Nawar Fakhry Ezzi
After seven years of the failed attempts of the non-Muslims to kill Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or to stop him from calling people for Islam, a social boycott and an economic sanction was imposed on his whole clan for about three years in order to pressure them to give him up. The last year of this ordeal was called, the "year of sorrow" because during that year the Prophet's beloved and only wife for 25 years passed away only within a short period of the passing of his uncle, Abu Talib, who was his father figure and protector even though he was not a Muslim. When it seemed like no progress could be achieved in Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) tried to find support in the nearby city of Taif, but the situation was even worse there than it was in his hometown and he ended up leaving Taif bleeding and injured by the angry crowd who chased him out of the city. It was narrated that following this incident God gave him the choice of collapsing the mountains upon them, but he refused and prayed that their children might become believers. So instead, God revealed Surat Yusuf to him, which narrated the story of Joseph (peace be upon him). During what most probably were the darkest days of his Prophethood and life, this Surat, which is the “best of stories” (12:3) as God calls it in the Holy Qur'an, was God’s consolation and support to the Prophet (pbuh) who chose to be inspired by Joseph’s (pbuh) patience and perseverance to continue his mission.
Relating to true stories of people who overcame obstacles in life seems to inspire and motivate those of us who choose to do so. As Arabs and Muslims, we usually reminisce about historical Muslim figures to find inspiration and hope to revive the glorious past. The problem, however, is that many of these stories are often exaggerated and almost limited to male figures.
Some Muslims have a tendency to sanctify some individuals, especially religious scholars and leaders to the extent of turning them into legends possessing superpowers. Once this happens, they cease to be humans and their stories turn into a source of desperation over our current situation rather than inspiration because their standards seem impossible for mere mortals to match. For example, one of the famous stories about Imam Al-Shafi'i, who was a jurist and whose teachings formed what became one of the four major schools for Sunni Muslims, is that when he read a book, he always covered the next page because he would know it by heart if he just took one glance at it. Some people contribute his photographic memory, as we now know that he had, to his early memorization of the Holy Qur'an or to his righteousness. Obviously, it does not matter how righteous you become, you can never have a photographic memory if you were not born with one.
Sanctifying those individuals also includes eliminating all their shortcomings and turning their teachings and actions into sacred commandments that are supposedly fit for every age and place. When this happens, we stop seeing them as successful people who were the product of many factors including their cultural, educational and intellectual backgrounds. In addition to being unfair to them, this has disrupted the natural evolution of the changing interpretations of the actual fixed sacred texts leading to intellectual stagnation and eventually regression.
Another problem with our inspirational stories is that it seems that we can only be inspired by male figures and when women are included, the stories are usually about supportive wives, loving mothers and daughters or if someone is generous they could even be compassionate nurses in combat and war. The reality is that Islamic history is full of strong and independent women who could use some more deserving glorification. They were wives, mothers and daughters, but they were also poets, queens, warriors and political advisors. One of these remarkable women is Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab, who actually fought in several battles alongside men and about whom the Prophet (pbuh) said that in the battle of Uhud in whichever direction he turned in the battlefield he could see her defending and protecting him with her sword. However, these stories could inspire young Muslim women to defy their role and challenge what is expected of them and nobody would want that!
The challenges we face in life are inevitable and sometimes even necessary to succeed. People’s stories inspire us, but they need to be committed to the truth and realistic to achieve their purpose. Moreover, they do not have to be limited to stories of male figures from our race, religion and culture. We can be inspired by men, women and people from all over the world whether old or contemporary, scientists or artists. In your darkest days, be like Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and choose to hope and be inspired by human beings who faced difficulty and came out of it triumphant.
The writer can be reached at nawar81@hotmail.com
