
Take Appropriate Steps
Chapter 5
Allah says to the believers “Take your precautions” (4:71) and “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power…” (8:60) also “And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it (some) preparation…” (9:46)
Anything important requires preparation and failing to do so whilst having the ability is being dishonest with yourself. The term preparation is broad and would include anything that is needed for the goal.
Allah has commanded His slaves to seek the means of attaining strength of all kinds. We are enjoined to prepare them and acquire them, and if we do not have them, then we should learn how to manufacture them. That is obligatory, because “that which is essential to fulfilling an obligatory duty is also obligatory.”
Using the proper means — the natural causes — to get things done is part of our faith and creed. Allah says: “Verily We established his power on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends.” (18:84)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said “Knowledge is acquired by seeking it, and patience is acquiring by striving to be patient. The one who strives to attain good will be given it, and the one who strives to protect himself from evil will be protected.” — Therefore use the means of acquiring good characteristics so that you may get the results you seek.
Indeed Allah is the doer of what He pleases. It is a matter of “Be, and it is”. It is also said that if Allah wants an end He will prepare for it, its means. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said “When Allah decrees that a person is to die in a certain land, He creates a need for him to go there.” (Tirmidhi) and in another hadith “Know that everyone will be guided to do that for which he was created. Whoever is meant to be one of the people of happiness will be guided to do the deeds of the people of happiness, and whoever is meant to be one of the people of doom will be guided to do the deeds of the people of doom.” (Agreed upon)
If Allah bestows upon some of His close friends some miracles (karaamaat), this is by His grace and bounty, but that does not indicate that we should forgo taking appropriate measures. It is proven that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.” (Muslim)
It is often when the righteous exhaust the means does the help of Allah come. When Musa does everything he can with Pharoah, and is being literally chased by an army, that is when Allah splits the sea (26:63). When Maryam is at the point of wishing she were dead (19:23), she is given help. When Hajar runs seven times back and forth looking for help, Allah gives her the well of Zamzam.
It must be understood that there are means of attaining divine help; whoever wants divine help without taking these measures is acting in a manner contrary to Islamic teaching and common sense.
So it is not wise for a person to travel a path that leads to the opposite of what they want and then say, “I will never get anything but that which has been decreed for me.”
Allah has created the means of getting results, so you must pay attention to the laws of Allaah that govern His creation. These laws apply to all people. Whoever applies the means of strength will attain it, by the Leave of his Lord.
“Whoever desires the quick‑passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer — then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. To each, these as well as those, We bestow from the Bounties of your Lord. And the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden” (17:18–20)
Change What is Within Yourself
The destiny of a nation depends on the determination of its people.
“Truly, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (13:11)
This is an important verse which indicates that Allah in His perfect justice and wisdom does not change the condition of the people from good to bad or from bad to good unless they try to change their condition themselves.
Most people dream of achieving something and then they sit on the couch, watch football, eat KFC, drink coke and stalk people on social media. And when they don’t achieve their goal, they blame others, the current market, or that they’re too busy.
If you have true intent you’ll do something about it. Like any meaningful change it requires both macro level systemic struggles and micro level individual struggles.
Your outer conditions are sometimes a reflection of your inner reality. When Allāh sees from you effort, even if it is small, His Raḥma will take you the full length.
Allah will manifest himself as Nasir when we seek to aid His religion. He has sworn to help and give victory to those who help Him “Indeed Allah will help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is Exalted in Might, All-Powerful.” (22:40)
A person’s practical implementation and relationship with Allāh, the Exalted, is what aids him in securing victory and success — not his theoretical or academic understanding of texts and mastery of textual creeds.
This has been the difference between those who have made a change and impact and those who have not throughout the history of our ummah. Their īmān had driven them to action, to struggle and strive for the sake of establishing the sanctities and pleasure of Allāh.
The believers will prevail and be victorious if they take the measures that lead to victory and advancement. We must trust that only this Quranic approach will deliver the desired results.
The Conquest of Constantinople
For eight centuries, the conquest of Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey, was a dream for the Muslim commanders. Ever since the era of the revered companion, Mu`aawiyah ibn Abu Sufyaan, there had been many attempts to conquer it, but none had succeeded.
Muhammad al Fatih, a man of considerable skill was born on 27th Rajab 835A.H, 30th March 1432. He was brought up under the close supervision of his father, Sultan Murad II who prepared and trained him to shoulder the responsibilities of the position of a Sultan. It is stated that Sultan Muhammad memorised the entire Qur’ān, learnt the Prophetic narrations, Islamic jurisprudence, mathematics, astronomy and the skills required for war. He was multi-lingual being fluent in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Greek. Muhammad Al-Fatih was highly ambitious, widely cultured, and had deep knowledge of the skills of war and combat.
