THE MANNERS AND CRITERIA OF DELIVERING SERVICE 2
Osman Nûri Topbaş
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9. To Improve Oneself Morally and Scientifically:
A man of service should better himself, endeavoring to go further and further. One who is not well-informed, inexperienced or who is morally or spiritually immature can never deliver good service.
On the other hand, change and the process of perfection are part of a divine law. Any being who cannot fall in step with these is bound to fade away. Therefore, those involved in delivering service should work at improving themselves; a generation that has attained a high calibre can only be educated by morally and scientifically mature educators, themselves of a high calibre.
10. To Realize that Gains come from God, but that Failures come from Personal Faults:
The man of service should hold his baser-self back from the service he provides. The most important point to bear in mind here is to understand that any gain comes from God, but that any failure is caused through our own personal faults. In the Qur'an God says, while talking about the victory of the Muslims in the battle of Badir:
"It is not you who slew them; it was God: When you threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but God's..." (Anfal 8: 17).
Here, God states that it is He who is the real actor. The believer should not try to take credit for himself from such achievements, rather he should believe that success comes only from God. Therefore, he should be doubly grateful that God has let him serve in a successful manner.
In so doing, the man of service sheds his lower-self, and feels more humble before God. He thus frees himself from conceit and egoism, characteristics which can mislead one while performing a service. The Qur'an says:
"... Exult not, for God loves not those who exult..." (Qasas 28: 76).
The ego is a cancer that impedes service. Yet it is not an incurable illness. In dervish convents there used to exist a plate with just one word on it: "Nothing". This word symbolizes the conquest of the ego and the realization of the impotence of man. The fundamental issue here is to realize that we are only the servants of God.
The man of service should not blame others for his failure to perform a service; he should, instead, question whether it is he who should be blamed. He should make a habit of showing tolerance to others, but he should question himself.
11. To Take the Lead in the Delivery of Service:
Those who perform a service should create such a feeling of service in the people that they work with and should do their best to perform a service by doing as much work as any of their co-workers do. Those who think that they are providing a service by merely giving orders, without making much of an effort, are people who have not perceived the heart of the matter.
The person who is the head of a team providing a service should actively work and exert himself, more than anyone else in the group. If he behaves in such a way his actions will inspire the other workers and encourage them to work enthusiastically. This was a tradition of the Prophet; he used to work with the companions during the construction of the Quba Mosque and the Nabawi Mosque carrying stones; he again worked with them during the Battle of Handak and he sometimes performed services for his companions.
The Prophet said:
"The head of a tribe is the one who delivers service to its members." (Dailami, Musnad, II, 324).
That is to say, that the man in charge of performing a service cannot expect to receive service; he is merely a giver.
12. To be Enthusiastic and to Persevere:
It is enthusiasm and excitement that prompt a person to deliver a service. A person who is not enthusiastic or excited cannot spiritually enjoy the service that he performs.
Some of those who have been providing service for a long time may develop a feeling of satiation. This is a danger that awaits the man of service. The feeling of "that is my all " is a whisper from the ego that makes this world seem more attractive. The following story, as narrated by Abu Imran, illustrates the importance of maintaining one's enthusiasm and excitement for life:
During the siege of Istanbul by the Emevites, the famous Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a warrior of Madina, participated. He rode his horse into the Byzantine lines and remained stuck there. Some of the Muslim soldiers watching him said in astonishment:
"O, look at him! He is destroying himself, with his own hands!" By this exclamation they were alluding to a verse from the Qur'an.
Upon hearing them Abu Ayyub al-Ansari replied:
"O, believers! Do not get the verse wrong! This verse was sent down concerning the people of Madina who supported the people migrating from Mecca. After God had made His religion victorious by helping the Prophet, we, the people of Madina, planned to become preoccupied with material goods and property. Upon this God revealed this verse "And spend of your substance in the cause of God, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction." (Baqara 2: 195). "Make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction" was a warning to us not to lose ourselves in our goods and properties, forgetting service in the cause of God."
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who had taken heed of this divine warning, never shunned service in the cause of God and was given the honour of martyrdom during the siege of Istanbul. He was buried near the bulwarks of Istanbul (Abu Dawud, Jihad, 23; Tirmizi, Tafsir, 2).
The Prophet was the guest of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari in Madina for about half a year and they joined in many battles together. Yet, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari never tired and he finally joined the siege of Istanbul, although at that time he was around 80 years old. His life is a good example of one who was able to maintain a strong faith, enthusiasm, and excitement for life in the course of service.
Faith, which binds a believer to All-mighty God, is also a passion. A believer who has this passion should feel no fear or be without hope. Thus, God warns us in this respect:
"So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: for you must gain mastery if you are true in Faith." (Al-i Imran 3: 139).
Feeling pessimistic or depressed, and therefore shunning responsibility when faced with trouble, is a sign of impotence. Impotence does not suit a Muslim. Those who deliver service should always bear in mind the following prayer by the Prophet:
"O, my Lord! I take refuge in You from impotency, indolence, cowardice, and overexhaustion..." (Bukhari, Daawat, 38).
The fundamental key to preforming a good service is forbearance and perseverance. God says in the Qur'an:
"O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear God; that you may prosper." (Al-i Imran 3: 200).
A man of service is bound to confront all kinds of bothers and troubles. If he does not waver in the face of all that will confront him in his lifetime then he will receive divine help and succeed in the end.
To sum up, one's service is acceptable by God only when performed modestly and with good manners. If this is not the case, then one's efforts will often be of no avail, and may even cause an undesired outcome. Therefore, a man of service should be armed with the relevant knowledge and skills. If these cannot be acheived then one cannot deliver good service; one may even perform a disservice to the mission. A service properly performed, sooner or later, brings about a good result. Thus, God says in the Qur'an:
"... Verily, We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed." (Kahf 18: 30).
The Prophet said:
"God loves those who do their work properly." (Dailami, Musnad, I, 57).
As has now been made abundantly clear, a man of service must be able to learn how to deliver service in the most perfect way; allowing himself to receive divine grace. Delivering service to God's servants with compassion, mercy, and tolerance requires strong patience and endurance. The perfect man of service is someone who has the moral merits of altruism, tolerance, devotion, and self-abnegation.
A man of service is someone who remains enthusiastic, and keeps his heart away from desiring material gains and expedience, regardless of where he lives. He is supposed to hear the unheard cry of the aggrieved and lonely people.
May God help us take our share of all these virtues! May God help us to realize our responsibility towards those to whom we cannot deliver service! May God adorn our hearts with enthusiasm for service and help us work to win His approval!
Amen!..
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