Planning is the process of thinking in advance about any activity required to achieve a desired goal. It is the conscious determination of the objectives to be achieved and the future course of action to be taken to achieve the results in a given time period. It implies decision making as to what to do, when to do it, where to do it and who is to do it. In the field of management, the first step is planning and if this is done effectively then all the other steps will be performed smoothly, as Aristotle once said, “Well begun is half done”.
The setting of goals, making plans and designing strategies to assure the accomplishment of objectives are also a part of Islam. Planning, therefore, should be at the centre of a Muslim’s life, in all his moral, social, economic and political activities. Unfortunately, this precious Sunnah, however, is not apparent in the lives of many Muslims today. It is the absence of this Sunnah that has contributed much to our failures and sufferings. In order to plan, one needs to understand his designation, mission and purpose. From the Qur’ān we learn that our designation is that of a vicegerent, our mission is to establish the religion of Allah and our purpose of this life is to gain Allah’s pleasure and be successful in this life and the hereafter.
The Qur’ān teaches its readers to be planners in their affairs. It does it in a number of ways like, by discussing the stories of the prophets, by emphasising the law of Allah the Exalted in nature, and by praising the people who had a broad vision and were foresighted.
An example of this can be seen in the story of Prophet Moses and his strategies in approaching the Pharaoh of Egypt. When Allah commanded Moses to go to Egypt and invite the Pharaoh to the path of Islam, Moses accepted the order and spelled out his plans. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Moses said: Oh my Lord! Expand my chest (with faith, knowledge and affection); ease my task for me; and remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand what I say: and give me a minister of my family, Aaron, my brother; add to my strength through him, and make him share my task.” (Qur’ān 20:25-32).
In this example, three major elements to build the plan clearly stand out. First, Moses prepared himself for Dawah. Crucial to an effective and successful Dawah is the strength of the individual’s knowledge, wisdom and deep faith. These faculties together enable the Da’ee to face difficulties and prevail over them. Thus, Moses expressed his willingness to open his heart and mind to receive deeper faith and wisdom to enable him to accomplish his task successfully.
Secondly, Moses’ planning was to deal with a problem of communication. This may have been a speech impediment that Moses had or it may be the difference of languages and customs of the tribes of Midian and Egypt. Eloquence of speech, in the language of the listeners, is an essential tool of every Da’ee. Without a plan to deal with this situation, Moses would not have been able to convey his message effectively. Thus, providing good communication was a crucial part of his plan for Dawah, so Moses requested Allah to send Aaron for his support.
Thirdly, a matter of logistics and support, human elements and tools required to support him in carrying out his mission. For this reason, Moses’ plan included his brother Aaron. Thus, Aaron was not only for good communication, but also for physical and moral support in meeting the Pharaoh.
All these three points in Moses’ plan to approach the Pharaoh of Egypt makes it very clear that Moses did not approach the Pharaoh with no plans or haphazardly. Furthermore, one can see that Moses plan was centred on elements that were, at heart, relevant matters to the process of Dawah. This example illustrates that the Sunnah of Planning is indeed an integral part of the Muslim’s mechanism of work and faith. Thus, we must not forget that the story of Moses with the Pharaoh is an inspiration for us, not for entertainment.
Similar to the story of Moses in the Qur’ān, the plans drawn by Prophet Ibrahim in building the Kaaba, in breaking the idols, Prophet Yaqub sending his sons to find their brothers Joseph and Benjamin, are inspirations for Muslims to plan their tasks and affairs wisely.
The Muslim’s plan must not be short-sighted and should take into consideration the issues which are behind the scene that are relevant to the goal. Vision is the ability to see the future based on the immediate surrounding and circumstances. A plan may or may not be as successful if constructed without insight and vision. Allah the Exalted praises those who possess the trait of vision. For example, Prophets Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are praised by Allah for their spiritual power and vision. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “And remember Our servants, Abraham, Issac and Jacob – those of strength and (religious) vision. Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home (of the Hereafter). And indeed they are, to Us, among the chosen and outstanding.” (Qur’ān 38:45-47)
Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, (making) a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (high) in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded.” (Qur’ān 14:24-25) The foundation for a tree are its roots, if they are strong then the tree will also be strong. Similarly, the foundation and the first stage of management is planning, if planning is effective then the entire process will also be effective. Thus, this verse helps us understand the importance of planning.
Allah continues and says in the Qur’ān, “And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability. Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.” (Qur’ān 14:26-27) These two ayaahs give the example of a bad tree which is bad because of its roots and which will ultimately fail to yield any fruits. If our planning is not up to the mark then the process and the result which we get would also not be desirable. Thus, planning becomes a very crucial aspect for the success of an activity.
