THE WISDOM OF
RESTRAINT
In a letter dated September 28, 1999, a person writes: “I read the September 28, 1999, issue of the Hindi newspaper ‘Hindustan.’ The editorial mentioned that recently in Surat (Gujarat), a procession for ‘Ganesh Visarjan’ took place. During this event, there was a clash between the police and the procession. As a result of stone-pelting and firing, eight members of the procession were killed, and several dozen were injured. The procession was passing by a mosque in the Muslim neighbourhood of the city. It was expected that there would be a fight between Muslims and Hindus or Muslims and the police, but the opposite happened. The Muslims showed patience, and as a result, they reaped the benefits. None of the Muslims were harmed because the clash occurred between the administration and the Hindus. Reading this reminded me of what you have written in ‘Al-Risala’ or many other books.” (Suhail Ahmed, Hassan Banna Manzil, Jamiatul Falah, Bilariyaganj, Azamgarh).
This incident in Surat has been covered by all newspapers. There is an important lesson to learn from this event, a lesson that’s often emphasized in ‘Al-Risala.’ It is that the main cause of anti-Muslim riots is not the procession itself or its passage through a Muslim neighbourhood, but the unwise reaction of the residents when the procession goes through it. A thoughtful response safeguards you, but a reckless one brings trouble.
The core idea is that if Muslims in the area react negatively during the procession, the issue becomes Muslims versus the police. However, if Muslims choose to remain restrained, the issue shifts to the procession versus the police. This principle has been proven repeatedly through riots. The incident in Surat is a clear example of this wisdom.
During the early period, Muslims faced conspiracies and injustices from their opponents. At that time, they were advised: “If you persevere and fear God, their designs will never harm you in the least:” (3:120). Consider how patience acts as a shield against the schemes of the enemies and protects the targeted group from harm.
The truth is that when an unpleasant situation occurs in social life, there are two ways to respond. One is that a person, seeing a provocative situation, becomes inflamed and retaliates under the pressure of impulsive emotions. The other is, despite the provocation from the other person, to stay calm, control one’s emotions, and carefully consider the whole situation before replying in a measured way.
In this context, the first type of reaction is called an impatient reaction, and the second type is called a patient reaction. In other words, an impatient reaction is an emotional response to the immediate situation, while a patient reaction is a considered response to the situation.
Patience is not inaction. It doesn’t mean that when faced with a difficult situation, one should sit idly feeling helpless. In reality, patience is the highest form of bravery. When someone acts impulsively out of impatience, it shows they have been overwhelmed by their emotions. On the other hand, when someone adopts a patient approach, it demonstrates that they have control over their intense emotions and haven’t let their feelings overpower their reason.
