By Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisī
The intelligent person is one who conceals his weaknesses, has patience when his numbers and provisions are sparse, discretely observes his enemy’s weaknesses and discretely makes plans so that his plans remain safe and secure, and he may wait for the opportune moment to see them through. Premature excitement and threats only serve to alert the enemy to the plans and allow him to make his own preparations, thereby making the Muslim become like a man who fires his arrows through the air before their time, or a man who alerts his prey before he shoots at it.
Anyone who goes to extremes in threatening or intimidating the enemy has underestimated his enemy, for threats and intimidation do not cause wounds, and going to extremes only decreases their fear and removes his own credibility. If anyone wants to act cleverly, they should not allow the enemy to know that he is clever, for then the enemy will be on guard against him such that he will not even be able to reach the weak among them, let alone the strong.
The battle fought by the weak and oppressed is never based on numbers or provisions, but rather it exploits the enemy’s weaknesses, takes advantage of his heedlessness and inattentiveness, and carries out devastating attacks at key moments. But sometimes a man may not understand these realities, and thus fans out is own feathers and makes himself seem bigger than he is. Consequently, the enemy gives him a thousand times more consideration than they would have otherwise, and do not simply suffice with observing and following him with their surveillance equipment, but they will rather also seek the assistance and support of their allies all over the world, to suppress their fear that then magnifies into being an international fear – indeed, a universal fear!
If our friend was intelligent, he would not become happy at such exaggerations by the enemy, for it is truly naïve of him to be gladdened by that which justifies his own suppression. Likewise, it is foolish to reinforce the enemy’s lies that magnify his threat to the world, thereby allowing the enemy to rally the world’s forces against him that they may cooperate to eliminate his threat. In effect, the poor man may become struck with a bout of delusion, forget his true size and believe the exaggerations of the enemy, thus he will begin acting in accordance with his enemy’s descriptions and thereafter issue fiery statements and threats of their destruction, and exaggerate matters while acting as though he is al-Qa‘qā‘ ibn ‘Amr or Qutaybah ibn Muslim with the forefront of his army in Baghdād and the rear of it crossing the great wall of China! But the matter is verified by one’s eyes not one’s ears, and what will be visible is fire, smoke, confusion and smut. It will endanger his followers and they will begin to act as though they have instigated a world crisis.
The intelligent person is one who conceals his weaknesses, has patience when his numbers and provisions are sparse, discretely observes his enemy’s weaknesses and discretely makes plans so that his plans remain safe and secure, and he may wait for the opportune moment to see them through. Premature excitement and threats only serve to alert the enemy to the plans and allow him to make his own preparations, thereby making the Muslim become like a man who fires his arrows through the air before their time, or a man who alerts his prey before he shoots at it.
Anyone who goes to extremes in threatening or intimidating the enemy has underestimated his enemy, for threats and intimidation do not cause wounds, and going to extremes only decreases their fear and removes his own credibility. If anyone wants to act cleverly, they should not allow the enemy to know that he is clever, for then the enemy will be on guard against him such that he will not even be able to reach the weak among them, let alone the strong.
The battle fought by the weak and oppressed is never based on numbers or provisions, but rather it exploits the enemy’s weaknesses, takes advantage of his heedlessness and inattentiveness, and carries out devastating attacks at key moments. But sometimes a man may not understand these realities, and thus fans out is own feathers and makes himself seem bigger than he is. Consequently, the enemy gives him a thousand times more consideration than they would have otherwise, and do not simply suffice with observing and following him with their surveillance equipment, but they will rather also seek the assistance and support of their allies all over the world, to suppress their fear that then magnifies into being an international fear – indeed, a universal fear!
If our friend was intelligent, he would not become happy at such exaggerations by the enemy, for it is truly naïve of him to be gladdened by that which justifies his own suppression. Likewise, it is foolish to reinforce the enemy’s lies that magnify his threat to the world, thereby allowing the enemy to rally the world’s forces against him that they may cooperate to eliminate his threat. In effect, the poor man may become struck with a bout of delusion, forget his true size and believe the exaggerations of the enemy, thus he will begin acting in accordance with his enemy’s descriptions and thereafter issue fiery statements and threats of their destruction, and exaggerate matters while acting as though he is al-Qa‘qā‘ ibn ‘Amr or Qutaybah ibn Muslim with the forefront of his army in Baghdād and the rear of it crossing the great wall of China! But the matter is verified by one’s eyes not one’s ears, and what will be visible is fire, smoke, confusion and smut. It will endanger his followers and they will begin to act as though they have instigated a world crisis.
No comments:
Post a Comment