the Heart of a Warrior

The singular reason that Napoleon was able to carry his cannons over the Alps, and in this way surpass Hannibal who took his infinitely more mobile elephants, was because he made it a point to study what was possible in his youth. *1

The study of the biographies of others opens the doors to us of what can be achieved, and should enliven us with the elan vital to try to go beyond. 

To learn nobility of spirit you should immerse yourself in the life of the one who showed us all what true nobility meant. 

For the Arabs of Quraysh, nobility was a thing to be sought, even before the coming of the religion. 

For this reason they sent their children into the untamed dessert to learn a purity of language, and to inculcate the nobility of soul. 

And then a Messenger (saw) came to them, and us all, who took that nobility to an entirely new level. Where truth became more important than brotherhood, and yet brotherhood was never diminished, nor eclipsed. 

For he taught that brotherhood dictated that you shared the truth; that you stopped your brother in his erroneous ways; that you forbade his wrongdoing as a means of being kind kind to him and of looking out for him, whilst also suffering to  overlook his minor indiscretions. 

That true nobility was not devoid of feeling, as the English stiff upper lip would wish, but was all heart.

And heart can carry the day. 

For with every stiff upper lip is a weak chin. 

And with every true heart is a noble soul. 

For the Messenger (saw) taught the Arab patriarchal society that manhood can and should be compassionate. 

For he (saw) said to the Arab

“How can compassion be shown to one who cannot show compassion”

(In reference to the Day of Recompense). 

It is Muhammed (saw) that redefined what it meant to be a man. 

A warrior, a legislator, a father and a leader. An example to be followed. 

Who lived in the full light of history, with every believer hanging on his every word and every deed- recording it all for us. 

To learn nobility of spirit it is enough to immerse yourself in the life of such a man. And that is arguably his greatest gift to the whole of mankind. 

Knowledge is sought through study and contemplation, not through lectures, nor talks nor this above. 

*1 Napoleon in military college immersed himself in the biographies of the generals that preceded him. At that time Europe was a collection of militarised waring states. 

It was his positive outlook and immense energy that created in him a mindset that no problem was insurmountable. 

And this inspired his men so much, that when the beast of burden failed, his men did not.