THE IMPORTANCE OF STABILITY
Be Like A Tree
STABILITY, in the sense of constancy of character or purpose, is essential for progress. To understand and develop this character, man can draw inspiration from the example of a tree.
The tree is used as a metaphor for man in the Quran (14: 24). The growth of man is likened to a tree. The same law governs both.
The tree has a trunk with branches above the ground and roots beneath. It is said that the height of the tree above the ground is almost the same as its depth beneath. This enables a tree to stand erect and stable at one place. If a tree is dug up with its roots and re-planted in other places time and again, its roots get shortened each time this happens. Ultimately, the roots dry up and the tree will neither be able to grow any further nor stand erect.
The same principle applies to man’s existence. To develop his potential, stability is indispensable. Working at one place for a long time, helps him develop roots leading to stability and then he will be saved from unnecessary problems.
The best deeds are those which are done
regularly, even if they are small.
A person requires a society for balanced development; he needs people to interact and have discussions; he needs a library to pursue intellectual goals with continuity. Indeed, a person is in need of many things, but stability is the sine qua non for all his essential requirements. Stability is like a steadfast tree. while instability makes one no better than a tree without roots.
With reference to stability, there is a verse in the Quran which acclaims “those who are steadfast in prayer”(70: 23). The same principle is mentioned in the Hadith in a general sense. The Prophet of Islam said: “The best deeds are those which are done regularly, even if they are small” (Ibn Majah). This saying of the Prophet emphasizes the importance of stability in life.
The general practice in employment is that if an employee goes on leave without notice, it constitutes a break in his service record. He will lose seniority and will have to return to the position he held earlier. The same principle applies to the larger history of an individual. A person who frequently changes his place of work is one who has had a ‘break in his history’. When a person stays at the same place over a long period, he builds up a history there. But if he keeps changing his place, his history becomes fragmented and he will be cut off from his own history. A person projects an image in his environment because of the history of his experience. By frequently ‘breaking’ his history, he will project a broken image or no image at all.
Just as a rootless tree has no place in the garden, similarly
a person without a history has no permanent place in society
This principle is very serious from the practical point of view. Just as a person without a history is like a rootless tree. A rootless tree has no place in the garden, similarly a person without a history has no permanent place in society.
Learn from everyone
Knowledge is like a great ocean: faced with its
immensity, no one can be a self-sufficient person.
The process of seeking knowledge has to be a
mutual venture, in the course of which everyone
gains something from everyone else. Here the
taker is the giver and the giver is the taker.
Everyone plays both roles.