Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | Mar 27, 2022
There are two ways of doing things: one is demonstration-oriented and the other is result-oriented. A task that has a demonstrative impact very soon becomes popular. It creates news, gathers crowds and enjoys great public acclaim.
However, this kind of activity is lacking in substance. It may generate news, but it ultimately yields no positive result. People who work along these lines always perform their tasks in a high-profile manner. And while they do gain something in terms of personal interest, they fail to offer anything constructive to the society of which they are a part.
The second way of working is by engaging oneself in an activity that has no demonstrative side to it. Those who do so necessarily work by keeping a low profile and, of course, seldom acquire fame. Their work may go unnoticed by people at large and may be left unreported in history. But, these are the people who are the best of mankind. They give to others without taking anything for themselves and, in so doing, they establish valuable traditions that benefit the coming generations.
The demonstrative method of work, by proceeding on a short-term basis, aims at instant profit. According to the law of nature, any work that aims at earning immediate gain cannot possibly yield anything fruitful. On the contrary, since the result-oriented method is concerned with producing results, those who make this their target, plan out their work on a long-term basis. In this world, it is solely by working in this way that concrete results can be produced.