BLAME THYSELF

Passing the Buck

THE Prophet of Islam and his Companions suffered defeat twice, at the Battle of Uhud (AD 625) and at the Battle of Hunayn (AD 630). On the occasion of Uhud, they suffered total defeat, and at Hunayn they suffered partial defeat.

Their opponents were the aggressors, and the Muslims were the defenders. This was the case of justice coming face to face with injustice. But the Quran, reviewing both events, said nothing against the opposite party but gave advice to the Muslims, pointing out their weakness. In the case of Uhud, the Quran pointed out the lack of unity in their fold. This is what the Quran said:

“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.” (3: 152)

In the case of the Battle of Hunayn, the Quran pointed out the sense of pride among the Muslims. Referring to this battle, the Quran says: “Indeed, God has helped you on many occasions. On the day of Hunayn, when you took pride in your great numbers, they proved of no avail to you—for the earth, despite all its vastness, became (too) narrow for you and you turned back, in retreat.” (9: 25)

According to Quranic teachings, if you face any kind of undesirable experience from another person or group, you should not try to protest against others or register your complaint against them. You should rather try to find out your own weakness, your own vulnerability that gave the other party the opportunity to overcome you. The only right thing to do in such a situation is to engage in introspection in order to discover your own weakness and then to reassess your own planning.