Qasim Al-Awaqleh

Long live my homeland, its people, and its king. For years, we have given our utmost to protect the security of this beloved nation. We have never wavered or hesitated, not even for a moment, in fulfilling our duty. We endured hardship so that others could find comfort. We stayed awake at night so that the children of this nation could sleep peacefully.

We braved freezing cold nights and scorching hot days so that others could feel the warmth of winter and the coolness of summer, ensuring this nation’s vitality. We did not let ourselves be distracted by the luxuries or pleasures enjoyed by others. Nor did we succumb to the temptations of corruption or opportunism. Instead, we regarded ourselves as defenders on the frontlines, seeking the reward of our labor from Allah—a great reward indeed.

This has always been our mission, and it remains so to this day. Over the years, we were engrossed in developing strategies and ideas to implement plans aimed at averting threats to the nation. These efforts were exhausting and anxiety-inducing, but our determination and faith in Allah, as well as in the protection of our homeland, helped us overcome all obstacles.

One day, after I had retired, my youngest son returned home from school around the same time as my dear and respectful neighbor, "Abu Muhammad," a retired brigadier general from the armed forces. From what I knew, he was competent and diligent in his service. Abu Muhammad asked my son to let me know that I should prepare myself to accompany him in a task: "picking purslane."
With enthusiasm, I began devising strategies and plans to execute this task. For me, the concept of

"preparing" was no different from my understanding of "strategy." After all, picking purslane was no less significant a task post-retirement than the missions and strategies I had undertaken before retirement.

I spent a week drafting strategies and plans for this operation. However, Abu Muhammad surprised me one day after we left the mosque by announcing, in a unilateral decision, that he had already completed the task on his own. He had disregarded all the plans and strategies I had developed for this "joint mission," undermining our vision for addressing the critical matter of how to handle the mechanisms of "picking purslane."

This is the reality: even in "picking purslane," strategies are sidelined, and efforts made to ensure the success of such tasks are undermined by individual decisions. It’s as if we are still living under Pharaoh's law of "I am your lord most high."

May Allah forgive you, my brother Abu Muhammad. You deprived us of achieving a great accomplishment, whether in planning, execution, or results. I suspect you wanted to reap the benefits of the purslane harvest all by yourself. Purslane has many advantages, which you and those around you—who may lack understanding of the concepts, plans, and strategies of "picking purslane"—are likely to enjoy alone.

By the way, the incident of picking purslane is real, and there are similar strategies we will discuss in the future.

Retired Brigadier General Qasim Al-Awaqleh