Tag: trust

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Muslim Lifestyle New Muslims

Work and Spiritually: Where Do They Meet?

laptop

With sincere intentions and noble efforts you can hopefully recreate some of that much needed spiritual reformation.

For many of us as Muslims out in the working world or even at home, it can be a challenge to sustain our spirituality post-Ramadan. Many people I know complain of the need to reform their spiritual habits and I count being in in good companionship as one of the vital ways to continually boost your spiritual development.

In the modern day, it is easy to slip out of the ‘spiritually developing’ zone, especially when you are in a non-Muslim environment and don’t have the same network of ‘sisterhood’ or ‘brotherhood’ to encourage your spiritual growth let alone as much free time.

I know of many friends who are in professions such as doctors, lawyers and even bankers who feel this ‘void’ in spirituality after venturing out into the working world. They feel a real dip in their faith and are crying out for ways to stay in touch with their spirituality in the workplace.

This article is an attempt at providing practical ways for spiritual reformation that I have personally adopted to use in the working world. Although it will be a real challenge for many, with sincere intentions and noble efforts you can hopefully recreate some of that much needed spiritual reformation.

1- Find Good Work Buddies

Although it’s easier to surround yourself with Muslims, I have personally found that even being in the presence of people from other faiths can strengthen your own faith. It is important to find a work buddy who you can openly discuss your faith with and be in good company. Even if it can’t be a Muslim colleague, then at least a colleague who understands and respects you and your faith values. I often find that non-Muslim colleagues are more interested in chatting about general life matters, so find areas of common interest before you start talking to them about matters related to your faith.

For those of us fortunate to work in a predominantly Muslim environment, having good company is still important as we can often lose ourselves amidst work. In our office, we’ve started a regular 10 minute reminder with the sisters once a week which we rotate between staff to help us remind each other of how to strive to be better Muslims – it’s often the spiritual dose we need for the rest of the week’s work!

2- Talk about Faith

One of the beauties of working with non-Muslim colleagues is that there is a natural sense of curiosity about you as a Muslim, but also at a human level so ensure you break down any barriers and connect with them at a human level first. Find out about their life outside of work without prying too much of course! This always opens doors to then talking about more personal matters like your faith.

Hopefully by developing a bond with your colleagues which goes beyond work you can comfortably and confidently talk about what it is like being a Muslim. Being a visible Muslim woman at work, maybe through wearing the hijab, is a walking da`wah opportunity, as every action and conversation teaches others about Islam.

Also, I have often found my non-Muslim friends have niggling questions about Islam which I am able to talk to them about openly once we’ve built a good working relationship.

3- Read, Read and Read!

There is one practice I have continued since university to develop myself spiritually, which is reading books – the more I read the more I realize how little I actually know! It is vital you read Islamic books on spiritual development such as Al-Ghazali’s works. You can even fit this reading into your travel time to work as I often do by reading on my Kindle.

balanced life

Despite the challenges, it is really important to have a work-life balance for your wellbeing.

During lunch breaks you can also read articles which will boost your faith and remind you of Allah through websites such as Muslim Matters, Suhaib Webb or ProductiveMuslim.com to keep you stimulated and get a refreshing ‘spiritual break’.

4- Attend a Regular Circle/Class

Despite the demands on your time as a professional Muslim and even at home, it is really important to have a work-life balance for your wellbeing. One of the ways to boost your spirituality is to attend a regular class, even if it is online rather than in person, to surround yourself with like-minded people as well as to continue to benefit in the pursuit of knowledge.

Find out what local circles are taking place, some workplaces even have Muslim associations and events you can attend or better still set one up of your own! I often tell sisters that they need to ensure they invest in themselves to grow spiritually and emotionally.

5- Use Salah to Re-focus

We are blessed as Muslims to have the daily salah, yet so many of us rush through prayer in a bid to get other work done.

Instead, we should use salah to refocus and re-energized ourselves for work. I often find that when I have a difficult task to do at work, just switching off and going to pray helps me come back more focused to tackle the task.

Also, prayer is a constant reminder that we are dependent on Allah’s Help to succeed at work and any task which lies ahead. So capitalize on this spiritual booster in your working day!

