THE TIGER’S WAY
A report in The Times of India (18 March 1991) stated, “tigers do not like to walk on the jungle grass. They fear that a thorn might pierce their soft feet. Therefore, they always walk on open paths or roads.”
Tigers, like all animals, are shaped by nature’s lessons. They always follow methods directly ingrained in them by their Creator. Therefore, it is accurate to say that the tiger’s cautious approach is nature’s preferred way. For humans, this idea is reflected in Divine guidance: take your precautions (Quran, 4:71).
The world was created by God with a specific wisdom, which is why it contains both clear, straightforward paths and thorny bushes. These thorny bushes will inevitably remain in this world; removing them is not possible. Therefore, what needs to be done is similar to what a tiger in the jungle does, as taught by God: protect yourself from the thorny bushes and continue the journey by seeking and following the clear and open paths.
Just as a tiger avoids walking on jungle grass, we should navigate our lives by steering clear of conflicts with others. We should aim not to provoke anger through our actions. If others do become angry with us, we should soothe their anger with patience and use wise strategies to protect ourselves from their wrath.
The actions of the “king of the jungle” are not acts of cowardice but showcase true bravery. Similarly, when a person adopts this approach in society, it is not cowardice but genuine courage. The strategy of avoidance is that of the lion, not the jackal.
The Lord of the Worlds has one universal rule that applies to humans and all other beings alike. It is to shape one’s life by ignoring unpleasant matters.
Imagine a garden of roses. You enter it, and the beautiful petals and fragrant flowers captivate you. At the same time, however, the thorns might prick you, causing your hand to be injured or your clothes to get caught.
In a rose garden, there are two ways to interpret the presence of thorns. One is to see them as caused by the gardener’s actions. The other is to view them as a result of the natural law.
If you blame the gardener for the thorns, you’ll foster resentment and complaints. But if you see them as a part of the natural law, you’ll accept the presence of thorns and focus on avoiding them to reach your goal. One view encourages protesting, while the other motivates finding a solution.
The issues raised by the majority community in India are often seen by Muslims as problems caused by all their writers and speakers. As a result, they choose to protest. However, this approach is completely ineffective. It’s like obsessing over the thorns on a rose. Thorns will always be on the rose bush, just as harsh words and challenges will inevitably exist in human society.
There is only one way to deal with these difficult and divisive issues: ignore them and keep moving forward in life while overlooking them. Such social issues are part of God’s creative plan and, therefore, can never be fully eliminated. However, by accepting their presence, we can certainly continue our journey through life.
The ignorant person gets caught up in unwelcome matters, while the wise person moves past them without getting entangled. Basically, this is the key to success and failure in this world: getting tangled up in problems causes failure, while ignoring problems leads to success.
