The Minority-Majority Equation

The Minority-Majority Equation A ccording to the law of nature laid down in the Quran in the chapter Al-Baqarah (The Heifer), ‘minority’ and ‘majority’ are relative terms. It is not quantity that matters but quality. The translation of the relevant verse is given below: Many a small group, by God’s permission has prevailed against a large group. God is indeed with the steadfast. (2:249) That the minority should prevail over the majority is not a mysterious belief. It is merely an accepted sequence of events which is based on the law of nature—attributed in the above verse to divine ‘permission’. The success of the minority over the majority is not a phenomenon that is played out on a battlefield. In reality, it is the result of a process arising out of life’s inherent challenges and competition. This conforms to a natural law which inevitably sets in motion a process between the two groups, which may continue over several generations. This process works in parallel, on the one hand among the majority and on the other among the minority, and that is what is mainly responsible for bringing about that ultimate miracle of the minority being able to prevail over the majority. The majority feels, consciously or unconsciously, that it enjoys the favourable conditions that stem from being in an advantageous position as compared to other groups. On the other hand, the minority feels, consciously or unconsciously,