Once you’ve started to take the above steps, make du`aa’ that Allah places blessing in your work and time through your endeavors to better yourself. Remind yourself of the importance of holding onto your faith values and how you are an ambassador for Islam through your actions in the workplace. Hopefully, using the steps above you can begin to make spiritual reformations at work and beyond.

Productive Muslim is a Muslim who is striving for the highest station in Jannah (Paradise) by making the best of all the resources around her.

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Source: Dawahskills.com.

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Categories
Fasting New Muslims

Instagramadan 20: In God We Trust

In every relationship, one of the main aspects of the health of that relationship is trust. Do you trust that your teammate/friend/spouse/parents want what’s best for you?

The more that you trust someone, chances are you don’t dissect and question and criticize what they do for you – you trust that it’s what’s best. This dynamic extends to our relationship with Allah.

Learn how on today’s episode…

 In God We Trust

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Categories
Ethics & Values New Muslims

Fulfillment of Promise: The Muslim’s Conduct

An essential Part of a Muslim’s Conduct

Fulfillment of Promise: The Muslim’s Conduct

No promise and covenant is proper and correct except in rightful matters.

When a Muslim undertakes a thing, he should respect the undertaking. When he enters into any contract he should honor it till the last.

This is the demand of the faith that when a man talks of any enterprise, he should have the intention of taking it to completion, like the water which does not rest till it flows down to the lower level. He should be known among the people as a man of reliable promises, and there should be no fear of any breach of promises or of any dubious dealings from him.

Fulfillment of the promise is necessary. Similarly when an oath is taken, it should be redeemed. But this fulfillment of promise or the redeeming of the oath and pledges is necessary when the dealing is legitimate and concerns truth, otherwise honoring the promise in connection with something sinful and disobedience to Allah has no value, and there is no importance of oath in sin.

Allah’s Messenger has said:

“If someone has taken an oath, but saw an aspect of goodness in another thing, he may break his oath and pay compensation (atonement), and should perform the act which is better and has goodness.” (Muslim)

It is not proper for a man to insist on redeeming the oath. On such occasions it is better to break the oath. In a hadith it is stated:

“It is sinful for a man among you to go to his wife with his oath (unredeemed) compared to his paying the compensation (atoning) which He has fixed for breaking the oath.” (Al-Bukhari)

Covenant with Allah

For this reasons no promise and covenant is proper and correct except in rightful matters. When a man has promised to do a certain good thing, then he should try his best to fulfill it, as long as it appears good to him. He should very well know that he should stick to manly talk, faith and belief. There is no room in this for breach of promises or doubts and hesitation.

Anas ibn Malik says that his uncle Anas ibn Nadar could not take part in the Battle of Badr, and he said to the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah! In the first battle that you fought with the polytheists I could not take part. If Allah kept me with the Prophet then they will definitely see my achievements in the second battle against the polytheists.”

When in the Battle of Uhud, there was fierce fighting and the Muslims were retreating. He prayed to Allah: “O Allah! I ask your pardon for the mistake that they have committed, and I declare myself innocent of the transgression of the polytheists”.

Saying this he rushed into the battle. In the way he met Sa`d ibn Mu`adh whom he said: “O Sa`d ibn Mu`adh! By the God of Nadar, Proceed towards Paradise. I smell its fragrance , in the valley of Uhad.”

Sa`d said: “O Messenger of Allah! The love for martyrdom, which he showed, cannot be expressed. Then he advanced.”

Anas says that we found more than eighty wounds on his body, which were caused by swords, the points of lances and the shower of arrows. The polytheists had disfigured his body and it was difficult to identify him. With great difficulty his sister identified him with the help of a mole on his fingers.