“O you who believe, If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.” (47:7)
He was raised with an Islamic upbringing under the tutelage of a number of scholars of his age such as Shaykh Aḥmad b. Ismāʿīl al-Kourani and Shaykh Ak Shamsuddin, one of the scholars who played a role in developing the personality of Sultan Muḥammad and who is attributed as instilling in his heart the spirit of Jihād and the desire to be a person with high ambition.
At the age of 12, a young Muḥammad was driven by a particular ḥadīth of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that profoundly affected him and impacted his life, changing his destination and that of the course of history. The ḥadīth was as follows:“Verily, Constantinople shall be opened. Its commander shall be the best commander ever, and his army shall be the best army ever.”(Ahmed)
Much like Salāh ad-Dīn before him in his quest to liberate Jerusalem, his ambition overwhelmed him to the extent that he would not talk about any subject except for the conquest of Constantinople. Having now become the Sultan on the death of his father at the age of 22, Muḥammad set about fulfilling his ambition in liberating and conquering Constantinople and seeking to be the one whom the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ had prophesied about.
Napoleon was quoted as saying, “If the Earth were a single state, then Constantinople would be its capital”. It was at that time regarded as one of the most fortified cities in the world.
Muḥammad al Fatih realised that inspiration without strategy is delusion and needed a well orchestrated plan to translate his hopes in to a reality. The attempt to open Constantinople was not an easy task as Muslim armies from as early as the time of Muawiyyah رضي الله عنه had attempted to besiege this city but it consistently failed on each occasion — the closest to achieving the aim was Sultan Beyazid but, qadrallāh, his attention was forced elsewhere with the emergence of the Mongols. Hence, Sultan Muḥammad knew that his attempt needed to be well-planned and meticulously strategised. From the big picture to the forensic detail and every layer in between. He placed his trust in Allah whilst actively pursuing the means victory.
One such strategy was to build the navy. He put together a formidable armada of more than 100 ships for the conquest of Constantinople. To ensure victory, he sought to equip his army with the latest artillery in warfare — a new technology which had not been owned by any other country was bought from a Hungarian engineer, Orban. The technology came in the form of giant cannons capable of tearing down the wall of fortresses surrounding Constantinople. Orban was freed from prison and commissioned with the construction of this weapon.
Side note: Often, we spend most of our time throwing ourselves at the wall instead of investing the time to find a useful ladder instead. Perhaps, instead of restating our audacious goals, we can spend more time finding useful tools–insights, skills, trust, attention, access–instead. It’s worth the search.
As a further preparation for war, Sultan Muḥammad ordered the building of fortresses close to the region about to be attacked. The function of this was clear: to station the army and, at the same time, provide logistical sites for uninterrupted war supplies. These fortresses were built in a few months. He knew that Emperor Constantine XI would have noted his movements and it was rumoured that the Hungarians and Venetians were on their way to support Byzantine, as such, Sultan Muḥammad was in a hurry.
With his ships all prepared and fortresses built, Sultan Muḥammad set off with a force of 250,000 mujāhids to Constantinople on 6 April 1453 (875 AH). Sultan Muḥammad had terms of surrender sent to Emperor Constantine XI as per Islāmic custom before engaging in battle. He invited him to surrender peacefully and be spared everyone’s life and property, with the security that whoever wanted to remain would be safe. However, the Emperor refused and with this began the siege of Constantinople.
The Muslims became frustrated however with Byzantine’s famous barrier chain in the sea. Made of giant wooden links that were joined by immense nails and heavy iron shackles, the chain could be deployed in an emergency by means of a ship hauling it across the Golden Horn. Securely anchored on both ends, with its length guarded by Byzantine warships at anchor in the harbour, the great chain was a formidable obstacle and a vital element of the city’s defences. The Ottoman fleet tried many times to get into the city by sea, but they faced numerous failures. The soldiers even tried to secretly break the chain which was 4 to 5 feet below sea level, but they were killed in the process.
Nevertheless, Sultan Muḥammad was one of the great generals who used one of the most outstanding, daring military approaches and strategy in military history. He ordered his army to bring up the naval ships on land and pulled them over the hills at the eastern side of Constantinople. Over 70 ships were pulled on rails made by wood from the trees surrounding the hills and animal grease spread on the wood to facilitate the transport of the ships. This intelligent and seemingly impossible task was completed by his soldiers disguised by the cover of darkness over a lengthy distance in only one night.
The next morning, the people of Constantinople awoke to the sounds of the Takbīr, “Allāhuakbar”, and they were shocked to see the Ottoman ships lined in front of their fortified fortress causing a huge psychological blow. The Muslims now began bombarding the walls day and night with the cannons.
One part of the wall became weak enough for the infantries to rush into the city. The people of Constantinople saw the flag of Islām being flown for the first time and the liberation was then completed with Sultan Muḥammad aged 22.
Sultan Muḥammad entered the city on his horse along with his army — his commanders congratulated him whilst he said to them: “You have become the liberators of Constantinople, about whom the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ informed us”. He then dismounted his horse and fell in prostration praising Allāh for this prestigious honour and supplicated for the brave Mujāhidīn who were martyred along the way.
