mark our milestones. Yet there is a last “T” which many of us, in our illusory overconfidence, do not factor, “Trust in God”.
No matter how perfect we plan, all things being equal, we do not own the time within which we are to achieve our objectives or goals in life.
Nor, do we know what Allah has in stock for us despite our preparation and perfection of our design or the orderliness of our implementation. That is why our intelligence, creativity or expertise must never deceive us to the extent of going to sleep in confidence or assuming that everything is perfect.
Insha Allah, we must submit and conclude that Allah knows best. Or if Allah wills because He is “the Ultimate Planner”. Also, Allah is the best disposer of our affairs.
We might have done all the research and considered all the variables, done. All the permutations or the predictions might have factored in everything that needs to be factored, yet situations or contexts can still be altered. This is because the Owner of time did not will or that the One who inspires, the All-Knowing knows what is better for us or knows the best order for us to follow.
So, if we falter or fail in our plans, we are not to be frustrated nor should we be fooled or full of ourselves when the order is fast or the success is frenetic and free. In either situation, we are to be careful, conscious or composed.
We are to watch and always be in touch with the One who teaches. He is the Owner of the Pen who writes the order of life.
Dear beloved ones, let us be aware. And, there is every evidence from the Criterion, that failure or success are two sides of the same coin. Under the one that faces up is the other.
So, the one that turns up is not the absence or denial of the other. It also does not symbolize the permanence of either.
So, if our affairs get muddy at certain times, despite our brilliant or perfection plans, we should not let it frustrate us. This is because patience is the key element for the clarity of purpose and mission.
We are to develop keener insight to see through the mud and the sediments. And if our success is fast-paced, we should consciously apply the breaks. Or we should be thinking and asking, is this not a drive to death?
The reality is that the speed and smoothness of a journey lead to an early arrival or end of the journey. Early arrival itself has intricacies. For, in arriving early, we hunger for more, desperate for fresh challenges. Or we despair over its sustainability because much time is still available.
Dear beloved, we must adopt the attitude that no matter how solid our plan is, how orderly is its implementation or how lofty is its attainment, we should always consider that as “Not The Ultimate, Not The End”. The real success is in the peace and freedom that comes at the end of everything, whether our plans fail or succeed.
I say this because success can enslave and lead to more hunger or lust, a kind of lust in which we are lost in the luxury of what success brings and so we lose connection with our Creator. We can also lose conscience in the process or even lose life in the consuming passion of enjoying our success.
If our plan flops or fails, this is not yet a failure. You fail only when you give up. When you flop, it might be for you to have more experience, to cover more fields in wider life. It might be to delay you for a better opportunity. It might also be to get greater cuts or deals from the plans or proposals.
Or it might even be to restrain or hold you down from meeting a disaster. It might be for you to develop keener insight and meet more benevolent chances.
If we are conscious of these truths, we will never be floored by failure or consider our person or performance as flawed. Rather, we will see more chances and better choices. The true believer is therefore not to be fretful in uncertain times or when his plan flops nor is he to fool himself as a superhero when he finishes gallantly.
Whatever we achieve in an affair is not the end at all. It is to test our trust in Allah, perhaps we might be grateful or fretful. This is because inherent in both success and failure of our plans are big trials.
In every effort are chances of success if we are patient and watchful. And if we journey with Him, He will give us ideas. God will also create for us the opportunity to plan and work on it.
In the end, We Are All Blessed, We Are Successful…when the outcome and impact of our plans lead to improvement in our person, the people around us, and the places we work or live, and that it pacifies the potential of danger and war bringing peace to the population.
Abdulwarees Solanke is Deputy Director, Strategic Planning & Corporate Development Department, Voice of Nigeria. He is also a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy & Management, Nigeria
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