Anas says that he thinks that the following verses were revealed about him or about persons like him:

Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah; of them some have completed their vow to (the extreme), and some (still) wait; but they have never changed (their determination) in the least. (Al-Ahzab 33:23)

The Requirements

Fulfillment of promises depends on two essential factors: memory and determination. With these two things, fulfilling one’s promises would be easy. Allah had taken a promise from Adam that he would not go near the forbidden tree, but Adam forgot the promise within a few days. He became a prey to weakness and broke his promise:

We had already beforehand taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot,. and We found on his part no firm resolve. (Ta-Ha 22:115)

It shows that deficiency in memory and weakness of determination are two obstructions, which come in the way of performance of duty. And this is a strange thing that man, being overwhelmed by the hardships of the times, various difficulties and different pressing problems forgets the open and clear realities. To him the clear figures appear blurred, and the realities which are as striking as the light of the sun disappear from his sight.

There the necessity of a reminder becomes very pressing, to overcome the negligence and 3

forgetfulness, and to keep this important thing before men’s eyes. There are a number of verses of the Qur’an which were revealed for safeguarding the memory:

Follow the revelation given to you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is you remember of admonition. (Al-A`araf 7:3)

This is the way of your Lord, leading straight; We have detailed the signs for those who receive admonition. (Al-An`am 6:126)

And the raiment of righteousness-that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition. (Al-A`raf 7:26)

Thus shall We raise up the dead; so that you may remember… ( Al-A`raf 7:57)

Alive and wakeful memory and remembrance is essential for fulfilling promises. A man who forgets his promises and covenants, how can he fulfill them? That is why the following verse has been ended on a note of admonition after giving command of fulfilling them:

And fulfill the Covenant of Allah; thus does He command you, that you may remember. (Al-An`am 6:152)

Determination

If a man has a strong memory in respect of fulfilling his promise, it is also necessary that he should have a determination to do so, a determination which should not have any laxity or slackness in this matter a determination which should be able to overcome all the rebellious desires, and which should lighten the coming burden of difficulties.

It should be a determination which should be able to cross all the difficult valleys and blocks and should be able to set an example of selfless sacrifice for others.

The measures for weighing and appraising people are different with different people. The price one has to pay for remaining faithful sometimes is very high.

At times one requires to sacrifice all the wealth, property and the most desired thing in this respect.

The Reward

But these difficulties, sacrifices and trials of determination prove in the end to be the steps for achieving greatness and honor, as the poet says: “Why he, who considers his life and heart dear, should go to (seek) the beloved in her street.”

The Qur’an has severely criticized those who seek to achieve heights of success and glory in the shadow of comfortable living:

Do you think that you will enter paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They experienced suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the prophet and the faithful who were with him cried: ‘When will Allah’s help come ?’ Ah ! Verily, Allah’s help is near. (Al-Baqarah 2:214)

When a man develops in himself the combined forces of a conscious and wakeful mind and a heart full of determination, then he can be considered to have been qualified to enter the group of the faithful people.

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The article is an excerpt from the book “Muslim Character”, a translation of Muhammad Al-Ghazali’s “Khuluq Al-Muslim”.

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Ethics & Values New Muslims

Trustworthiness: The Characteristic of a True Believer

The Broader Sense of Trust

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Trust is the sense of responsibility, the sense of having to appear before Allah and to account for one’s actions

Islam expects of its followers that they will be masters of live hearts and wakeful conscience, which would ensure the protection of the rights of God and humanity and which would also protect their action: from the commitment of excesses. Therefore it is necessary that every Muslim should be “ameen” (trustworthy).

In the eyes of the Shari`ah, trust has a very broad sense. This word contains an ocean of meaning, but underneath it all is the sense of responsibility, the sense of having to appear before Allah and to account for one’s actions, the details of which are given in the hadith:

“Every one of you is a guardian and everyone will be asked about his subjects. Imam is a guardian. He will be asked about his subjects. A man is the guardian of the persons in his household. He is answerable about them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s house. She will be asked about her responsibility. The servant is the guardian of the articles of his master. He is answerable about this responsibility of his.“ (Al-Bukhari)

The narrator of the hadith, Ibn `Umar, says that he heard these things from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he thinks that the Prophet also said: “A man is a guardian of the stock of his father and is answerable about that.”

Faith-based

The people take trust in a very limited, sense and consider it to mean the protection of others’ deposits, although in Allah’s religion this has a very broad and unlimited sense.

