Planning in Islam

By: Faysal Burhan and Michael D. Berdine, Ph.D.
Published: 2004

Introduction

Setting goals, making plans and designing strategies to ensure objectives are all Islamic Sunnah. Planning should be at the center of a Muslim’s life-sociopolitical moral and socioeconomic sectors. Unfortunately, this precious Sunnah is not apparent today in Muslims’ lives and actions. The absence of this Sunnah has contributed much to our failures and suffering.

Planning in the Holy Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an teaches Muslims to be strategists and planners in their affairs. It shows this in some ways: through the stories of the prophets, the law of Allah (SWT) in nature, and praising the people of vision and foresight.
An illustration of this can be seen in Prophet Moses’s (PBUH) story and his strategies in approaching the Pharaoh of Egypt. When Allah commanded Moses to go to Egypt and call the Pharaoh to God, Moses accepted the order and spelled out his plans, as can be seen in Surah Taha, Verses 25-32,

The Qur’an states that Moses said:

Oh, my Lord! Expand my chest (with faith, knowledge, and affection); ease my task, 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’an, 20:25-32

In this example, three major elements to build the plan stand out. In the first instance, Moses prepared himself for da’wah, the call to God. Crucial to a productive and successful da’wah is the strength of the individual’s knowledge, wisdom, and sincere 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 more profound faith and wisdom to accomplish his task.

The second element in Prophet Moses’ planning was the communication problem. The presentation may have been a speech impediment that Moses (PBUH) had, or it may be the differences in languages and customs between the tribes of Midianites and the Qubits of Egypt. One must remember that each language has associated slang and figures of speech that can only be appreciated by the local people or those who learned them. In fact, in a different verse, the Qur’an points out that Moses called for his brother Aaron, who never left Egypt, to be the medium of communication in this mission of da’wah than himself.

And my brother Aaron, he is more eloquent in speech than I… Qur’an 28:34

Although Moses was raised in Egypt and had spent a long time in Midian (Northwest of the Arabian Peninsula), he had forgotten the proper and effective communication with its people, according to A. W. Najjar, in the Stories of the Prophets, Page 173, Biblical scholars stated that Moses was 80 years old when he returned to Egypt. History points out more language differences than physical impediments to communication. In either case, the eloquence of speech in the listeners’ language is an essential tool of every da’ee, a caller to God. Moses (PBUH) would not have adequately conveyed his message without a plan to deal with this situation.

The last primary element to be considered in Moses’ plan was 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 as physical and moral support for facing the Pharaoh.

The above three points in Moses’ plan to approach the Pharaoh of Egypt make it very clear that Moses did not come to the Pharaoh without plans or haphazardly. Furthermore, one can see that Moses’ goal was centered around elements that were, at heart, relevant matters to the process of da’wah. This example illustrates that the Sunnah of Planning is integral to the Muslim’s work and faith mechanism. Finally, we must not forget that Moses’ story with the Pharaoh is an inspiration, not for entertainment.

Similar to the story of Moses in the Qur’an are the plans drawn by Prophet Abraham (PBUH) in building the Ka’bah; Prophet Jacob (PBUH) in sending his sons after their brothers Joseph and Benjamin. Such stories are inspirations for Muslims to plan their tasks and affairs wisely.

Vision and Planning

The Muslim’s plan must not be short-sighted and should consider the far and behind the scene’s issues that are relevant to the goal. Furthermore, minute matters must not distract a Muslim from reaching his objective. Vision is seeing further than one’s immediate surroundings and circumstances. A plan may or may not be as successful if constructed without insight and vision. Allah (SWT) praises those who possess the trait of vision.

For example, Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (PBUH) are praised by Allah (SWT) for their spiritual power and vision. So Allah (SWT) said in Surah Sad, Ayat, 45-47:

And commemorate Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, possessors of power and vision, were, in Our Sight, of the Elect and Good company.

Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) praised Sa’id ibn Mu’ath for his vision and plan before the actual fight in the Battle of Badr. Sa’id’s layout centered around the Prophet’s safety rather than just the present circumstances of the battle. The following was the plan he presented:

 Oh, Prophet of Allah, let us build a shelter for you and stall your riding camels in readiness beside it. Then we will meet our enemy, and if God strengthens us and makes us victorious over them, that is what we fervently desire. But if not, you can mount and ride back to join those whom we left behind us in Medina…they would not have stayed behind if they had known that you would be faced with war. God will protect you through them, and they will give you good counsel and fight at your side. -Ibn Hisham

The Prophet (PBUH) praised Sa’id and invoked blessings upon him. The shelter is fashioned with branches of palms. Relevant to the present battle, the future survival of Islam is embodied in Prophet Muhammad. This fact was a driving factor in Sa’id’s map, not just the near situation but beyond. This fact stems from the no anticipation of the battle, and the Muslims were not ready. Their small number of 300 could be perished by the well-equipped 1000-strong army of Quraysh, who forced them into this fight.

