I would like to share the story of Ebrahim Rasool, former South Africa’s ambassador to the USA. It is about his long involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. This man has held positions of leadership and received awards for it. He has been responsible for mobilizing the Muslim community and building deeper understanding of Islam under oppressive conditions and the culture of globalization. Mr. Rasool is also the founder of “World for all Foundation”.
His journey to self-discovery commenced on June 6, 1987, when he was sentenced for fourteen months as a political detainee. During his solitary confinement, the only resource he had was the Quran. Ebrahim Rasool weaved his day around the Book, drawing strength from it constantly and continuously.
After praying Fajr, his mornings were spent reciting the Quran. After breakfast, he memorized his favourite Surahs. In the afternoon, he delved into the meaning of the Quran in English, utilizing Yusuf Ali’s translation and jotting down his personal notes and reflection on the spaces left around the Quranic text.
In the evening, he wrote an index of the themes mentioned in the Quran. For this he had to request the warden to smuggle some ink for his pen that would run dry. And since he was not provided with any paper, he used toilet paper to make notes for his personal reform.
He began to talk to Allah (swt) through the glorious Quran. The Quran became his manual to harness internal power that radiated externally. Following are the seven tips that he discovered later, when he pondered over his life in prison:
Tip 1: Plug Into the Ultimate Source
The Prophet (sa) taught his Companion: “I will give you the ultimate treasure of Paradise, say: ‘La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illa Billah’ (There is no power and no strength except with Allah).” (Ibn Majah)
Allah (swt) has granted us the free will to decide, choose, be responsible, and be accountable. Here lies our power. We are like a device that needs to be charged for productivity, and our source of power is Allah (swt). We recognize Him, we submit to Him, we love Him, we worship Him, we understand Him and we fear Him. This is the pre-requisite to discovering oneself and harnessing the power within. Get charged by the source of power ‘Al-Qawiy’ – the All Powerful.
Tip 2: Be Whole to Be Powerful
During the first two weeks of detention, Mr. Ebrahim Rasool read the Quran a lot. But he approached it like you would a supermarket, going only to your favourite aisles. Basically, he was reading to reaffirm why he was in detention, to find promises for deliverance from his suffering and reward for his sacrifice. But then he came to the verse: “So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?” (Al-Baqarah 2:85)
The Quran told him to be whole, comprehensive, and complete, if he were to plug into the source of power for strength. This required Mr. Ebrahim to read the Quran from cover to cover and hold a conversation with Allah (swt), as deemed appropriate to His Majesty.
Tip 3: Be Disrupted to Disrupt
We need to ensure that spiritual commitments lead to social action. Our social commitment by the day should be balanced by standing at night to worship Allah (swt). We should be able to break away from a meeting to offer Salah. The best duo is a combination of activism and worship. One at the expense of another is not beneficial
Hence, disruption to our selves unleashes the power within for greater good. Only when we master our own spiritual development, we are able to help others against injustices, poverty, hunger, ignorance and much more. This is Allah’s (swt) Barakah at play.
Tip 4: Ask and Listen to Allah (swt)
In the initial weeks of imprisonment, Ebrahim Rasool communicated a lot with Allah (swt) beseeching Him for release, for the well-being of his family, for strength in times of interrogation, for Allah’s (swt) forgiveness, and for Paradise. A lesson emerged for him in the Quran, as he read through it one day during Ramadan: “And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So, let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (Al-Baqarah 2:186)
He realized that all along he had only been talking but not listening to the response from his Creator. He was distracted by his own wants and needs and missed Allah’s (swt) side of the conversation. Allah (swt) prescribes the most suitable time to talk to Him for a response. “Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Quran of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.” (Al-Isra 17:78)
How Allah (swt) understands deeply, cares kindly and guides rightly for our needs, Subhan’Allah.
Tip 5: Establish Your Purpose
Mr. Rasool states: “Niyyah (intention) transforms the mundane into the sublime, the worldly into the sacred, and the ordinary into the transcendent.”
So beautiful is Islam that we begin every act with an intention to please Allah (swt), which turns our entire life into an act of worship, for which we are rewarded. Our reward comes not only from our conscious acts of worship, such as Salah, Zakah, and Saum, but also our intention to do anything for Allah’s (swt) sake.
Tip 6: Find What You Want to Die For
When the judge was about to announce either a life imprisonment or the death penalty to Nelson Mandela, Mr. Mandela made a statement: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society. It is an ideal I hope to live for and to achieve, but if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
These words renewed and clarified Ebrahim Rasool’s intent. The quality of his conversation to Allah (swt) improved. As people outside his prison were mobilizing for his release, spray-painting his name on walls, and demanding his freedom, he knew Barakah was radiating. His small personal struggle had become part of a bigger human mission.
Tip 7: Take the Plunge
Ebrahim Rasool profoundly observed that there is a fundamental difference between one’s inner power and one’s ability to control life. Do not confuse the two or try to chart each course in your life. Instead, predict each choice at the intersections on the road. Try to find the straightest way to your destination. If achieving perfection is not possible, go for good and do it. You will find perfect companions on the way, perfect situations ahead, and perfect choices at intersections in future.
Allah (swt) promises to the believers: “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Al-Ankaboot 29:69)
Adapted from “Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool: How the Qur’an Helped Me Find My Power Within & 7 Tips to Radiate Barakah” published on Productive Muslim.com
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