This is a duty for safeguarding which a Muslim advises another Muslim and in this connection seeks the help of Allah.

When a Muslim prepares to go on a journeys his brother prays for him in this way: “I pray to Allah for your religion, your trust and for the happy ending of your work.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Anas narrates that whenever Allah’s Messenger addressed a sermon to us, he invariably repeated this sentence:

“The man has no faith who cannot keep trust and the man who does not respect his promises has no religion.” (Ahmad)

Since the zenith of achievement and the highest limit of success is to be protected against the hardships of this world and the bad consequences in the Hereafter, the Prophet prays for safety from both the conditions. He has said:

“O Allah! I seek your shelter from the pangs of hunger, because it is a very bad companion, and I seek your shelter from dishonesty because it is the worst friend.” (Abu Dawud)

God’s Guardians

Hunger is the name of deprivation in the world and dishonesty is the name of destruction of religion, therefore the Prophet had prayed for being spared from both. Before attaining prophethood he was known among the people as AL-Ameen (The Trustworthy).

Similarly the trustworthiness of Musa (Moses) was observed when he fetched water for the flock of the two daughters of the good old man, had helped them, had respected their womanhood, and had treated them in a decent and gentlemanly way:

So he watered (their flocks) for them; then he turned back to the shade, and said: “O my Lord I truly am I in (desperate) need of any good that you do send me !

Afterwards one of the (damsels) came (back) to him, walking bashfully. She said: “My father invites you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us.” So when he came to him and narrated the story, he said: “Do not fear; (well) have you escaped from unjust people.

Said one of the (damsels) :“O my (dear) father I engage him on wages; truly the best of men for you to employ is the (man) who is strong and trusty. (Al-Qasas 28:24-26}

This event took place when Moses had not been made Prophet, and was not sent to Pharaohs.

And this is not at all surprising because Allah chose only those individuals for being appointed as His Messengers who were the most decent, most honest and righteous, among the people.

The self which continues to be attached to the high moral character even after undergoing the extremes of the hardship of poverty and helplessness must be belonging to a very powerful and trustworthy man; and the protection of the rights of God and His slaves demands such character only as does not change in good or bad conditions, and this is the spirit of trustworthiness.

Appointment to High Offices and Posts

There is also another sense of trust, and that is: everything should be placed at its proper and deserving place. An office or a post should be offered only to the deserving person; and responsibility should be given only to that person who is able to shoulder it and who has the capability to do justice to the trust placed in him.

Governorship, responsibilities of the party, nation or country, which are granted placing confidence in the persons concerned, are trusts, about which they are answerable. A number of proofs can be advanced in support of this statement.

Abu Dhar (May Allah be pleased with him) reports that he asked the Prophet whether he would not make him a governor somewhere. Hearing this the Prophet tapped his shoulder and said:

“O Abu Dhar ! you are weak, and this responsibility is a trust. On the Day of Judgment it will be a cause of loss of honor and ignominy. However, those people will be spared who will have accepted it with all its responsibilities and would have fulfilled whatever responsibilities they had in this connection.” (Muslim)

It is a fact that mere excellence of education or experience does not make a person most suitable for some office. It is also possible that a man may have good moral character and a righteous person, but he may not have the capabilities to fulfill the responsibilities of a certain office.

Yusuf (Joseph) was a Prophet. He was the living example of righteousness and virtuousness, but he had not offered his services to shoulder the responsibilities of the country on the basis of his righteousness and prophet-hood.

He had taken the reins of office in his hand on account of his learning and memory.

(Yusuf) Said.. ‘Entrust to me the treasures of the country. Verily, I am protector and learned’. (Yusuf :55)

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The article is an excerpt from the book “Muslim Character”, a translation of Muhammad Al-Ghazali’s “Khuluq Al-Muslim”.

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Articles of Faith New Muslims

Prophet Abraham & the Trial of Faith: Doubt & Trust

What trials did Prophet Abraham and his family go through? How did they come out of them? What is the difference between the Qur’anic and biblical accounts of the story?

Prophet Abraham & the Trial of Faith

Beyond his human grief, Abraham develops a relationship with God based on faithfulness, reconciliation, peace, and trust.

