Makkah newspaper

WHAT can we do for you?

What will be your feelings if a doctor tells you after diagnosing your condition: Can we agree on a treatment plan for you? Or if the teacher tells you after understanding your child’s difficulty to learn: Can we sit together to discuss a special learning plan for your child? What will be your reaction?

If a traffic policeman tells you one day following a road accident: What do you think if we review the accident scenario together?

You will certainly love to hear this question from a government employee one day: Do you expect any other service from me?

What would have been your impression if a civil engineer had told you: “Can I give you a better vision of your house and you have the freedom either to accept it or reject it?”

You visit the house of a friend or relative and if he tells you that you can either sit in the majlis or near the window to have a clear view of the surroundings, what would be your feeling?

A vegetable vendor, who looks at your pocket more than at his goods, tells you one day: Will you visit us again to see new products that we will bring for our customers?

You may also like to hear from someone before setting a date for a meeting: “At these times I would be available to meet you and you can fix an appropriate time that suits you.”

We as human beings love to hear such questions while dealing with individuals and institutions. Unfortunately, most of us do not take such a positive approach that people like to experience and we miss our years and ages without knowing what to do to change this situation.

I have found out that people fail when we push them to the corner without giving them any choice and force them to do things that are beyond their capability. As a result, they lose their self-respect and self-confidence.

The lack of options is one of the main problems people face, especially when they deal with science and knowledge. In the beginning “Who will win the million?” program was a failure when the quizmaster was not giving options for the contestants to choose from. Now, it has become popular as learned as well as ordinary people can participate in the program with confidence.

Every individual loves to participate in making decisions in matters related to them and this desire is part of human nature. People often complain that they did not know certain decisions or they were not informed of a program before it started, or they were not given enough time to think about it. Others say they had no other option.

Whoever follows the Arabic literary styles we can see usages such as “ya habbada,””madha lou,” “lou kana kida”, expressing a desire for improvement in our words and deeds or a change of decisions. Such usages also denote our desire for change and to consider better options.

In day-to-day dealings it is always better to ask the customer about what kind of service they require instead of just extending the usual service without asking them their needs.

If a mother asks her child what gift he or she prefers for as a reward for the success in school exam, it does not cause any problem to the mother. Does it harm a manager if he asks an employee what kind of training program he requires? The employee will be extremely happy to hear that.

Is there anything wrong if a mosque imam asks worshipers the length of Qur’an recitation they can bear? This will help the imam gain the goodwill of the worshippers and avoid complaints. A man may ask his wife which day he can invite his colleagues for a party? This mutual understanding will help avoid the couple embarrassing situations.

We should know that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who is ardently followed by his companions asked his enemies after the Makkah victory: What do you expect from me to do with you? We know the appealing request made by the people of Makkah and the Prophet’s beautiful response, which surprised even his enemies. He forgave the mistakes and cruelties of the Makkans toward him and his companions.

I believe in the principle “inquiry generates choice.” This is a golden approach where the main intent would be to ensure the quality of human dealings and responses in order to realize the progress and prosperity of humanity. I oppose the idea of “working silently without asking questions,” because it would not bring happiness to the hearts and minds of people.