Thus, Sa’id’s idea was about the survival of the Prophet Muhammad and was far more important than winning the battle. Sa’id’s plan of building the shelter and the Prophet’s escape if the Muslims were defeated was of great vision and insight. Therefore, regardless of the present circumstances, Muslims must not lose sight of the overall goal or the mission they are working on. Our example shows vision and strategies, such as these, were critical factors to early Muslims’ success.

Thanks to the Prophet and his companions for their insight, wisdom, and knowledge. Prophet Muhammad, himself, commended his companions, saying:

People of wisdom and knowledge, so much so that their in-depth understanding and insight enable them almost to be prophets. May Allah’s blessings be on the Prophet and his companions.

Planning for short and long-term projects is undoubtedly work based on foresight. If Allah (SWT) and His Prophet love and admire those with vision and wisdom, Muslims ought to be racing one another to plan their activities so that they would be among those of insight and understanding. Moreover, the Qur’an inspires the believers, in a yet different way, to design plans for their actions through observation of Allah (SWT) in His creation. Allah (SWT) said in Surah Al Qamar, Ayah, 49:

Verily, we created all things in (planned) proportion and measure.

Allah (SWT) also said in Surah Al Hadid, Ayah 22:

No misfortune can happen on earth or in your soul but is recorded in a plan before We bring it into existence.

These verses clearly show that every creature’s conception and result are according to a plan. Thus, Allah (SWT) teaches us that He works according to a method and a record. Therefore, this work of God should inspire the sincere believer to follow and practice.

Planning in the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH)

Turning our attention to Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) life and example, we learn that his actions are based on planning in both the religious and worldly domains. Bukhari reported that Prophet Muhammad (PBH) said:

Even when the Day of Judgment is about to happen, and a tiny sprout (seedling) is in your hand, you should continue to plant it. -Bukhari and Ahmad.

The companion of the Prophet and Second Caliph, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, also said:

For your worldly affairs, construct your plans based on the assumption that you will live forever, and as for the work reserved for the Hereafter, create your programs based on the belief that you will die tomorrow.

According to a plan, the above traditions are another clear order for the Muslims to conduct their affairs. One wonders how many Muslims have intentionally drawn a plan of action based on the principles of these traditions. Furthermore, in the Prophet’s life, there are many examples where he applied this precious Sunnah. For instance, in the story of his migration to Yathrib (Medina), we see many instances of his careful and well-thought-out planning at every step of the way. Once inspired to migrate to Yathrib, the Prophet (PBUH) devised a plan with his closest companion, Abu Bakr. This plan was secret and known only to those who participated in it.

First, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) hired Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt to guide the journey. He then asked Abu Baker to prepare a camel with food and drinks. Then, 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 (PBUH) instructed Abu Bakr’s servant, ‘Aamir Ibn Faheerah, to graze the herd of sheep behind Asma’ or Abdullah. The herd would destroy their footprints as they delivered the food and news to the Prophet (PBUH) and their father.

To fully appreciate his immigration blueprint’s thoroughness, it is necessary to recall other details of immigration. Before leaving Makkah for Yathrib on Hijrah, at least on two occasions, the Quraysh tribes planned to murder the Prophet but did not out of the fear of a blood feud with the clan that had intended to assassinate the Prophet (PBUH). However, they did draw up a plan to kill the Prophet (PBUH) without fear of reprisal. This plan calls for the murder to be carried out by a representative from each of the Quraysh clans, with each plunging his sword into the victim. This way, the Prophet’s tribe, the Banu Hashim, would not fight all the clans of Quraysh combined.

Allah (SWT) told Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) of their disposition and the permission to migrate to Yathrib. On the night the murderers surrounded the Prophet’s house to do the foul deed, the Prophet (PBUH) instructed his faithful son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abu-Talib, to wrap himself in his cloak and lay in his bed, knowing they would not harm him.

At midnight, the Prophet (PBUH) slipped through the sleeping plotters and escaped Makkah. To mislead his enemy, who believed he would head north to join the rest of the Muslims in Yathrib, Muhammad, and Abu Baker headed south instead and hid in the cave of Thour south of Makkah. There they spent three days until the frantic search for them subsided. During the three days, news and food were brought to them according to plan. Consequently, they were kept aware of all Quraysh actions and intentions as if they were still among them.

Before leaving their hideout, the Prophet instructed Abdullah to prepare the camel loads they had provided for their journey, give them to their road guide, Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt and have him meet the Prophet and his father at a specific point on the road leading west towards the Red Sea.

After leaving their hideout, they met Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt as planned and started their journey to Yathrib by taking the longer route, going west towards the Red Sea, then north along the shorelines of the Red Sea, then east to Yathrib, instead of the usual shorter course.