There are simple facts alone illustrate the remarkable bond linking Muhammad’s life to Abraham’s (peace be upon them). Yet it is the spiritual lineage that even more dearly reveals the exceptional nature of this bond.

The whole Abrahamic experience unveils the essential dimension of faith in the One. Abraham, who is already very old and has only recently been blessed with a child, must undergo the trial of separation and abandonment, which will take Hagar and their child, Ishmael, very close to death.

Doubt & Trust

His faith is trust in God: he hears God’s command-as does Hagar-and he answers it despite his suffering, never ceasing to invoke God and rely on Him.

Hagar questioned Abraham about the reasons for such behavior; finding it was God’s command, she willingly submitted to it. She asked, then trusted, then accepted, and by doing so she traced the steps of the profound ‘active acceptance’ of God’s will: to question with one’s mind, to understand with one’s intelligence, and to submit with one’s heart.

In the course of those trials, beyond his human grief and in fact through the very nature of that grief, Abraham develops a relationship with God based on faithfulness, reconciliation, peace, and trust. God tries him but is always speaking to him, inspiring him and strewing his path with signs that calm and reassure him.

Several years after this abandonment in the desert. Abraham was to experience another trial: God asked him to sacrifice his first-born son, Ishmael.

Abraham in the Qur’an

The Islamic tradition is that God asks Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael; in the Bible, the tradition is that Abraham is asked to sacrifice his second son, Isaac.

This is how the Qur’an recounts the story:

So We gave him (Abraham) the good news: the birth of a sweet-tempered son. Then, when (the son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “0 my son! I have seen in a dream that I offer you in sacrifice. Now see what you think!” (The son) said: “0 my father! Do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one of the steadfast” So when they had both submitted (to God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead, We called out to him: “0 Abraham! You have already fulfilled the dream!- thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was a clear trial.” And we ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And we left for him among generations (to come) in later times: peace and salutation to Abraham! (As-Saffat 37:101-109 )

The trial is a terrible one: for the sake of his love and faith in God, Abraham must sacrifice his son, despite his fatherly love. The trial of faith is here expressed in this tension between the two loves.

Abraham confides in Ishmael, and it is his own son, the object of sacrifice, whose comforting words to his father are like a confirming sign: “0 my father! Do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one of the steadfast.”

As was the case a few years earlier with Hagar, Abraham finds in others signs that enable him to face the trial. Such signs, expressing the presence of the divine at the heart of the trial, have an essential role in the experience of faith and shape the mode of being with oneself and with God.

When God causes His messenger to undergo a terrible trial and at the same time associates that trial with signs of His presence and support (the confirming words of his wife or child, a vision, a dream, an inspiration, etc.), He educates Abraham in faith: Abraham doubts himself and his own strength and faith, but at the same time the signs prevent him from doubting God. This teaches Abraham humility and recognition of the Creator.

Then Abraham is tempted by deep doubt about himself, his faith, and the truth of what he hears and understands, the inspirations and confirmations of Hagar and Ishmael (whom he loves but sacrifices in the name of divine love) enable him not to doubt God, His presence, and His goodness. Doubt about self is thus allied to deep trust in God.

In the Bible

Indeed, trials of faith are never tragic in Islamic tradition, and in this sense, the Qur’an’s story of Abraham is basically different from me Bible’s when it comes to the experience of sacrifice. One can read in Genesis:

After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” (God) said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” …

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and me knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” (Isaac) said. “Behold me fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God Himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. (Genesis, 22:1- 2 and 6-8)

Abraham must sacrifice his son, and here he experiences this trial in absolute solitude. To his son’s direct question, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham answers elliptically. He alone answers God’s call.

This difference between the two accounts may seem slight, yet it has essential consequences for the very perception of faith, for me trial of faith, and for human beings’ relation to God .

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The article is an excerpt from Dr. Tariq Ramadan’s In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad, Oxford University Press (2007).

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New Muslims Society

Muslim Youth: Between Faith and Today’s Challenges

 

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Set the right intention and use the power of that intention to get closer to your goals.