He then headed towards the one of the greatest churches in all of Christendom, the Aya Sofia. Inside were many priests to whom Sultan Muḥammad showed kindness and mercy and gave reassurances for the lives and possessions of all in the city on account of which many were said to have become Muslim from witnessing the justice and tolerance of Islām.
He was a master strategist and a great tactician, who was able to blend pragmatism with idealism to achieve the desired objective. Sultan Muḥammad gave instructions for Aya Sofia to be transformed into a Mosque as soon as possible in preparation for the Jummuʿah (Friday prayer) that was approaching in the coming days.
Sultan Muḥammad Fātiḥ continued to spread Islām in the Conquest of Serbia (1454–1459); Conquest of Morea (1458–1460); Conquests on the Black Sea coast (1460–1461) Conquest of Wallachia (1459–1462) wherein he famously defeated the Dracula; Conquest of Bosnia (1463); Conquest of Karaman (1464–1473); Conquest of Albania (1466–1478); Conquest of Genoese Crimea and the alliance with Crimean Khanate (1475).
Not being content on fulfilling one of the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, Sultan Muḥammad Fātiḥ sought to now conquer the heart of Christendom, Rome for indeed the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said that the Muslims would liberate Rome. However, whilst marching with the Ottoman army to the campaign, he became ill. After some days, he died on 3 May 1481, at the age of 49 — Allāh has destined this to be achieved at the hands of another great noble individual.
Perhaps the greatest accolade with respect to this noble warrior is that for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, he was forever to be known and remembered as Muḥammad al-Fātiḥ (Muḥammad the Conqueror) — establishing a direct link to the one prophesised by the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ
“…And Allah supports with His aid whom He wills. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand.” (3:13)
The liberation of Constantinople paved the way for Islām to enter Europe. The conquest remains one of the great events in not just Islamic history, but that of world history. The liberated city was from here on forever to be referred to as ‘Islāmbul’, meaning the “City of Islām”. Incidentally, there are coins in the British Museum from 1730 where the name of the city, Islambul is clearly imprinted.
We must appreciate the true relationship between cause and effect. If Allah bestows upon some of His close friends some miracles (karaamaat), this is by His grace and bounty, but that does not indicate that we should forgo taking appropriate measures. It is often when the righteous exhaust the means does that the help of Allah comes. When Musa does everything he can with Pharoah, and is being literally chased by an army, that is when Allah splits the sea (26:63). When Maryam is at the point of wishing she were dead (19:23), she is given help. When Hajar runs seven times back and forth looking for help, Allah gives her the well of Zamzam.
One of the evidences of your conviction in Allah and His promise is that you work hard. Part of putting one’s trust in Allah is taking appropriate measures and striving to do so. The one who refrains from doing so has gone against the laws of Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked “Should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul or should I leave her untied and have Tawakkul.” Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “Tie her and have Tawakkul.” (Tirmidhi)
Neglecting the means undermines the essence of putting one’s trust in Allah and undermines the Divine command and wisdom. It is proven that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.” (Muslim) Whoever gives thought to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ will easily see how he took practical steps to achieve his aims, from the time of his emigration until the time of his death.
The reality of Tawakkul is that we place our trust and reliance on Allāh all our affairs, whilst utilising our visceral, or tangible means of attaining that which we want to attain. Tawakkul, therefore, involves belief, dependence, and action where possible.
Allah also may delay the answer to make us work harder so we are prepared for it. If we look at Palestine, we may think, “Wow, the Muslim Ummah prays so much and we don’t see anything changing.”
But in truth, although the majority of the Ummah prays intensely during Ramadan, many do not make du`a’ with true pleading. It is almost an afterthought. And if we do (such as when we see the carnage that happened in Gaza) we do not follow up our words with actions that utilise the means to change the situation.
There are some genuine people who work for change, but they are a minority. Most of us are miserly with Allah, offering at best only lukewarm support for the truth — rather give from the best of what you have of intelligence and resources and then wait and see.
So we need to be patient because we need to know that Allah is training the Ummah. The answer is being delayed so that we become worthy of this task.
Being prepared puts us in a better position to succeed, but be careful where you place your dependence. Realise that Allah is in charge. Whilst we should do everything in our power to reach our goals we should depend only on Allah, as the means are only effectual through His will.
In summary you should know that knowledge Mandates Action: Mu`adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “The two feet of the servant will not cease (from standing before Allah) on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about four matters: On his life and how he spent it; On his wealth and where he earned it and on what he spent it; And on his knowledge and what he did for it.”
Invest in the change you want to see in the world. Write your “To-Do List,” the night before. Do some work and prepare questions to get answered the next day. Do something every day that will take you one inch closer to your goal. Make a decision and then place your trust in Allah.
The promise of Allah is standing — so long as the conditions are met. Remember your vision and continually renew and refresh its execution.
May Allah make us of those who strive hard.
