Vision

By: Muhammad Haris

It is generally said that one will perish who has no vision. What is vision?

Vision is:

• The ability to perceive the truth.
• The capacity to grow and develop.
• The gift of intelligence and skill.
• The endowment of free will.
• The capacity to perform.
• The strength and potency to make things happen and accomplish.
• The vital energy, wisdom and power to make choices and take decisions.
• The capacity to overcome, subdue or capture deeply embedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness.

In essence, vision not only means the ability to perceive but the ability to make things happen.

Aad and Thamud perished although they were “Mustabsireen”  i.e they had "Ibtisaar" (the ability to perceive the truth). But they had no intention to act, so they perished.

Vision is a gift inherently made available by Allah’s grace:

“Fixes their goals and guides them accordingly” (Al Quran 87:3)

Editor’s Analysis: Perished here does not imply destroyed completely, or totally eradicated. People could also perish or suffer when things do not go in their favour. Thus lack of vision (the inability to perceive and act accordingly) could lead to suffering.