Life as a Muslim youth can be turbulent and filled with many challenges. Certain situations can dampen your spirit and affect your motivation. But there are many ways to make your youthly journey smoother.

There are youth hacks you can utilize to get you closer to your worldly and hereafter goals.

You may think you have read it all when it comes to such life hacks. Well, check out the following – they will change the way you view the opportunities and potentials of your youth.

The hacks will help you live a more creative and productive youth.

Below are 11 youth hacks you probably didn’t think much ado about. Let’s dive in…

1– Deep Faith

As a Muslim, all of your actions are tied to your intentions. Therefore, you need to polish your iman (faith) with the correct intention. Set the right intention and use the power of that intention to get closer to your goals. To set such an intention, ask yourself these three questions; Why am I doing this? For whose pleasure is it? What do I hope to achieve from it?

If your answers are not tied to the pleasure of Allah; betterment of self and society; success on worldly and hereafter level, then check yourself, readjust your intention so that you can set the right foundation for your goals.

2– Right Attitude

Delete the word ‘perfection‘ from your dictionary. Insert the word ‘excellence’ instead. Imbibing ihsan (excellence) in all of your actions will allow you to have a job well done, knowing that you have exerted your youthful energy to the best levels and even if no one sees you with your efforts – Allah (Exalted be He) is All-Seeing and All-Hearing.

Seeking perfection on the other hand will cause you stress and make you frustrated at your best attempts. If you want success of the best kind, Paradise, then prepare to work for it in an excellent manner and with the right attitude.

3. Personal Growth

De-clutter your brain regularly and download all of its content into an idea bank. You can use journals (hard or soft copy) to bank those thoughts, feelings and important ideas. Safeguard your bank and use its contents for planning each little step towards your big goals.

4- Inner Belief

Call yourself a success and believe it. Allah blessed you with a special gift, as each person is endowed with a unique talent. So whether you have it all figured out or not, be positive while you seek out those strengths and talents. You will be surprised at what you find out.

Use a label that will help you cross the barrier of self doubt and negative inner talk. Strengthen your inner belief even as you seek your passion and remain focused towards your goals. Remember that in the Prophet (peace be upon him) you have the best example.

5- Network

Engage positively with other creative & productive minds. This could easily be through online or offline groups. Or you could simply create your own mastermind.

road

If you want success of the best kind, Paradise, then prepare to work for it in an excellent manner, with the right attitude.

Actively seek the right company because those closest to you will either mark or make you. With the right company, you can get new ideas, explore different concepts and find the opportunity to express yourself.

So who do you call your friend, buddy or mentor? Will s/he be a support for helping you achieve your goals or serve only as a distraction? Look around you and make the best choice for your networking.

6- Change Environment

Travel when you can, or simply change your environment often. Move outdoors to the garden, park or visit a neighbor. The lessons from travel are many, especially as it serves as a means to explore and reflect on the signs of the Creator.

It will also give you a fresh perspective and different ways of viewing things. You will also feel energized from the surrounding potential and interaction with others. This will serve as a means of taking action towards your goals.

7- Take Breaks

It is so easy to ‘feel’ busy these days. Most youth are chatting away on their phones or posting updates at the same time laptops are on with several tabs open. You may find the headphone on and the same person still trying to hold a conversation in real time. Hey…. you! Are you for real?

Learn to take frequent breaks after focused work/study sessions. This could be from a few minutes to half an hour but break the work/study session so your mental energy could get some refreshing boost.

Also endeavor to pray at the appointed times, as this gives you the perfect break times and nothing really relaxes and refreshes the mind as prayer does.

8- Family Time

Spend time with your family no matter what. Plan to spend Eid together or plan activities for weekends/ school holidays.  You get the double reward of keeping up with the ties of kinship and in building an emotional support network for yourself. Foster such relationships especially in youth when you most likely have less responsibilities.

Technology makes it easier if your family members live far away. You can make free skype video calls, hold live chats and even conference calls if different family members live in various locations. An SMS or email can also go far in keeping the bond alive.

