Ali Hammuda – Russian tactics, Strange Experiments & Helplessness
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In 1965, two University of Pennsylvania psychology graduate students by the name of Martin Seligman and Stephen F. Meyer carried out an experiment. Although highly unethical on a group of dogs, Martin divided them into three groups, and when he rang his bell, he zapped them with electricity. Some could escape the shocks by releasing themselves from harnesses, other dogs could hit a lever whilst other dogs weren't given a way out. And when the conditioning was complete, Seligman moved to the second phase of the experiment, the group of dogs that had no way of escaping the shocks were replaced with the other two groups of dogs that could escape. Now in this new box, the dogs could
escape the shocks by simply jumping over a short wall to the other side of the box that was free of zaps. Interestingly, the dogs that were given the chance to escape in the previous experiment did indeed jump over the wall and evaded the pain whilst the dogs that were not previously given an escape path, surrendered to the shocks barking in pain and passively waited for the shocks to seize. Due to their previous experience, they had developed a cognitive expectation that nothing they did would prevent or eliminate the shocks. This learned behavior the belief that no matter what they did, they could not change their circumstance was what Seligman termed learned helplessness or
acquired despair.
Similarly, in India, when elephant trainers catch a baby elephant, they tie its foot to a post causing it to struggle for days in attempt to break free till it gives up when it learns that it's useless in its later years when that elephant grows to its full size. Nevertheless, it does not attempt to break free despite being strong enough to do so and instead passively await the trainer to set it free because its mind has been broken and has learned that it is helpless. helplessness is deeper than sadness. It is the belief that there is nothing that can be done to improve a bad situation that relates to you or others learned helplessness or acquired despair can affect
individuals, communities and nations at large.
Similar to what befell the Muslims during the Mongol invasion, fear had gripped people in such a way that among soldier would enter upon a congregation and instruct them to wait no to move from their places till he goes out and finds a suitable rock to crush their heads and they in utter helplessness would await their executor to arrive to then slay them one by one without any resistance. Clearly, therefore, learned helplessness is not so much the product of the dramatic event itself, but more so the manner in which it is interpreted and reacted to those who interpret the pain of a particular happening in light of similar past experiences will plummet into a cycle of
self defeatist thinking because they've convinced themselves that their pain is simply unavoidable, and that they have no control over the situation. And so they don't even try those, however, who interpret the pain as an opportunity for growth and success will remain motivated to overcome the challenge. So what then do you make of a person a Muslim who considers worldly pains as his pathway to Paradise, so it's not the event that brings them out helplessness, it's the interpretation of that event and how it is reacted to. When the coalition of pagans an army of 10,000 men, which was arguably larger than the entire population of Medina arrived at the city of Medina intending to put
an end to the Muslim presence once and for all, one would expect a total meltdown in the Muslim midst and a prompt surrender so intense was the Allah that Allah subhanho wa Taala said depicting the trial finale Kabuli El Camino now was on the losing the island you should either there the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking and above and beyond the military mobilization. There was another mobilization that was just as threatening to the Muslims the psychological warfare employed by the hypocrites to demoralize the Muslims one which the Quran exposed saying, what is the old Mona if you own Our Lady in efia? colo be him Mirabal now why then
Allahu wa rasuluh Illa hoorah and when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease they said Allah and His messenger did not promise us except delusion. The Muslims reaction, however, was to their enemies completely baffling they viewed the realities that were unfolding before them through a lens of breathtaking positivity. Allah said, well, Amara al me known al Assad when the believers saw the enemy Alliance, God who had an idea and Allahu wa rasuluh who they said this is what Allah and His Messenger have promised us. Well, Sadaqa Allahu wa rasuluh and the Promise of Allah and His Messenger has come true. What matters
their home in law EMA and what is Lima and this only increase them in faith and submission and with this stubborn insistence to not surrender to helplessness along with the human means that they exhausted to the best of their limited ability, and above all their reliance upon Allah that divine intervention arrived, as it always does what Abdullah who led the NACA will be hurriedly him LEM Jana Aloha Allah drove back the disbelievers in their rage totally empty handed. What if Allah will not be Nino que tal and Allah spared the believers from fighting? So once again, it's not the event itself that brings helplessness No, it's the way in which it is interpreted and reacted to the
learned helplessness concept helps explain many unfortunate happenings that affect the Muslims. A person who gives up on his arduously long search for marriage and in utter agitation chooses to foreign educate or a businessman who due to mounting pressure from family or friends or the market caved in and reintroduce alcohol to their shops or those who insist that there's no point in Muslims being part of politics because of previous failures are those who will turn down their religious beliefs to appease others in society or an employer or their likes are those who give up on planning for their own or the pursuing of an Islamic vision because they say what's the point the Freemasons
