Part 3

“I have been granted such majesty and dignity that the enemy who is a month away from me (in terms of travelling distance) starts to tremble when he hears my name.”

3. Valour and Courage

Only that person can fulfill the responsibilities of a leader in the battlefield who is the personification of bravery, valour, daring and fearlessness. When the conditions in war are extremely unfavourable only a daring and fearless man can overcome and control them. ‘Ali .% says that whenever matters took a critical turn in a battle they used to look at the bold and confident attitude of the Prophet 38 and gain courage. Whenever the fighting was at its most intense he would display extraordinary daring and nerve and move as close as possible to the enemy and try to overwhelm him. All his Mujahideen would then gain courage and aspire to follow his example.

When Khalid bin Waleed # went into the battlefield to face the Roman General, he realized that his steed was weaker in comparison with the enemy. The Roman of course wanted to take the fullest possible advantage of the situation. Khalid bin Waleed - guessed his intentions and made a very daring counter move. He leapt down from his horse and struck a powerful blow with his sword at the leg of the Roman’s horse. Its leg broke and he fell to the ground; his rider too fell at the feet of Khalid bin Waleed ., who ina flash cut off his neck. Having got rid of his enemy he calmly sat down and had his meal right there!

4. Steadfast and resolute of purpose

In the arena of war the ordinary soldier in the army keeps up his morale and is bold as long as his Commander displays a steadfast and resolute attitude. As soon as the general shows hesitation or indecisiveness, the army too begins to falter. When the enemy exerts intense pressure it is the primary and most important duty of the

Commander too not only built up, but to keep up the morale of his men. And only that General can fulfill this duty to the best degree who, is consistently resolute, steadfast, intrepid and brave. During the battle of Hunnain when the army was falling apart due to the pressure being exerted by the enemy the Prophet 38 stood firm in the battlefield and with great fervour said:

“tam the True Prophet, it is no lie, and I am the son of ‘Abdul Mutallib!”

Seeing the resolute stand taken by him, the army which was scattering in fear rallied round him. Thus it is seen that whenever a crisis occurs in battle and the army faces a difficult situation, the commander should display confidence and steadfastness. This is the only way to win lost causes. This is the primary and essential military responsibility of a general.

The Quran gives a golden principle about how to inculcate and develop this invaluable quality of steadfastness and resoluteness. Allah Almighty says:

“O you who believe! If you will help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.” (47:7)

In order to attain and achieve this great quality one must be prepared to sacrifice one’s life and possessions to propagate and promote the religion of Allah Almighty, Whosoever helps to spread the religion of Allah Almighty, he will find Him to be his Supporter and Protector. And if Allah Almighty gives him His Support and Protection then he is assured success now and in the Hereafter. Steadfastness is the stepping stone to real success as the Noble Quran has instructed. The Noble Quran says:

“O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful.”

In this Ayah of the Noble Qur’an the glad tidings have been given that when opposing the enemy firmness and determination should be displayed and Allah Almighty should be remembered and appealed

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to fervently at all times. This multiplies the chances of success. Firmness of purpose and remembrance of Allah 3& are very important for a Muslim commander.

5. Strength of will and ability to execute

Any successful general has to have a strong will and be competent and efficient enough to have his orders executed. If he does not have this ability he will not be able to do justice to his plan.

A determined general will be resolute and firm in making a decision and also in implementing it boldly and courageously. If a leader is irresolute then he will not be able to deal with or control the changing conditions in the battlefield. There are many such examples in life where a person practices abstinence, has great faith in and fear of Allah Almighty, but lacks self-confidence, will power and the element of firmness in the actual execution of a well thought out strategy. In other words, theoretical planning by itself is of no use unless there is practical application. A leader must have the ability to plan the strength of will to decide firmly, and then to execute the plan. A person who does not have all these three qualities cannot be a successful leader in any sphere - social, political or military.

Courage and ambition take life from determination and a strong will; for success in a daring and dangerous enterprise this characteristic is indispensable. It is again from this trait of character that a fortified and firm faith is born. It is this element that gives continuity and a logical follow up to action. Allah says:

“Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah,

certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”

Brave people always practice in every field; with firm and determined action they perform incredible and remarkable deeds. Lack of sturdy resolve makes a person act according to momentary whims and caprices, and he cannot by any means carry out the onerous responsibilities of a successful leader. Thus it is essential for a military commander or a general that strength of will be very much part and parcel of his temperament.

6. Charismatic and magnetic personality

All the qualities mentioned above pertain to the character and capabilities of the ideal commander and not to his physical appearance. But when a leader is selected it should be borne in mind that his physical attributes also have an effect on the development of his personality as a whole; besides they also affect the beholder as well as his subordinates.

In social interaction smartness in dress, good manners and a certain elegance of style play a very positive role in winning over people. In this context if one studies the personal habits of the Prophet 3% one sees how particular he was as regards personal hygiene, neatness and cleanliness. People would realize he had passed by a street because he left an aura of perfume behind him. Whenever he met delegations he would make it a point to dress well. Besides being cultured and well mannered a leader also has to have a fine physique. The Noble Qur’an says:

Talut was a handsome tall youth from among the Bani Israeel who

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was chosen to be their king, and his good looks and his physique were considered to be one of the basic qualifications for a ruler. For leadership in the military besides a person’s intellectual prowess, his physical fitness and looks should also be taken into account.

Eloquence and oratorical skills can be used to great effect to rouse emotions and feelings. To inculcate courage, to arouse ambitions and to rouse the fervour of the Mujahideen to grievously wound the enemy (for all these purposes) eloquence can be used to great effect. A skillful orator through his eloquence can change the course of things, and can turn a peaceful environment into a flaming volcano. An army commander with his eloquence can inflame his men with a burning desire to go to jihad, and thus easily gain supremacy over the enemy. A trait shared by all notable generals in military history has been eloquence. A successful general before entering the battle arena always give a fiery and emotionally charged speech to his army, arousing the ardent desire for Jihad, and this makes it that much easier for the men to gain victory. An appropriate and timely extempore and passionate address can have a magical effect on the men. In military schools the officers who are chosen to command are specially educated and trained in the skills of oratory, so that they can use this skill when the need arises. Every general must possess this ability.

Every age in the history of mankind has acknowledged the vital importance and necessity for having the best available arms to equip their forces, The Prophet 38 said:

"Verily, the strength is in archery.”

This statement is valid even today in this technologically advanced age. Whichever country has the strongest arms and arsenal has supremacy over its opponent. It should be the strongest available and well organized. And for modern arms too the same skill of Rammi is essential. Whether it may be the napalm bomb, the hydrogen bomb or the atom bomb - all arms need to be deployed and aimed, which is the skill of Rammi that the Prophet 38 spoke about.

Intelligent and alert nations, who wish to subjugate the enemy, Should always be well equipped, well prepared and well organized.

Military preparedness and the equipping of oneself with the best possible arsenal for the purpose of inspiring awe and dread in the enemy. In the modern age when there are displays and parades of military equipment on national days and so on, one underlying purpose is to impress and warn the enemy, as it were. And if the enemy is really planning to attack, then he will be forewarned of the possible dangers and repercussions.