9- Lifelong Learning

Each day brings with it new learning opportunities – even when they look like obstacles. So dig deeper to find opportunities to learn even faced with challenges. There are many profound lessons for every youth in the Qur’an to learn from stories of the past. So make it your number 1 manual.

You should aim to become a lifelong reader as this will open the door to explore, think and develop your mind in general. Do not confine learning to only your school or workplace. Make it a part of your daily experience and with some essential learning skills, you are set to go.

10- Build Skills

From building a new hobby to jump-starting an old one, we are always in constant need of sharpening our skill set to help reach our ultimate goals. Work on your much needed skills, one skill at a time – from social skills to goal-setting skills, thinking skills, da`wah skills and entrepreneurial skills. What are your goals for the moment – start with the relevant skills in that direction.

11- Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping is an activity I utilize all the time – for brainstorming, capturing ideas, planning, note taking and brainstorming. It is simple, visual and powerful for sparking your creative thinking mode. From your long term goals, to more frequent reviews and the short term planners, unleash your creative spark by trying your hands at a map mind.

Use it for your hifz (memorizing) plan, blogging topics, ideas, travel plans and study schedule.

So are you ready to take steady steps towards your goals?

On your marks!

Set your goals, make a sincere intention towards achieving them, have deep faith and try to face up to your tasks with excellence. Balance it all with the personal belief in your potential,    network with the right people so that you can bounce ideas off a mentor or peers, change your environment often and keep away from negative people.

Your body is an amanah (trust) given to you by Allah, so take care of it with regular breaks. Make time for your family members too. Remember to invest in your learning & build relevant skills to navigate your youth.

Always brainstorm and create a means to experience your goals through map mapping and utilizing as many senses as possible to engage and reflect.

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Source:youthlyhub.com. 

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Ethics & Values New Muslims

New Muslims Searching for Inner Peace (1)

Part 2

Becoming Muslim is the biggest decision; the most complicated decision, and you’ve done that.

Becoming Muslim is the biggest decision; the most complicated decision, and you’ve done that.

In this series of videos, we are going to be talking about how someone who just accepted Islam can maintain that sense of inner peace and deepen it.

The first thing that I want to do though, before we go into the details about how to do that, is to look at some of the definitions that we currently use and some of the conceptions that we have, as some of them are wrong, and some of them are correct.

And it is important that we go through that first of all before visiting the topic of inner peace.

One of the things that I see sometimes is that some of the people coming into Islam are treated like they know nothing, like they are not able to make up their own mind or decision about something.

And it’s not just the society that treats them like that, but they treat themselves like that. The metaphor that I am going to use, which is quite accurate in my opinion, is of going to a country where you don’t know the language and you don’t have a map, and so what do you do?

Now it might feel daunting at first, but you have to remember OK you don’t have the two skills of map or language, but you’ve got other skills. You can communicate through sign language, you’ve got money, you’ve got other skills to help you make decisions.

And as someone who has accepted Islam, you have just proven to yourself first and foremost, and to every other Muslim, that you are capable of making the single most important decision in life, which is to submit to Allah (Exalted is He) to return to your Creator, to acknowledge that He created you and that He has governance and dominance and dominion over you.

Trust Yourself

That’s the most important decision, and so if you can make that decision you should trust yourself to be able to make smaller finer decisions, decisions that are not as big. When you become Muslim, that’s the biggest thing, then after you take small steps here or there, but becoming Muslim is the biggest decision and the most complicated decision, and you’ve done that.

So you have to trust yourself, and we have to trust that you know how to do that, because you’ve proven it. Someone who is born into Islam does not prove that, they don’t have the opportunity to prove that they can make that decision. They have other opportunities but not that opportunity, whereas you’ve had the opportunity and you have proven it to yourself and to us.

So use your ability to make good decisions, to see right from wrong when you are presented with facts, when you are presented with data. Now you came across Islam, you did not know about it before, it was knowledge that you did not know about before you came to know it, and once you enter into Islam, you will be presented with knowledge that you did not know before, and you will use, or you are to use, exactly the same mind, the same IQ, the same processes that you were able with those processes to get to the best decision in life.

