Importance of Seeking Professional Knowledge
Islam stresses a lot on mutual consultation. This is known as Mashoora in Arabic. The Qur’an itself speaks about it in very telling terms as follows: “Who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation” in the 42nd verse of a Chapter titled Surah Ash-Shura (The Chapter of Mutual Consultation). It is this same process of consultation that we call in today’s terms ‘Brainstorming’ where people meet and exchange their thoughts and ideas about an issue, take well informed decisions and come up with an action plan.
When engaging in consultation, it is best to consult specialists in any given area. A good leader will know to reach out to the best experts in any field and put together the best possible action plan which takes into consideration all possible factors and scenarios. There is so much specialized knowledge available on every subject out there and we must know to tap the right people.
To take an example from the early days of Islam, the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) lent his ear to a Persian companion named Salman Al Farsi who suggested digging a trench in the most exposed and vulnerable part of the town of Medina to keep in check inimical Arab and Jewish tribes that had joined forces to destroy the newly emerging Islamic state. Salman was of course suggesting something that the Arabs knew nothing of but which the Persians were well aware of as a war strategy.
The Prophet immediately agreed to the suggestion and urged his men to dig the trench, he himself joining in the diggings. Salman’s idea saved the day and the encounter has passed down in history as ‘The Battle of the Trench’. This shows how important it is to consult the right people.
Compensating the experts for their expertise is very important because very often it is their sole source of income. Most of us feel obliged to pay Lawyers and Architects for their specialized knowledge. Similarly we need to invest in Professional Knowledge in areas like Strategy, Branding and Digital Marketing. Small and Medium Enterprises who don’t have a Senior Finance Person can opt for Financial Consultants to advice in managing working capital, where money is tied up in inventory, debtors and managing creditors.