COOPERATION FOR A GREATER CAUSE: THE PROPHET’S LESSON

When Prophet Muhammad migrated from Makkah to Madinah, it was a difficult and dangerous journey, forced on him by the oppression and persecution from the disbelievers of Makkah. Despite the risks, the Prophet chose a non-Muslim guide, Abdullah bin Uraiqit, from Makkah. This guide helped him navigate and safely lead him from Makkah to Madinah. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2263)

This event teaches us that when it comes to cooperation, there should be no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims. The focus should be on the importance of the task itself, not on a person’s religion or background.

The Prophet Muhammad consistently adhered to this principle. For example, after the Battle of Badr, seventy non-Muslim prisoners were brought to Madinah. Many of them were literates of that time. The Prophet declared that anyone among them who could teach ten children in Madinah to read and write would be set free. As a result, the first school in Islamic history was established, and all of its teachers were non-Muslims, as per the Prophet’s order.

This principle is extremely important in all aspects of life. When choosing a colleague or employee, focusing solely on their religious or community background can reduce the quality of the work. Such an approach hampers the work from being done to a high standard.

The right approach is to evaluate the task objectively and select the best person for it based on their abilities. In other words, individuals should be chosen based on merit, not on religious or communal ties.

Selecting people based on merit promotes the progress of the work itself. However, when factors unrelated to merit are prioritized, those factors will take over, reducing the quality of the work.