The Queen's Gambit?

Not to mention the birds dispersed, the hawk had returned. The sparrow asked, "What's the matter my brother? You left, and soon came back." The eagle replied, "I saw a commotion out there. But it's not something we need to worry about. Now, may I continue?" "Of course, please brother!" the magpie immediately responded. Then the hawk hummed,

Come down to the Black Sea

Swimming with me

Go down with me, fall with me

Let's make it worth it

A thousand nights have passed

Change doesn't happen overnight

Not visible at first

It's important to hold on

Inject your advice to me

Incinerate our shackles *)

The hawk continued the story, "The young man asked, 'O uncle, what is the Queen's Gambit?" The oldman asked, "You mean, in a game of chess?" "Yes!" the young man nodded. The oldman said, "The Queen's Gambit is the chess opening. It is one of the oldest openings and is still commonly played today. It is traditionally described as a gambit because White appears to sacrifice the c-pawn; however, this could be considered a misnomer as Black cannot retain the pawn without incurring a disadvantage.

I don't know much about chess, but what I do know, historically, chess must be classed as a game of war. Two players direct a conflict between two armies of equal strength upon a field of battle, circumscribed in extent, and offering no advantage of ground to either side. The players have no assistance other than that afforded by their own reasoning faculties, and the victory usually falls to the one whose strategical imagination is the greater, whose direction of his forces is the more skilful, whose ability to foresee positions is the more developed.

Today, chess as we know it, is played by every Western people, and in every land to which Western civilization or colonization has extended. The game possesses a literature which in contents probably exceeds that of all other games combined. Its idioms and technicalities have passed into the ordinary language of everyday life. The principles and possibilities of the game have been studied for four centuries, and the serious student of chess starts now with the advantage of a rich inheritance of recorded wisdom and experience. Master-play reaches a high standard, and has rightly earned a reputation for difficulty. This reputation has often been extended to the game itself, and has deterred many from learning it. Moreover, Western civilization has evolved other games, and teems with other interests for leisure moments, so that chess to-day can only be regarded as the game of the minority of the Western world.

In the Middle Ages chess was far more widely played, and the precedence among indoor games that is still accorded by courtesy to it is survival from the period when chess was the most popular game of the leisured classes of Europe.

O young man! To improve your chess it helps to learn about pawn structures, the ideas behind the openings, the openings themselves, solve tactical tasks, and learn the basic and not so basic endgames. But it also helps to work on your thinking habits, to find and practice ways how to think properly and efficiently about chess positions. As I said, in chess, its idioms and technicalities have passed into the ordinary language of everyday life.

O young man! Listen to this story, 'A thirsty crow found a pitcher with some water in it, but so little was there that, try as she might, she could not reach it with her beak, and it seemed as though she would die of thirst within sight of the remedy. At last, she hit upon a clever plan. She began dropping pebbles into the pitcher, and with each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it reached the brim, and the knowing bird was enabled to quench her thirst.'

O young man! In chess, there are principles that need to be adhered to, as well as in this life. As men, we sometimes lose our way. This is a common trait of the son of Adam; he often forgets his ultimate goal. Life brings us many tests and trials, and along the way, we may become confused as to which path is best for us. Sometimes the tests are not as clear-cut as choosing belief over disbelief. If the tests were that lucid, none ofus would lose our focus because the choice would be apparent. Instead, Allah the Almighty sends us subtle tests — for example, opportunities that may complement our talents but are not necessarily in line with our mission of entering paradise.

O young man! The first principle you need in this life is sincerity to Allah. Sincerity to Allah means to strive with all the resources that you have, in terms of your wealth, strength, and knowledge, in order to give the highest priority to his commands, regardless of the consequences you may face. You cannot express your sincerity to Allah only by saying grateful words; you must demonstrate it by showing Him that you are grateful for His blessings upon you, by obeying what He commands you to do, and by staying away from what He prohibits.

O young man! The next principle is excellent manners. How many men have we seen who are so knowledgeable that they are practically human encyclopaedias, yet they behave like hungry wolf ready to bite the head off of every layperson who may not be aware of some of the tenets of Islam?

These men quote hadiths to establish their arguments against their Muslim brothers. They recite the Qur’an to humiliate any man who differs from them, and they never speak a good word unless they are mentioning themselves. Many ofthese men believe that good manners should be practised only with the Muslims who follow their particular brand of Islam, and not with humanity in general. This is a type of falsehood and a clear proof of ignorance.

