The moment this truth is realized in their hearts, a change comes over working men. No more do they feel themselves depressed or unfortunate; no more does their work appear humiliating to them; a new joy beams in their face, a new consciousness of power is felt a new throbbing of life is perceived in them. The labourers now march forward to wield the scepter of the world. Behind the vast organization and power of the labouring class in modern times there is this conviction of their work. This has given meaning and significance to their life and activity.
The dignity of labour is now recognized at least in theory. When the workers are fully convinced of it in their heart then shall true salvation come to them. Then shall they learn genuine work-alone-work done faithfully and joyously – is their real savior.
Behind our admiration for Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, Hercules and Samson of old and of the wrest and athletes of modern times, there is an unconscious homage to manual labour. We love, patronize and adore them and yet we look down on an ordinary manual labourer. Nothing can be more preserve than that. People who appreciate feats of strength have no justification for withholding their praise from that labour which clears jungle, sows the, seeds, builds, cities and makes life happy and comfortable. It is not only perversity but base in gratitude which denies dignity to labour.
In fact, life is action not contemplation. Man’s worth is only determined by his actions. Not only to know but to act according to knowledge is the destination of man. Mere’ brooding will not do; all ambitions are empty unless materialized. For example, Churchill was ‘a man of action and he, became immortal because of his active and useful services to his. Nation and to the comity of nations.
One should work for the love of work and not far money only. Man must work. I will be better if he works gratefully and not grudgingly. He should work as a man –and ‘riot as a machine. He should put his h-art and soul into his work. In short, he should enliven it. Work done in the right spirit leads to happiness. Says Bertrand Russell. “Consistent purpose is a 1most indispensable condition of a happy life. And consistent purpose embodies itself mainly work.”
Happy is the man who like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan goes from door to door, bearing the touch of peace and non-violence before a war-ton and disillusioned world. And then constructive work provides us with more joy tan destructive one. In destruction there may be joy but, that emerges from hate an is short-lived, and less satisfying though fierce. Great artist and scientist do work which is in itself delightful.
So Carlyle is perfectly right when he says in ‘Past and present’, “Blessed is he who has found his work, let him ask no other blessedness”. Disinterested action is the best action. But let us not forget that, an excess of work is always very painful. It should alternate ‘With play. Long fellow, in the following lines, idealizes the working habit of The Village, Blacksmith.
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night’s repose
Surely work is divine. In the words of great scholar, “God is there where the tiller is tilling the hard soil and the path-marker is breaking the stones.”
Truly has Scott said “Labour is the condition which God has imposed on us in every station of life.”
In fact, God is work and work is God,
Life is a long a continuous obligation and there is no other way of achieving success in it. In he first flush of youth we may dream and dream, but soon we shall be rudely awakened to acknowledge with the poet:
I slept and dream that life was beauty,
I worked and found that life was duty.
The stream of time flows on at unbroken pace, men are born and pass away, empires rise and crumble, human institutions, customs and manners grow and undergo constant modification. Work is necessary to move forward in life and no progress or development is possible without it. A golden example can be presented here rearing the importance of work:
“A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) begging for anything to live on. The Prophet (PBUH) gave him an axe and rope and advised him to collect some wood and sell it a live on its price. He further told the man to came back and report to him how he fared after the job encrusted o him. The next day the man come to the Holy Prophet and said that his hard work of feeling trees gave him contentment and pleasure. The bread earned through his sweat was the sweetest he ever relished. He would never beg again.”
Now some misguided people may be inclined to say that the above-mentioned tradition is just an individual example of no significance in the twentieth century. Bu such logic is surely a naïve one. Actually Islam prescribe the sense responsibility and ensured work for the man fourteen centuries ago and it is completely supported by the most modern economic and political .