The Moral Vision
Working Together
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WORKING TOGETHER
One particular quality of true believers has been
pinpointed in the Qur’an. It is that when they are
with the Prophet—or in other words the person
responsible for Muslims’ affairs—“on a matter
requiring collective action, they do not depart until
they have asked for his leave ...” (Qur’an, 24:62).
Here collective action means any activity involving
a group of people working together. And the
“asking of leave” is indicative of the wider spirit in
which the work is done—a spirit of deep
commitment, like the commitment one feels to some
personal work.
A high degree of motivation is required for a person
to become so deeply involved in a task that he will
not leave it until the work in hand has been
accomplished. Such motivation is inherent in work
involving personal profit: it is in one’s own interest
to see the work through to the bitter end, and so one
does so. One is moved by a sense of personal
responsibility: if one does not accomplish the task
oneself, who will do it for one? With work
involving a group of people, on the other hand, one
