Capability and Alertness
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Raja Mohinder Pratap (1886-1979) was one of those Indians who went to Russia and met Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924). He was one of a delegation of freedom fighters who met the Russian leader in 1919. He tells how, when he entered the room of the first ruler of communist Russia, Lenin rose to his feet, and went himself to fetch a small armchair from the corner of the room. Raja Mohinder Pratap took his seat on the armchair and Lenin sat next to him on a sofa. The revolutionary leader's first sentence was: "In which language should I speak: English, German, French or Russian?"

It was finally settled that the conversation would be conducted in English. Raja Mohinder Pratap offered Lenin a copy of his book 'The Religion of Love'. "I have read this book, " Lenin said, as soon as he took hold of it. Raja Mohinder Pratap was astonished. Where on earth could Lenin have obtained the book? The previous evening, Lenin explained, when Raja Mohinder Pratap had met his secretary to fix the time of appointment, he had given the secretary a copy of the book. "I took it from him and read it during the night, in order to familiarize myself with the thought of the person I was going to meet the next day." 

Lenin was the founder of modern Russia. He was an extraordinarily gifted man. Two of his qualities-capability and alertness-are illustrated in the above incident. He had studied so assiduously that he knew four different languages and was able to converse fluently in each one of them. Then so alert and on-the-ball was he that-despite his enormous preoccupation with affairs of state-he read the book of an unknown Indian at night, just so that he could have some prior knowledge of that person's thought when he met him the next day. Lenin made every effort to cultivate this natural talent; he made the most of the opportunities that were provided him; that was how he rose to the ranks of triumphant world leaders.

These two qualities-capability and alertness-are required for any kind of work. They are indispensable for the service of the Islamic cause, just as they are essential to one working in some other, secular field.

Firstly one must be fully equipped with contemporary knowledge, and secondly one must show oneself to be absolutely prepared in whatever one does. Lenin showed how one, equipped with these qualities, could achieve success in the secular field. If people who show capability and alertness of this nature apply themselves to the service of the Islamic cause, then they too will achieve the desired goal.