4 Pillars of Victory in Islam
Victory
in the Islamic concept is not a reward arbitrarily granted, nor a gift bestowed
upon anyone without fulfilling its complete prerequisites. Rather, it is a
divine law from among the laws of Allah Almighty, which only be realized when
its conditions are fully met.
Nations
that aspire to victory are
therefore required—before anything else—to rebuild their moral system according
to the methodology of Allah Almighty, and then to proceed along the path of
victory through reviving faith, establishing justice, and engaging in tireless,
serious work.
Any
victory that bypasses these values and ethics—even if it occurs—is false and
hollow. But if we seek a true victory that establishes an elevated human
civilization, then it must be built upon morals and safeguarded by values.
Hence, it
becomes imperative to understand the ethics and pillars that bring victory and
establish truth.
First: Faith in Allah in Word and Deed
This is
the first condition of succession on earth. Faith is belief, speech, and
action. Allah Almighty Says, {The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts
tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations
are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord. ˹They are˺ those who establish prayer and donate
from what We have provided for them. It is they who are the true believers. They will have elevated ranks,
forgiveness, and an honourable provision from their Lord.} [Al-Anfal 8:2-4]
Dr. Ali As-Salabi
cites this verse in his book “Enlightening Believers on the Jurisprudence of Victory and Empowerment in the Holy Quran” when
defining faith in its comprehensive sense, saying: “These verses, while
presenting the qualities of the believers, combine the actions of the heart and
the actions of the limbs, and they regard all of that as faith. Faith is
restricted to these qualities through the particle of restriction ‘innama,’ and
the believers are defined collectively by these traits in the phrase: {It is they who are the true believers.} The
physical acts included here are establishing prayer and spending in the way of
Allah.”
The
attributes of believers appear repeatedly throughout the Quran, yet they all
agree that faith consists of three essential components: belief of the heart,
speech of the tongue, and action of the limbs. Any deficiency in one of these
diminishes the reality of faith.
A nation
that seeks to emerge from a state of weakness must embrace Islam in its
totality and realize the qualities of true believers
mentioned by Allah Almighty: {Successful indeed are
the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer; those who avoid idle
talk; those who pay alms-tax; those who guard their chastity except with their
wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in
their possession, for then they are free from blame, but whoever seeks
beyond that are the transgressors; ˹the believers are also˺ those who are true to their trusts and
covenants; and those who are ˹properly˺
observant of their prayers. These are the ones who will be awarded
Paradise as their own. They will be there forever.} [Al-Mu’minun 23:1-11]
Second: Justice as the Foundation of
Victory and a Condition for Empowerment
Justice is the
primary pillar in the moral construction of nations seeking victory. It
motivates individuals within society to safeguard public interests just as they
safeguard private ones, because a just society protects their rights and works
to preserve them.
Allah
Almighty commands justice in His Book, Saying: {Indeed,
Allah commands justice, grace...} [An-Nahl 16:90]
A nation
that lacks justice in its dealings with its people cannot achieve victory. How
can it do so when its people harbor resentment, hatred, and unresolved
grievances among themselves? And why would individuals strive for victory when
it ultimately does not serve them?
It is
noteworthy that Islam mandates justice even
toward enemies—so how much more so within the Muslim society itself. Allah
Almighty Says, {O believers! Stand firm for Allah
and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to
injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness.} [Al-Ma’idah 8]
Injustice—even
when clothed in religious slogans—is a cause for the downfall of nations and
the erosion of their dignity, even in the eyes of their own people. Justice, on
the other hand, produces internal stability without which no victory can stand.
Third: Bearing Responsibility and
Abandoning Excuses
Justifying
mistakes is a form of deception used by defeated leaders to mislead their
followers and rationalize their failures. They constantly search for scapegoats
on which to hang their defeats, convincing their followers that external
conspiracies alone prevented victory for Muslims—rather than their own
weakness, failure to take the necessary means, and lack of true reliance upon Allah.
Thus,
nothing changes. External conspiracies never cease, their capabilities remain
stagnant, and their arrogance, failure, and helplessness prevent them from
attempting reform or fulfilling the conditions of victory and empowerment.
They have
forgotten the Words of Allah revealed after the defeat of Uhud, before the
Muslims returned to Madinah: {It is because of your
disobedience.} [Ali `Imran 3:165]
Fourth: Positive Patience
Patience is a
condition for the success of any endeavor and a prerequisite for the
companionship of Allah Almighty. He Says, {Persevere!
Surely Allah is with those who persevere.} [Al-Anfal 8:46]
Patience
is not submission, surrender, or acceptance of a reality imposed by defeat and
weakness. Rather, it is steadfastness upon the path, adherence to values,
ethics, divine laws, effort, commitment to the cause, and exhausting all
available means.
Positive patience
motivates action—not passivity. It is patience upon striving, not patience upon
humiliation or the enemy’s domination. This is the patience referred to in the
Words of Allah Almighty: {˹Yet,˺ if you are patient and mindful ˹of Allah˺, their schemes will not harm you in the
least. Surely Allah is Fully Aware of what they do.} [Ali `Imran 3:120]
He also
Says, {O believers! Patiently endure, persevere,
stand on guard,1 and be mindful of Allah, so you may be successful.} [Ali `Imran
3:200]
And: {O believers! When you face an enemy, stand firm and
remember Allah often so you may triumph.} [Al-Anfal 8:45]
Not to
mention that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Know that within
patience over what you dislike there is much good. And that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship
with ease.”
(Narrated by Imam Ahmad)
You May Also Read:
- How the Qur’an Defines and Delivers Victory?
- Supplication’s Role in Achieving Empowerment and Islamic Civilizational Witness
- The Hijrah’s Methodology for Imminent Victory
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