A Basic Necessity in Social Construction

A Basic Necessity in Social Construction

1989 5 May 10-11 A Basic Necessity in Social Construction (429) Going from January to December means traversing a full period of twelve months. The earth will revolve on its axis no fewer than 365 times before we reach the end of the year. This is a very simple reality, but how often do we lose sight of it in trying to leap ahead to some distant objective.

The Muslims of the present day need to dwell on this point when they set themselves some important task like launching an Islamic movement. They must remember that one who is at the outset of his journey cannot reach his destination unless he covers the intervening miles. When they launch a movement and, in no time, are confronted by failure, they need to ask themselves if, step by step, and in due course, they have met the actual demands of their campaign. They need to see themselves as being at the beginning of their history, not nearing its end.

Orderly progression is a basic necessity of social evolution. But, in building a community, Muslim leaders totally forget what should be a universal law. They want to leap straight from January to December without considering what has to come in between. Without laying any actual foundation, they want to be seen by the world on the top of their imaginary building. The tone as well as the content of their speeches would suggest that, without covering the distance between the starting point and the end, they have actually reached their ultimate destination.

We should never lose sight of the fact that our first task is to build up a purposeful nation. In order to have the cooperation of the people, we have to give them such guidance as will enable them to understand their past and their present, so that they may put them in their proper perspective. We have to awaken in them the consciousness that, in spite of many differences, it is both desirable and possible to unite. We have, moreover, to give them every positive encouragement to rise above personal interests and fleeting passions in the interests of attaining greater objectives. To this end, self-sacrifice must be held up as the greatest possible virtue.

Given the eventuality of a widespread moral reawakening it should be quite possible to launch ourselves on a new and greatly superior chapter of world history, but any attempt to forge straight ahead without having done all of the necessary groundwork would only be unrealistic and ultimately counterproductive. Far from leading humanity into greener pastures, it would be more like taking a leap into outer darkness.