Concerning knowledge, just because someone has knowledge does not mean that he has been granted wisdom. Anyone can gain knowledge by reading books, but it takes a special person for Allah to give him the gift of understanding.

When a Muslim does whatAllah loves, in this case, displays good manners, Allah shows him affection, causing Gabriel and the other angels to express their affection for him, and causing the people on Earth to honour and love him. Moreover, behaving in an excellent manner earns a reward equal to the reward ofthose who constantly worship Allah.

If a man lacks basic courtesy, he will generally end up being lonely and friendless. People hate to see a man who is known for his dreadful manners and inability to get along with other people. If you behave in this way, it will only cause your children to be afraid of you, your wife to frown at you behind your back, and your friends to backbite and slander you. Finally it may cause your Rabb to dislike you, and who could withstand that?

O young man! Be Brave! Do not freeze in times of danger. When you wake up in the morning, expect the best, but be prepared for the worse. Always try your best to sincerely avoid confrontations, and be the first one to apologize if necessary. A Muslim man carries himself in a certain balanced way, such that he is never the aggressor but neither is he a coward.

There are many brave souls throughout the history of the world — Muslim and non-Muslim — who have demonstrated that some principles are more important than life itself. While peace and civilized discourse are the standard, there is a point where being passive can actually harm yourself or your loved ones.

Do not be governed by your ego when confronting harm or danger. Use the best resources that Islam has allowed in order to avoid trouble. Know — may Allah protect you and your family — that being brave has more to do with being willing to put yourself in harm’s way in the name ofjustice than it has to do with inflicting harm on others. Always obey the law, and never take matters into your own hands. Bravery does not mean being careless and reckless. Standing up for truth and justice at any cost is bravery.

This religion is bravery. It was kindled and supported by courageous people. Since then, it has been preserved and protected by brave people, many of whom have perished in the process. It is not for anyone to choose his moment of truth; Allah alone chooses it, and we can only respond appropriately.

Your self-esteem and honour will take a blow each time you avoid your responsibilities. Do not measure your life beyond what Allah has planned for you, whether you fear poverty or loss of reputation. Eventually, one day you will wake up to what will be the last day of your life. Even after years of running, you will meet what you tried to avoid. Since you know this as a fact, live with taqwa, be brave, and put your trust in Allah with every step you take.

O young man! Tell the truth always. Cowards lie because they fear what the truth might bring. Many have been witnesses to a man who considers himself to be clever by lying to receive praise, a worldly benefit, or a woman. What a pathetic person! A child whose mind is between adolescence and manhood may think it cunning to say what will bring him pleasure or spare him pain, but a man knows better. How many men claiming to be the toughest, the strongest, and the leaders live their lives based on delusions? They are men who fabricate elaborate incidents that never occurred and who find themselves being dishonest even about the smallest of issues. What is so courageous about lying? It is said that one should beware of anyone who lies about something minor, because he will definitely lie about everything else. A liar has no right to be respected, honoured, trusted, or helped.

O young man! Do not stand with oppression and oppressors. Do not defend your brother if he is wrong. In order to help him, advise him where he went wrong instead of supporting his oppression. Never get too close to a friend you like or too distant from someone you dislike. Keep enough space to remain neutral so that no one is surprised at your opinion and they know they will hear the truth if they come to you.

Some men consider it blasphemous for a close friend to express an opinion contrary to theirs in public. This is due to a lack of maturity and understanding of the human dynamic. You do not owe anyone anything when it comes to siding with the truth. Be aloof from such relationships; otherwise you will always be called on to defend some weak, one-sided argument just because you and its defender are so-called ‘friends’. There has never been that much friendship in the world to make a man abandon the truth only to take refuge with his ‘friend’ in a house of lies.

If you find yourself always calling on others to support you, whether you are wrong or right, and you become resentful and angry towards the ones who disagree with you, be ashamed and repent. 

O young man! Respect the laws of your country, respect your imam and your brothers; and all positions of authority. Follow the rules of your organization and never become a renegade. Indeed, the applicable law is the law that Allah has ordained. Sometimes, we want those laws and regulations, explicitly mentioned, but we didn't find them. Laws made by men, will never be perfect, and it would be enough if  the state philosophy, laws and regulations contained the soul of Allah's laws.

