What Matters Is The Man

What Matters Is The Man

1991 12 December 6 What Matters Is The Man (353) The Optimal Strategy During a visit abroad in September 1989, I happened to meet some Arab youths amongst whom there was a young man from Algeria. Initially he had been influenced by the Ikhwan movement, and then he had read some of my writings. He said that he agreed with what I had to say, but that he had not been able to understand what my practical programme was supposed to be.

My reply to this was that my programme was to prepare people who could make programmes.

Now is certainly the time for the revival of Islam. There is a pressing need for its resurrection. Hundreds of leaders have, indeed, been inspired by the spirit of revivalism and have earned exceptional fame through their efforts towards this end, but, ultimately, what have they achieved? I would say, next to nothing. The reason for their failure is that each one of them started out with a practical programme, the implementation of which was like trying to harvest the fruit before the tree is even planted.

The revival of Islam is a very serious, very long – term affair and is not to be achieved by mere rhetoric. The foremost requirement for such work is men of intelligence, who can chart out their own programme: who can adopt their own plans to the prevailing conditions. Unless people of this calibre come forward, any talk of a practical programme, or practical steps, will ring hollow. There are many people who cannot distinguish between real work and mere show. The latter, of course, is an exercise in futility, and will bring no results.

What really matters is the man. It is, therefore, essential to train and indoctrinate people who will be capable of undertaking real work. The revival of Islam is no ordinary task which can be achieved by just blindly following any routine programme. We need high calibre intellect, inspired reasoning, out-and-out dedication. We need people who can not only make programmes, but who can arrive at correct decisions in the light of difficult and changing circumstances, and then adopt the optimal strategy for the realization of their goals.