Firasah Tajar
The esteemed Adel Ali Abdul Latif Al Hamad (Abu Rakan), may God protect him, hails from a distinguished and well-known family in Kuwait. As the old saying goes, “Does the sun need a candle?” The family is so renowned that it needs no introduction, praise, or commendation.
I refer the reader to an interview with Adel on the TURA_KU YouTube channel, where he shares a fascinating account of himself and his family. He once recounted a story about a merchant from the last century, Othman Al-Rashid, may God have mercy on him, who was originally from Al-Zulfi. Al-Rashid was looking for someone to entrust with the management of his business. While he was in discussion with a man being considered for this role, the two were seated near a fire burning in a brazier. The man wished to light a cigarette, so he took a match and struck it, despite the fire already blazing before him. This action did not go unnoticed by the merchant, who saw in it a reflection of the man’s mindset. Al-Rashid looked beyond the mere matchstick: if the man would waste a match when a fire was already burning before him, how would he behave if entrusted with the management of his business and its assets?
A person can carefully choose their words when they know they are being tested, and can present their best self when questioned about integrity, diligence, or managerial competence. However, some spontaneous actions slip out without preparation. Thus, such unguarded behavior may reveal more about a person than any calculated response.
Human beings are too complex to be reduced to a single moment or judged based on one incident. Nevertheless, this story highlights the importance of keen observation in selection, the significance of placing the right person in the right position, and the need for deliberation when assigning responsibilities and entrusting our assets to others. This brief anecdote also offers another lesson: the value of sitting with experienced individuals who have long years of life experience, and benefiting from what they have witnessed, lived through, and heard about people and their conduct. For sometimes, a seemingly minor incident they preserved for us carries meanings that fill many pages.
