JEDDAH, 28 December 2003 — People who want freedom often forget that it comes with responsibility, says Mirza Yawar Baig, a prominent management consultant.
“Most people want freedom, but they don’t want responsibility. So when they make a mistake in their pursuit of freedom they blame others,” he said.
Baig was giving a lecture titled “What do you want to be remembered for” at the Saudi-German Hospital Auditorium over the weekend.
Baig called on Muslims to make their lifetime “an opportunity to make a difference and be remembered.”
Baig attempted to show modern management theories in light of the Qur’an and Hadith.
“Islam teaches us to fulfill the purpose of our creation by choosing the kind of activity that will achieve our goal,” Baig said.
“The most critical ingredient to progress is perspective: The ability to simultaneously hold in your mind two pictures: Where you are today and where you want to be,” he said.
He urged Muslims to act instead of engaging in wishful thinking. “God has connected our conditions with our actions and not with our possessions. If we want conditions to change we have to change actions,” he said quoting a Qur’anic verse.
For Muslims to progress, they must learn to place the public interest before their private concerns, he said. “Life is about living for a cause. People resist us when we stand for ideals not because they don’t agree but because we remind them of what is possible for them to do,” he said.
“But if you stick to your stand and continue to promote a world of justice and freedom, then slowly they will start to walk with you on the same path,” he added.