Riaz Khan: Last Lecture

The following excerpts are taken from a presentation given by Prof. M. Riaz Khan on Thursday, September 21, 2000, at a lecture series entitled: “If This Were The Last Lecture I Would Give, What Would I Say?” organized by the Multi-faith Council of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

No body gives a lecture on the last day. If any thing, it's a frank conversation, some reflections upon the past memories, and an expression of feelings about having some shared (hopefully) good time. Also it depends on who your audience is. If it is a group of younger people or students, for example, my conversation would be motivational. It would be about work habits, goal orientation, and the like. I would discuss with them my experience. Most importantly, a distinction between facts of life and the myths must be made. Life is not a bed of roses or that of a hell. It is both challenging and rewarding. Rewards are not always quick, obvious, or tangible, nor are they always in the desired form. Failures, frustrations and disappointments are part of life that make success sweet and precious.

Life is not about fun and pleasure either, nor it is merely for material possessions. Its meaning is deeper and more comprehensive, and must be understood clearly. One has to live longer than one's life by contributing to the well-being of the society and leaving a favorable impact on it in whatever small way possible.

The key to success is hard work, perseverance and self-discipline. Objectives and success, however, must be defined in a realistic way, consistent with your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external conditions that are not in your control.

It is important to be at the cutting edge and to keep pace with changes that continuously occur in order to remain dynamic, effective and competitive. Though the path of least resistance is alluring, don't go with the flow in terms of your values and behavior. Don't let others define you. Use your good discretion and judgement intelligently, because you are defined by your own values and perspective.

Find out who you are. What is your value system? Take pride in your identity by keeping your values under all circumstances and rise above all temptations. If you don't respect your own dignity, nobody will.

If my conversation is with mature people, on the other hand, my approach would be a bit philosophically oriented and value based: People are limited to a great extent by their surrounding conditions. People in the United States are the luckiest on the globe in many ways. Affluence, opportunities and freedom of expression with security and political stability are only a dream for most people in this world. Their handicaps are many. In a land of opportunities and freedom of choice, there is no excuse for going wrong. We must be grateful for all what we have and the best way to do that is to make this world a better place for everyone, and not just for a select few. Those who have more have more to share and carry more responsibilities.

From the perspective of humanity, we must have a global view. Despite differences in our shades, colors or faiths, we are members of the same extended family. We share the same planet and our long-term interests are also common. These differences should not be the basis for judging or ranking one another. We are to get to know one another and to cooperate in worldly affairs. In fact, our peaceful co-existence depends on our understanding of this connection. The only criterion for evaluation is a good conduct governed by moral principles, because it is only our attitude and behavior that we can control.

We live in an interdependent world. My actions and choices have impact not only on my life, but on the lives of others as well – my family, my colleagues, my community members, and the society at large. Therefore, I cannot make my decisions in a vacuum; rather I must be sensitive to the implications they might have for others.

Self-discipline is extremely important for goal achievement and our basic goal should be the fulfillment of our obligations, which is the source of real happiness in life. These obligations fall in three categories: toward the Creator, toward one-self, and toward one's fellow humans. All these areas have to be taken care of and integrated in a balanced way. The most difficult thing in life is to maintain this delicate balance, and the life itself is about balancing these competing demands. The establishment of a just and balanced society, in which everybody's rights and obligations are respected and delivered, is the ultimate goal that we all must strive for in whatever way we can.

This requires that we live in this physical world with moral excellence and strive to reach the highest level of perfection possible. Our dealings and transactions with other human beings must be just and fair. This is possible only if we have a sound moral value base and a sense of accountability. The concept of accountability is basic to our performance in all functions of life. Without this we cannot exist as a society. In a larger context, without accountability, life has absolutely no meaning, which is absurd, to say the least, and insulting to a rational mind. Our belief is that this life will continue beyond the existing one, and the success and failure in the next life will be determined by our conduct in the present one. Therefore, it is critically important for us to know what is our status in this world and what is the relationship of this universe to us.

Briefly, each one of us has been given a freedom of choice. We have the capability of becoming righteous or wicked. The faculties and the resources available to us are to facilitate us to follow our chosen paths. Our test is to see whether we exercise our freedom responsibly with loyalty to our Creator during this short period of life, or whether we become rebelliously arrogant. The result will be declared after the test is over at the end of this phase of life. This is a onetime opportunity and we must do our best to make a good investment into the future by living a life of conscience in this world. This does not mean depriving ourselves of the treasures of this life, but organizing and disciplining our lives by the notion of accountability. This will secure a life of dignity and honor right in this world as well as beyond.

The strategy for success at both places is to work hard honestly in this world as if you will live forever, but prepare for the accountability as if you are about to leave tomorrow.

That is, on one hand, don't let your age or the fear for dying, for instance, impair your ability to initiate and carry on constructive things energetically. On the other hand, don't get attached so much to the pomp of this world that you are caught unprepared to leave.

Always be the best you can be whatever you choose to be. Whether it is a carpenter that you wish to become or a rocket scientist, exhibit professionalism and become a symbol of diligence and proficiency.

I came to this country to pursue my educational interests. I was on a graduate assistantship. I had to raise a family on meager resources in a foreign land and had to meet the demands of a Ph.D. program at the same time. I successfully completed my education in record time. I then entered the teaching profession and taught at the University of Maryland, Clark University and Boston University. I have taught in Europe and South America. I have been at the University of Massachusetts Lowell for quite some years. I am very fortunate and, with a sense of humility, feel very accomplished in my profession. Socially I am very well integrated in the University community and outside as well.

But my real source of satisfaction is that I have been able to maintain my moral principles and my identity as a follower of Islam. I have tried not to compromise in these areas, nor have I ever found it compelling to do so. I am very strict in the Islamic way of life and I am very proud of it. I am guided by these principles in whatever I do in my private and public life. I speak, I write and I publish from this perspective about issues that are important to all of us. I also try to practice these principles to the best of my ability. How closely I measure up to the Islamic standards, however, it is not for me to judge. My only job is to constantly strive for improvement in my manners, behavior and transactions.

What it suggests, though, is that you too can live by your convictions in any environment you find yourself in if you are truly committed to them. In many ways, it is easier here to practice the deeply cherished values than perhaps anywhere else. Anybody who tells you otherwise, is a copout. This also speaks for the strength of this society. Realistically, you can be what you want to be in terms of your conduct and behavior and blame none but yourself if things go the other way.

A question is often asked whenever I am invited as a guest speaker by any college, church or other organization: “Have you found any difficulties in this country to live as a practicing Muslim?” My answer has always been “none;” but if there is anything, it is because of my own fault.

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M. Riaz Khan is a professor in the College of Management, University of Massachusetts Lowell.