Accepting Status Quoism
Accepting the status quo is great wisdom. Immediately upon accepting it, a person finds the correct starting point for his actions. This eventually leads to success.
One of the practices of the Prophet of Islam is willingness to accept status quoism – that is, accepting the status quo in controversial matters. In planning one’s action, in controversial matters, it often happens that there is some issue that seems unresolvable. On the one hand is the first party, and on the other is the second party, and both remain adamant about the correctness of their stand. Crossing over the line of controversy is not easy for either. Circumstances should indicate that if they tried to change the status quo, they would meet with serious conflict or confrontation. As a result, great untowardness would have to be faced. In such a situation, the demand of wisdom is that at the crucial point, whatever is practical in the situation should be maintained as it is, and by making efforts, some other course of action should be sought out and acted upon.
When the Prophet of Islam did not insist on the performance of Umrah on the occasion of Hudaybiyah and was willing to come back to Madinah without performing Umrah, it was an instance of temporarily accepting the status quo. There are other such incidents which show that he accepted the status quo permanently. One signal example of this was his acceptance of the foundation of the Kabah as built by the polytheists Makkans. And he did not insist on building it on the foundation laid by the Prophet Abraham.
This method is extremely important in controversial matters. It makes it possible for one’s energy to be spent only on constructive activities.
It happens sometimes when one is driving one’s car that one reaches a road block, but one does not collide with it. One rather drives around and finds other ways which are open-ended. Then one reaches one’s destination. It is such wisdom which is at the basis of the status quo.
Immediately after accepting the status quo, a person finds the correct starting point for his actions. Finding the right starting point for one’s actions is another name for success.