So don’t feel helpless, and don’t let anyone else make you feel helpless as well. Feeling helpless is the opposite of inner peace… If you don’t know up from down, right from left how are you going to get inner peace?

Inner peace there is a really tangible aspect to it… You are a Muslim, maybe you’ve been a Muslim for a month, maybe just a week maybe two days, maybe three years, maybe you’ve been a Muslim since birth, it doesn’t matter. Even as a graduate of Shari`ah (Islamic Law) myself, there is still knowledge that I am still to acquire, there are things that I don’t know about. Even when people are specialized in sub-topics, and sub-topics within those sub-topics, i.e. very specialized, they have to go to someone else another specialist to look into other topics.

And so you will always find … Allah says in the Qur’an:

Above everyone with knowledge is someone with more knowledge. (Yusuf 12:76)

For every person with knowledge is someone with more knowledge and in Surat Al-Kahf 18 (the Chapter of the Cave) which we read every Friday, Allah narrates to us and tells us the story of what happened with Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him). He gives a Khutbah (sermon) and a man comes afterwards and asks: who is the most knowledgeable man on earth? And Prophet Musa deducts that since he is a prophet and revelation is revealed to him, that he must be the most knowledgeable man, so he replies to the man saying: ‘I am’.

Because of this, Allah makes him go on a journey, the strangest of journeys, to meet the most peculiar of men, just to teach him that for everyone with knowledge there is someone with more knowledge.

So actually it’s a good thing that you realize that you don’t know everything. This is a prophetic attribute to know that you do not know everything. You will come across people who will want to tell you what to do, some of them will be well-intentioned and they will know what they are talking about. Some of them will be well-intentioned, but they don’t know what they are talking about. And it’s up to you to use the same mechanisms of your mind to make the decisions in the same way that you were able to make the biggest decision which was to enter Islam.

And remember how you did that. It was not just with your mind, you asked God to guide you. You asked Allah to guide you, because you realized that this was something of vital importance and you asked Allah to help you. And as a Muslim now, ask Allah to guide you to those people who can guide you. Ask Allah to guide you to the decisions, to the knowledge, to the facts and to be able to make you perceive them accurately.

This is a path. You will change your mind. You will be presented with data and you will make a decision, and then the day after tomorrow or two years from now you might change your mind. That’s OK, as long as you are following a valid opinion. It’s OK to change your mind. Even if you have two valid opinions that are completely and utterly mutually exclusive, it’s either this or that, follow one of them it’s OK. And if you flip to the other later on because of new evidence, that’s OK as well. That’s OK; in fact the scholars themselves do this. That’s OK, that’s a sign that you are progressing, that you are learning.

Inner Peace is Being in Harmony with the People around You

Sometimes when people accept Islam, always this happens, society embraces them 99% of the time. Whenever someone finds out ’O look someone just accepted Islam’, they embrace them, they welcome them, they make them feel really at home. And the person who has just accepted Islam gets a very joyous reaction to that, being accepted, being loved is very joyous. Two or three weeks pass, and they are on seventh heaven, they are on top of the moon.

And then, you know, maybe two months pass and life catches up with the Muslim community, the majority of them, they have to take care of their family, their kids, work, business, parents, extended family… etc. and then all of a sudden, bit by bit, the person who accepted Islam and thought life is always going to be like this, I now will no longer be without any one, I’m going to have so much support, all of a sudden begins to feel like they are a little left out, and they begin to feel lonely.

And this is when it is important to remember you are never alone. Allah is always with you, always with you, you are never ever alone. There are prophets, like Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who for the majority of his life no one followed him, no one believed in him except for his wife, and one man who became Prophet Lut. Noah, all those on earth did not believe in him, except those who came onto the ark, but did he feel lonely?

No, because he knew that Allah is always there. You can communicate with Allah, you can make du`aa, you can supplicate to Him, in any language, at any time. Always realize that you are never, ever alone.

I hope to see you in the next video In-Shaa’-Allah.

As-Salamo Alaikum wa rahmatul-Allahi wa barakatuh

Watch the talk by brother Abdel Rahman Mussa…

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Source: onislam.net.

 

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