Allah says in the Qur’ān, “…But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” (Qur’ān 8:30) Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Verily, all things have We created in (planned) proportion and measure.” (Qur’ān 54:49) Allah also says in the Qur’ān, “No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a plan before We bring it into existence.” (Qur’ān 57:22) These verses clearly show that both the conception and end result of every creation is according to a plan. Thus, Allah teaches us that His work is made according to a plan and a record. This is true inspiration for a sincere believer to follow and practise.
Turning our attention to the life and example of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), we learn that the actions of the Prophet were planned in both the religious and worldly domains. During the migration to Yathrib (Medina), we come across many instances where the Prophet had made plans at every stage. The Prophet devised a plan with his closest companion, Abu Bakr. This plan was secret and known only to those who played a part in it.
First, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) hired Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt as a guide for the journey and then asked Abu Bakr to prepare a camel load of food and drinks. To ensure that he would know what the enemy was up to during this migration period, as well as be in touch with the rest of the Muslim community, he instructed Asma, Abu Bakr’s daughter and her brother Abdullah to provide him and their father with food and news in their hiding place. To further ensure a safe escape and avoid falling into the hands of the Quraysh, the Prophet instructed Abu Bakr’s servant, Aamir Ibn Faheerah to graze the heard of sheep behind Asma or Abdullah to destroy their footprints as they delivered the food and news to the Prophet and their father.
The Quraysh tribes planned to kill the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Allah the Exalted informed the Prophet of their plan and gave him permission to migrate to Yathrib (Medina). On the night the enemies surrounded the Prophet’s house, to do the foul deed, but the effective planning of Prophet Muhammad and the help of Allah helped him in migrating from Makkah. He and Abu Bakr headed south instead and hid in the cave of Thour. There they spent three days until the feverish search for them subsided. During the three days, news and food were brought to them according to plan. After leaving their hideout, they met Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt as planned and started on their journey to Yathrib by taking the longer route, first going west towards the Red Sea, then north along the shorelines of the Red Sea, then east to Yathrib, instead of the normal shorter route.
Despite Prophet Muhammad’s deep faith in Allah that He would protect him, regardless of the situation, he still drew up his plan of migration with care and deliberation. His actions and plans in this situation are a clear example to Muslims that, regardless of the situation they find themselves in, they must consider every possibility and its alternatives while making their plans in order to ensure its success. It is thus inappropriate to do a haphazard job and assume that Allah will straighten out the mess, because “He is kind” and you are a “believer”. The plan of escape drawn by the Prophet demonstrates the extent of physical work, talent, leadership and vision that a Muslim must demonstrate in all their undertakings. The leaders of Makkah offered one hundred camels as a reward to the one who apprehended the Prophet. However, because of a well thought-out and carefully planned course of action by the Prophet, they failed to find him and after ten days of journey, Prophet Muhammad arrived safely in Yathrib.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) praised Said ibn Muath for his vision and plan, prior to the actual fight in the Battle of Badr. Said’s plan was centred around the safety of the Prophet, rather than just the present circumstances of the battle. The Prophet praised Said and invoked blessings upon him and the shelter was fashioned with branches of palms. The driving factors for Said’s plan were the obvious fact that the battle was not anticipated and hence the Muslims were not ready. Therefore, their small number of 313, including the Prophet, could be perished by a well-equipped 1000 strong army of Quraysh who forced them into this fight. The survival of the Prophet was far more important than winning the battle. Said’s plan of building the shelter and of the Prophet’s escape if the Muslims were defeated, was of great vision and insight. Therefore, regardless of the present circumstances, a Muslim must not lose sight of the overall goal or the mission he is working on. It is clearly seen from our example that vision and plans, such as these, were big in the success of the early Muslims, thanks to the Prophet and his companions for their vision, wisdom and knowledge.
The Qur’ān uses the word ‘plan’ more than 40 times, and most of the places where it has been used are when it is addressing the aspect of how the disbelievers are making plans against Islam. For the past several hundred years, plots to undermine, if not eliminate, Islam and Muslims have been devised and carried out. Massacres against Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine, are but a few examples of more recent aggressive actions against the Muslim world. In this context, the Muslims need to counter their plans with better, effective and efficient planning.
For nations, communities and individuals, planning is essential in their growth and ultimate success. The above lessons are certainly a clear order for the Muslims to conduct their affairs according to a plan. The million dollar question is how many Muslims have intentionally drawn a plan of action based on the principles of these traditions? For a Muslim, planning is a Sunnah that will help him establish firmness in his work, resolve conflicts and thereby yielding its blessed and successful fruit. Muslim councils supported by research institutions and think-tanks must be established to resolve crisis and design plans for all Muslims to follow.