Warding off Danger
I once went to spend a few days at a religious institution situated on the outskirts of Alwar, a city in Rajasthan. To the one side there extended the buildings of the city and, to the other, there were open fields stretching far and wide. During my stay there, I went out one evening at sunset to have a walk in the fields. Unfortunately, after I had gone some distance, I was rushed at by a pack of dogs all barking and snarling. I had to throw stones at them to chase them away. On my return, I mentioned to my host how I had almost been set upon by these animals. My host, Maulana Mufti Jamaluddin Qasmi, who presides over the institution, simply smiled and said, “All right, I’ll come with you tomorrow.” The following day, we set off together, the Maulana having armed himself with a stick which was quite long enough to be visible from afar. When we reached the spot where I had come upon the dogs the day before, they were there all right, but there was not so much as a whimper out of them, far less a bark. Not one of them made a move to rush at us. So, we passed by undisturbed. On our way back, they were still there, but they did not create a commotion this time either and we reached home without any untoward incidents, “That was the miracle of the big stick,” said the Maulana with a smile. “Yesterday you were unarmed, so those wretched curs dared to attack. Today it was a very different story, for the dogs, immediately realizing that you were well-equipped to deal with them, lost courage and gave up any idea they had of attacking. A dog will attack you only if he thinks you are vulnerable. But he would not do so if he found you armed.”
There are certain of the human species too, who sadly, will behave well only when you have a ‘big stick’ in your hand. But the moment they find you defenseless, they become bold. They are the type of people who are brave when dealing with those weaker than themselves, and who are out and out cowards when confronted with anyone stronger. This unfortunate state of affairs calls for people to be well-equipped to deal effectively with such unworthy individuals. In society, one ought, in principle, to be peaceable, humble and courteous to all. But to be practical, one should be well armed to meet adverse situations, so that others are discouraged at the outset from harming one. Where would all our beautiful roses be, if nature had not provided them with innumerable thorns?