Regarding leadership, distinguish between respect and obedience. Abu Bakr As-Sidq, may Allah be pleased with him, once said, "O people! I have been appointed to control your affairs, even though I am not the best among you. So if I can do my job well, help me, but if I do something wrong, then straighten it out! The person you think is strong, I view as weak until I can take the right from him. While the person you see is weak, I look at him as strong until I can return his rights to him. So obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger, but if I don't obey Allah and His Messenger, you don't have to obey me. Stand up (for) prayer, may Allah's mercy over you."

Why should we respect the leaders? It is said that if you want to criticize a ruler, you can find seventy faults — but if you were to take his place, you would find one thousand faults in yourself. No man can ever be a good general if he is not an excellent foot soldier first. So, advise him with words of sincerity, and acknowledge that he often works without any appreciation.

As for the leaders, it should be understood that,  although as a leader, he does not automatically demand respect.  Respect cannot be demanded, but earned. The leaders need to demonstrate respect of others in their leadership, because without it, they will alienate and drive away the very people they are trying to lead. "Leader” is an interesting term because it implies that as a “leader” you lead people well. You demonstrate respect in many ways including respecting and valuing the ideas, opinions, differences, and worldviews that others have. And you show compassion and respect for every single person you encounter.

The great leaders, never openly and publicly–or even behind closed doors–harshly judge, belittle, or attack people. And they don’t fall apart or become furious when they are challenged and told they’re wrong. This doesn’t mean they don’t have their differences with others, or always see eye-to-eye. It means that whatever the situation or challenge they’re presented with, they respect the individuals they are dealing with.

O young man! Be tolerant! Nothing is worse than a man whose enthusiasm for his religion has turned him into a bigot. We believe inAllah and his Messenger (ﷺ), but we must understand how to get along with people who hold beliefs that are different from ours. Being tolerant of other beliefs does not mean that you are somehow compromising yours. Do not think that your patience with other traditions and faiths is equivalent to diminishing the quality of who you are or what you stand for.

Islam was never meant to be a faith of intolerance. Just look into the authentic books on Islamic history, as well as the history of the secular world, and you will discover a wealth of examples that will make you think twice about how contemporary Muslims should approach people, societies, and ideas belonging to different faiths and cultures. Whatever bigotry we see today from these small fringe groups who claim to hold the flag of Islam is due to an inferiority complex. These people who preach hatred and viciousness against people ofother faiths have attempted to overcompensate for their own shortcomings by trying to appear chivalrous and brave. However, chivalry comes from gentleness, and bravery comes from doing what is right without fearing blame.

The family living across the street from you must be secure. The community you live in must be secure, and the country you reside in must be secure. These are your neighbours, brother.

This is the life we aspire to emulate. This is the intellectual position we aspire to take. Most of the ancient scholars who authored many of the great books we read today were travellers and merchants who interacted with people of different faiths every day.

Do not be an ignoramus. Go outside. Go see the world. Meet people and learn how life really works. You will not find a literal interpretation of life in books. You must explore in order to understand. The best comprehension comes from experience. The best experiences come from good intentions. Your gratitude to Allah must show in the manner in which you treat others. If not, then what kind of Islam are you practising?

O young man! Abandon foul speech. Do not curse, swear, or use the slang of uneducated people. Speak in a dignified manner, and be clear. Today we find that the standard language in youth culture has become ‘slang’. Even major corporations have adopted the illiterate sayings and grammatically improper speech of the youth in order to sell their products. This is so widespread that a man from one region may not even understand someone from a region just a few hours away, despite the fact that they both claim to speak the same language.

Satan has made our foul speech fashionable — to the extent that one feels ashamed to speak properly for fear of being ridiculed or labelled as pompous.

Do not fret. Be amongst those who can be in any circle ofmen and speak in an upright and dignified way. Make it a common practice to use terms of clarity and expressions that are not hidden behind slang and curse words. Be sure to call people by their names.

Do not exaggerate with your vocabulary and pronunciation in order to impress people. Adopt a middle path: neither overly eager to prove your education nor lax in your approach to communication.

O young man! Honour women! Be honourable and affectionate with your mother, sisters and also, your wife and daughters, if you have them. Do not abuse them physically or in any way, and speak kindly to them in all circumstances. You are a man, and men are careful to honour females due to the qualities that Allah has blessed them with. When interacting with their wives, some Muslim men forget that they are dealing with complete human beings. Your Rabb did not intend to short-change women when He created the woman we call Eve. He entrusted us men to be good leaders and protectors for them.

