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One
of the first people in American business to be paid a salary of over a
million dollars a year was Charles Schwab. He had been picked by
Andrew Carnegie to become the first president of the newly formed
United States Steel Company in 1921, when Schwab was only thirty-eight
years old. Why did Andrew Carnegie pay a million dollars a year, or
more than three thousand dollars a day, to Charles Schwab? Schwab
himself says that he was paid this salary largely because of his
ability to deal with people, “I consider my ability to arouse
enthusiasm among my people, the greatest asset I possess, and the way
to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and
encouragement.”
The nature of a human being is appreciated and respected. Allah
I
Himself is appreciative towards His slaves.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ
وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ
تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ (29) لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم
مِّن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ (30)
[الفاطر: 29 – 30]
Those who recite the Book of Allah and establish salāh and give of
what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a
transaction which will not prove profitless: that He will pay them
their wages in full and give them more from His unbounded favour. He
is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful. [al-Fāthir: 29 – 30]
Appreciation has been shown by Rasulullah
r
throughout his life. This has been extensively narrated in the ahādīth
under the chapter of Manāqib (Merits). Rasulullah
r
recognized and verbally verified the virtues of his Companions
y.
This sublime conduct is something that we should implement in our
lives, i.e. to be appreciative and thankful to the Creator and His
Messenger
r,
to our parents, our families, relatives, friends and to everybody
around us. Perhaps this is one of the ingredients in the recipes of
success of Rasulullah
r.
Imām Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalānī rahimahullah in his masterpiece,
Fath al-Bārī, commentary of Sahīh al-Bukhārī, commented that the
Chapter of Manāqib is the conclusion of the collection of Ahādith
pertaining to the affairs of Nabi
r.
The Manāqib is based on the following verse of the Noble Qur’ān:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى
وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ
عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into
nations and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The
noblest among you in Allah’s sight is the one with the most taqwa,
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. [al-Hujurāt: 13]
Man is an amazing creation of Allah
I.
Allah
I
declares:
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ (4)
We created man in the finest mould. [al-Tīn: 4]
The hidden power and capability that Allah
I
created and concealed behind this feeble and weak body, is massive,
mighty and supreme, proving the perfection of the Creator
In relationship with mankind in general and the Ummat of Nabi
r
specifically, either as a teacher with a student, or a boss with an
employee or any kind of authority with their respective subject, this
relationship is a bounty from Allah
I,
the real Owner and Master of the universe.
People are buried treasures and gold mines. In demanding respect, we
only acquire formality and dry relationships whereas, our salaf;
pious predecessors enjoyed respect, dignity, love and affection and
this will continue till qiyāmat. We mention their names with
pride and high esteem, whereas they never demand it from their people.
Perhaps a quotation from the book, “The Path to Perfection” by Maulanā
Masīhullah Khān rahimahullah can be the first step to rectify
our shortcomings:
About the Faculty of Wrath
When this faculty is in the state of equilibrium, it is known as valor
(shujā‘a). This is praiseworthy to Allah Most High. An excess
in this faculty is called recklessness (tahawwur), and a
deficiency is called cowardice (jubn). Both recklessness and
cowardice are reprehensible.
In the wake of the laudable state of valor, flow the qualities of
kindness, chivalry, courage, generosity, forbearance, steadfastness,
tenderness, ability to restrain anger, dignity, and farsightedness in
all affairs. The state of recklessness produces inexperience,
boastfulness, pride, inability to restrain anger, and vanity. The
state of cowardice creates fear, disgrace, contempt, and inferiority.
All these lowly qualities find external manifestation.
Finally, Sayyidunā Abū Hurairah
t
narrated that a person asked Rasulullah
r
for advice to which he replied, "Do not get angry". The man repeated
his request several times to which Rasulullah
r
replied, "Do not get angry." [Sahīh al-Bukhārī]
C
(References: Fath al-Bārī by al-Imām Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī,
Matn al-‘arba‘in by al-Imām al-Nawawī, The Path to Perfection
by Maulanā Masīhullah Khān, How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie.) |