It is no secret that crises and problems can plague institutions, organizations, and sometimes even countries. Crises vary widely, ranging from economic to political, administrative, and other categories. Despite their ideological differences, all types of crises share one common characteristic: they occur suddenly, catching everyone off guard and hindering a swift response, Furthermore, a lack of information and weak communication channels can exacerbate and worsen the situation, leading to poor decision-making, as well as confusion and overlap regarding the elements of the crisis, the factors involved, and the identification of its causes. Crises are also accompanied by unacceptable behaviors such as anxiety, stress, and sometimes apathy; at the same time, opposing forces emerge, and a power struggle unfolds on the stage of the crisis. According to management scholar Sher Mahorn, a crisis is an unexpected problem that may lead to a disaster if not resolved quickly.
There are solutions and strategies for managing crises, including making appropriate decisions quickly so that crises do not turn into disasters, attempting to mobilize all available resources to address the crisis, forming multidisciplinary teams to investigate the causes and develop solutions, and working to implement these solutions quickly to address the crisis and prevent it from escalating. Careful time management during crises to make the most of available time, and operating with a flexible plan that can be adjusted and modified based on new information.
Hence, there is a growing need to establish what is known as an ”early warning system” to anticipate the future and closely monitor issues that could lead to crises before they occur.
On a personal level, however, we must deal with the crises we face using a different approach, because if we view them from a religious and social perspective, we see that they test a person’s patience, their ability to cope, and their strength in facing major problems, and fortunately, most personal crises do not last long but end quickly, as their lifespan is very short compared to public crises.
Al-Shafi’i’s words offer reassurance to those facing crises and those in distress when he said:
Perhaps a young man is overwhelmed by a calamity and feels at a loss, not knowing where the way out lies
It grew tight, and when its noose tightened it loosened, and I thought it would never loosen