control it all, and so on. And on all of these examples, as well as others, they all have one matter in common. They interpreted an event in a negative weight, and they convinced themselves that their actions are inconsequential, and so they gave up moving forward. What do we do from here? A former Soviet KGB propaganda agent by the name of Yuri abysmal describes the process of national subversion used by the USSR on international targets which he calls the four stages of ideological subversion. He says in order they are number one demoralisation, number two destabilization number three, create a crisis number four normalization so the intended result of normalizing relations with your enemy
whereby they now see you as your friend, according to URI basment have begins with a process of the moralization. What is even more interesting is his suggestion for how a society may resist such subversion. He said the most difficult and at the same time, the simplest answer to the subversion is to start at the process of demoralization and even before he said it's to bring the society back to religion. Indeed, ours is a religion that resists despair in the harshest expressions in hula, you assume Rohilla Hillel Komal Caffee rune. No one loses hope in Allah's Mercy except that disbelieving people because of its disastrous effects, and sedating people from trying, again, no
surprise that the scholars have classified despair as one of the major sins being worse than that of using interest theft and fornication. In fact, in his book Al Qaeda, the major sins imam of the hubby lists the sin of despair only second place to associating partners with Allah the obligation of healing the injured morale of the Muslim ummah, is not the sole responsibility of scholars and activists and students of knowledge but the responsibility of every person who called himself a Muslim put an end to all pessimistic conversations put an end to endless blaming and criticizing of others put an end to the witch hunt of people's faults and futile discussions, which have proven to
be useless and time wasting and very unconstructive. Instead, work towards your personal revival and the revival of your own. And the very first key to unlocking this achievement lies in three simple words change your thoughts. And for those who want a practical demonstration of someone who did this, astoundingly well let us rewind to the tragic battle of at first, the battle had seemingly ended before it had the chance to start the pagans despite outnumbering the Muslims by three to one fled the battlefield in terror as the Muslims fought with so much courage and when it seemed that the dust had settled in favor of the believers, a minority of the companions made a costly strategic
mistake to the detriment of 70 Muslim lives, including the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and to the detriment of the outcome of the battle. So Daya was the situation that news even spread on the battlefield that Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had met his fate and here our hero of a companion Anas Ibn another approached and assembly of disheartened Muslims who had dropped their weaponry and sat on the ground in hopelessness. He asked them why you sat here they responded, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has died and he responded, what do you intend to do with your lives after him? Why don't you get up and die for the same cause that he
died for and here and as another advanced single handedly towards the pagan forces as he called upon Allah saying, Allah Allah Allah
Do you like me? Masana Allah, Oh Allah, I apologize to you for what these have done pointing to his friends. Well, you can email so now I have hula and I free myself from what these have done pointing to the pagans on his way to the front lines. He was met by Sadie Bynum was another giant of a companion and let us hear the conversation that took place between these two giants of Islam Sodom Nehemiah, he said to us even another old father of armor, where are you going? And even another he replied, we're hungry. Hey, Jen, edgy do her do and how beautiful is the fragrance of paradise. I can smell it and it's emanating from near Mount Sadiq. No more ad was relating this incident to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam after the battle and here, Sadiq Neumayer that he said to the prophet or messenger of Allah, I was simply unable to do what he did on that day if Saddam no more Earth is saying this, so I didn't know more of the companion whose death would cause the Throne of Allah to shake and whose funeral procession was attended by 70,000 Angels if he is saying that he was unable to follow the footsteps of Anna's Abner another during that day, then I leave it to your imagination to think about what Anna's must have done on the day of post battle, and even another was missing. They found a corpse next to mount or hood that was severely mutilated, and had received
over 80 wounds, rendering it completely unrecognizable. A lady called Arabia into another inspected the corpse and from his fingertips she learned that it was her brother Ennis. And after this, Allah Almighty reveal the verse from the Quran commenting on this episode, where Allah said menial menial Marija Luna sada Kuma Had Allah highly among the believers are men who were true to what they had promised Allah Amin, whom no tabula rasa among them is he who has fulfilled his promise women whom may toddler among them is he who awaits his chance were murdered deload have de la and they did not change in Mideast notice here how the very same event the alleged death of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam that caused some to fall onto the ground in despair was the very same event that caused us to advance enthusiastically towards his martyrdom. This is therefore the clearest evidence that the real problem is not in a given event that may be affecting you or your family or your own at large. No, regardless of how painful that event may be. The real issue and challenge is in the way in which we choose to interpret it and how we react in the decisions we subsequently make the same a tragedy that causes some to crumble in despair is the very same tragedy that others will view as a vehicle to paradise. So your situation can be changed and the situation of the Ummah at large
will be changed, but it starts by changing your thoughts because what we did not mention earlier is that according to Martin Seligman himself learned helplessness or acquired despair can in fact be unlearned. And it starts by changing your thoughts on an event which will in turn change your feelings towards it and then your actions and as a Muslim, no human being on Allah's Earth has greater reasons and tools to do all of this than you