DIFFERENCE OF PERSPECTIVE
When confronted with a challenge one should think and search for practical solutions. Through the implementation of practical measures, one can overcome potential losses, and turn them into gains.
In the year 625 C.E., at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, a battle occurred which is called the Battle of Uhud. In this battle, initially, the Muslims scored a victory. But later, their victory turned into defeat. The Quran commented on this issue in this way:
And God made good His promise to you when by His leave you were about to destroy your foes, but then your courage failed you and you disagreed among yourselves [concerning the Prophet’s direction] and disobeyed it, after He had brought you within sight of what you wished for, some of you desired the goods of this world and some of you desired the Hereafter, then in order that He might put you to the test, He prevented you from defeating your foes. But now He has pardoned you: God is most gracious to the believers. (3:152)
In this battle, the Muslims were defeated. Many of them were seriously wounded. Moreover, the battle had occurred entirely because of the excesses of their opponents. It was a completely one-sided attack on the part of the latter. For this battle, the fault lay with them, not with the Muslims. But despite this, why was it that here, the Quran, instead of criticising the opposing party, only indicated the weaknesses of the Muslims? Why was this style adopted?
The reason for this was the difference in the way of thinking. In cases like this, one method is to engage in logical analysis. And so, one can analyse, what in the light of logical analysis, is right and what is wrong, and who the oppressor is and who the oppressed is. This method appears, on the face of it, to be a just one. But in actual fact, it is of no use. In such cases, what is of actual importance is not expressing what is logically just, but, rather, searching for practical measures for solving a problem. Making up for the loss caused in such cases can only happen through taking practical measures, and not through logical analysis.
The Quran has adopted this very same practical method in commenting on the Battle of Uhud. In the court of the Hereafter, oppressors will certainly be told about their oppression and will receive punishment for it. But in this present world, in such cases what needs to be done is to find out a practical solution so that, through it, one’s defeat can be transformed into a victory.