He gave the woman an intellect that can surpass that of a man, and her emotions and unique patience are the foundations of her praiseworthy qualities. As men, we must not only accept these traits but also honour them in their proper context. In many cases, her love for her family may take precedence over her logic. This should not be viewed as a flaw; it is this same love and patience that enable her to care for you with all of your shortcomings. If your wife is of average beauty, make her feel above average by complimenting her. She will appreciate this and love you dearly for it. If she is above average in beauty, turn your attention to her character, and distinguish between the beauty of skin and the beauty of heart. This will bring balance to your relationship. If she becomes upset with you, she has the right to vent her feelings and express herself without recourse.

If she is a practising Muslim woman — who prays, fasts, and generally takes care of her family — your marriage should only improve with time, as both of you grow and mature together. While you treat her as your equal, there should be an understanding that you are the head of your household. How many of us have seen the miserable existence of a man who is controlled by his wife? A woman who is not protected and honoured by a righteous man is not truly happy until she is. Anyone who argues the contrary is either a weak man or a weak woman who has never experienced a strong one.

Refrain from discussing the business of other brothers with her and from discussing her business with other brothers. Doing so could spark feelings of infatuation and, or, curiosity in both her and your brothers. If you and your wife run into an issue that you cannot solve alone, seek counsel from older and wise men, not from the young and emotional ones.

O young man! If a task is assigned to you, do it excellently. ever short-change any party with whom you have made an agreement of work. Always fulfil your end of the bargain. If you are asked to sweep a floor or clean a bathroom, do it with efficiency. Many men think it beneath them to do such work, but performing such tasks is in fact a sign of humbleness and gratitude to Allah. The prophets of Allah were all shepherds at some time during their lives, and Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) built his house with his own hands. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) served his family, did chores around the house, and even sewed his own clothes.

O young man! Get in shape. Fitness is the key to good health. Memorizing the Qur’an will keep your mind in tune with the reality of this life. Your job in this world is to apply it, invite people to it, and defend it. This second point will help you become a well-rounded individual and will physically strengthen you for that task. Do not become so enveloped in learning that you neglect physical fitness. How many men have we seen who excel in one intellectual genre of life while functioning at less than their full physical potential? Perhaps Muslims are not aware that keeping their bodies in a fair condition is obligatory. Negligence due to lack oftime or value is no excuse. Structure your day so that you can benefit from fifty pushups or a ten-minute jog.

O young man! Do not indulge in unhealthy foods. A man should remain distant from what harms him. This includes eating too much of sweets, candies, and what is commonly known as ‘junk food’. A person takes on the characteristics of what he puts into his body. Foods high in sugar and fat only add to the ailments that every man will naturally suffer from as he advances in age. The Messenger ofAllah (ﷺ) was fond of sweets, but it should be noted that his sweets consisted ofpure honey and other items ofan organic nature. As for buying fancy foods and clothing, ‘Umar used to say, “I can participate in your luxurious ways, but I fear that my reward in the hereafter will be reduced."  

O young man! Talk to your Rabb and cry in front of Him. Supplication is the foundation of worship and a weapon for the Muslim. Call on Allah all the time: when walking, sitting, standing, lying down, alone, in a crowd, and whenever you are inspired.

It is said that supplication is a sharp sword that does not always cut. If the one wielding it is weak in his faith, he will not be able to use it effectively. On the other hand, if the one wielding it has a strong connection with his Rabb, he can cut through mountains with one stroke. 

And try to cry when you hear the Qur’an or when you attend a funeral. Do not be afraid to shed tears forAllah, for this is a sign of manliness and awareness of Allah.”

O young man! Finally, the whole world plays chess, from Asia to Europe, from Persia to Malay land. To improve your chess, the most important thing is to increase your understanding of all parts of the game. For the opening, not only some lines, but also the ideas you are trying to implement. In the middlegame, know what to do based upon the situation. In the endgame, understand the rules and guidelines. Work hard, and Insha Allah, you can get there! And Allah knows best."

The hawk closed the story by humming,

So, come down to the Black Sea

Swimming with me

Go down with me, fall with me

Let's make worth it

You rise, I fall

I stand, you crawl

You twist, I turn

Who's the first to burn?

You sit and stay

I don't obey

Where do we land in the Black Sea? *)

References :

- Taymullah Abdur-Rahman, 44 Ways to Manhood, IIPH

- H.J.R. Murray, A History of Chess, Leland Stanford Jvnior University

- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons

*) "Black Sea" by Natasha Blume

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