FROM MAULANA’S DESK

Just as everything that one possesses in this world is a test, so also is political power a test paper. God Almighty is constantly watching the behaviour of the ruler to ascertain whether he is just or unjust in performing his duties. A king is accountable before God just as the common man is. According to this Quranic concept, political power is a responsibility rather than a blessing. The possession of political power does not mean that the ruler is a superior person. Without a boss you cannot run a company, without a prime minister you cannot run a government, without the head of the family you cannot run a home, without a coordinator, or a supervisor, you cannot run a joint effort. Adherence to the principle of leadership is an integral part of any successful joint effort. This being so, the law of nature set forth in the above Quranic verse is a great blessing for us. God Almighty created people with differences or disparities. It is this difference or disparity that gives us the opportunity to bow to the principle of leadership in our social activities. Every train requires an engine for its smooth running. Without an engine, the train would not be able to budge an inch. The same is true of society. Society is like a train which we need to mobilize, but this mobilization cannot be achieved without an engine to lead the way. The same formula that requires physical movement is applicable to social movement; the social train cannot travel towards its goal without an engine. Therefore a secondary role of being followers is not an inferior role; it is a role that has a value higher than that of the person primarily in command. The commander will be given only one credit but those who accept the secondary role will be rewarded with double credit because, apart from their normal role, they have proved to have a great ability—ego management. Without learning the art of ego management, no one can successfully play the secondary role. What should be the behaviour of the subjects or citizens in society in order to be good followers? According to the Quran, all human beings are born with two opposite moral constituents. These are al-nafs al-ammara and al-nafs al-lawwama. In psychological terms, they are the ego and the conscience—with which everyone is born. Almost all human behaviour is affected by these two features. Negative behaviour is Whosoever is grateful, it is for the good of his own self; and whosoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is self-sufficient and generous.