Despite Muhammad’s deep faith in Allah (SWT) that He would protect him regardless of the situation, he still drew up his migration plan with care and deliberation. His actions and procedures in this situation are a clear example to Muslims that, regardless of the position they find themselves in, they must consider every possibility and its alternatives when making their plans to ensure its success.

It is thus inappropriate to do a haphazard job and assume that Allah (SWT) will straighten out the mess because “He is kind,” and you are a “believer.” No, the plan of escape drawn by the Prophet (PBUH) demonstrates the extent of physical work, talent, leadership, and vision that a Muslim must prove in all their undertakings.

Mecca’s leaders offered one hundred camels to reward the one who apprehended Muhammad (PBUH). However, because of the Prophet’s well-thought-out and careful plans, they failed to find him, and after a ten-day journey, Muhammad (PBUH) arrived safely in Yathrib. Mid-June, 622 C.E., marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar and the Muslim ummah’s founding.

Regrettably, plots to undermine, if not eliminate, Islam and Muslims have been devised and carried out for several hundred years. Massacres against Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Kashmir, Lebanon, and Palestine, are but a few examples of more recent aggressive actions against the Muslim world.

It is of concern that Israel’s state is heavily involved with the governments of Turkey and Ethiopia in discussions over control of the headwaters of the Euphrates and Nile rivers. This step is part of a plan to make Israel dominant in the region. This dominance is also directly related to a statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion in 1950 when he said that the future of the Middle East is with those who control its water resources.

Another example of the superiority of its opponents over Muslims in the successful use of the Sunnah of Planning is the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which gave the official British government public support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It was proposed (and primarily written) by Zionists for the British government to agree to in return for Jewish financial aid and support in bringing the United States into World War I on the Allies’ side. At the time, the beleaguered Allies were on the brink of losing the war. This official British document later became part of the Constitution of the state of Israel. Still, it was not for another forty years when the Muslim world reacted to its implementation in 1947.

On a more fundamental level, Muslims have not devised a plan to unify their Eid celebrations into a single day. Regarding this, a simple plan combining modern science and the traditional sighting of the moon can be developed in two steps, thereby solving this simple problem:

1) Identify the coordinates of the crescent of each lunar month at the same time it can be seen with the naked eye, and
2) Send two observers to the location matching the crescent coordinates determined in Step One above to confirm the crescent’s sighting.

Repeat this observation and sighting for the twelve lunar months of the Islamic calendar as means of confirmation. The data from this exercise and existing lunar and astronomical data can draw up a lunar calendar for the next 200 years or more. This calendar will provide Muslims globally with the date of all anticipated occasions, including Eid celebrations. This simple plan may not require more than an astronomer and a scholar of religious authority to implement.

Logistics and costs for this plan may not exceed transportation to the moon sighting’s proper location per Step One above. So why have over 1.7 billion Muslims been unable to resolve such a simple problem? Why do Muslims take themselves out of the “playing field,” as it were, in the Planning Sunnah of world-shaping events but get so quickly excited over the minutia?

After hearing the following passages from Surah Abraham, Ayat 24-27 in the Holy Qur’an, I could not help but notice the similarities between the “goodly word” and our subject matter, “Planning.” These are the verses:
“See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly word is like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens. It brings forth its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord, and the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree; uprooted from the surface of the earth; it has no stability. Therefore, Allah will strengthen those who believe the word that stands firm in this world and the Hereafter.”

A typical plan’s structure and life cycle are similar to the example of the “goodly word” in the above verses. A plan functions just like a tree in many ways.
First of all, the action is based on a plan, as are the roots of a tree. Next, a project in its results is like a tree and its fruits—some programs are designed to yield short-term results, while others are made for the long term. Finally, like the branches of a tree reaching the heavens, a well-thought-out and properly-executed plan can bring about a successful conclusion with far-reaching consequences.

On the other hand, actions taken without proper planning or little to no planning are useless, as an uprooted tree is. It will fail to yield any fruit, just as unplanned, directionless, and “unstable” work will fail to achieve its objectives. But the truth is that Allah (SWT) establishes in strength those who believe in the “goodly word,” or “plan,” that stands “firmly fixed” or “based on vision and insight.” This similarity is the truth in this world and the Hereafter. With this in mind, one can not help but agree with Muhammad Iqbal’s father, who told him: “son, read the Qur’an as if revealed to you.”

For nations, communities, and individuals, planning is essential to their growth and ultimate success. See ‘Where Lies The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad’ for more in-depth management and the ‘Sunnah of Itqan’ for precision work crisis.

For Muslims, planning is a Sunnah that will help establish them in their work, yielding its blessed and prosperous fruit. Therefore, Muslim councils supported by research institutions and think tanks must be found to resolve difficulties and draw and design plans for all Muslims.

Other relevant topics:

Innovations: An Integral Part of Muslim’s Life
The Lunar Dates and the Unity of the Muslims
The Sunnah of Careful Considerations, al-Tathabbut