Professional Documents
Culture Documents
It is my firm conviction that our community needs to be rebuilt around the commitment
to the divine mission and to America and around a visionary and competent leadership.
The founding paradigm that guided the community up to this moment was very limited
and limiting, and has simply served its time. A while ago, the community has reached
the low ceiling of that paradigm without starting the transition to a new
phase/stage/level. As a result, the community became/got stuck in transition, has been
spinning its wheels, and is going nowhere. It has been largely doing more of the same
and struggling to manage the status quo: maintaining or at best improving/expanding
existing activities and facilities, or starting new but similar ones. This is simply
because there is not much growth, development, relevance, or impact that could be
achieved within the exhausted paradigm. This is also because the community lacked a
rallying cause (after the campaign to establish Islamic Centers), and its leaders and
organizations lacked expansive vision and high aspirations. As a result, the community
got stuck in a type and level of activism that is not purpose-driven and that was built on
a weak and confused/vague intellectual and strategic foundation.
Such horizontal expansion, which is only spreading out the inherent/founding
deficiencies of the community, is soothing our people in their state of denial, eclipsing
the brutal reality, and stifling any real debate or change. The whole situation is playing
well with a community that not only has low aspirations and unhelpful
background/heritage that has been for quite some time pervaded with mediocrity,
irrelevance, and failure, but also started out with very limited goal and role that were
fulfilled fairly quickly.
Even though the organization and operation of the community leaves a lot to be desired
for, the change the community needs is not operational or organizational or
administrative. It is not about better management or more activities or bigger facilities.
What we need is a paradigm shift and a breakthrough that can no longer happen by
continuing to build up within the same prevailing paradigm.
Like every fundamental/structural change, it must originate in the intellectual and
strategic spheres, especially that our community’s intellectual and strategic foundations
were severely limited and inadequate. And since its founding, our community did not
witness any serious/significant intellectual and strategic efforts/production.
This situation is not likely to change so long as the chronic intellectual and strategic
void/drought persists, and so long as the community continues to lack a driving cause
and a driving force to transform it into a mission-driven country-focused community, or
simply a mainstream movement. Indeed, the next level that our community must (and
hasn’t been able to) move to is to become a mainstream mass movement whose
members have a cause and a country to fight for. Such movement must be relevant and
must have a significant and sustained impact and contribution to the welfare/wellbeing
of our country and of our fellow citizens.
Breaking through the current stalemate/deadlock and the transformation of our
isolated/disengaged, fragmented, stagnant, and largely irrelevant community into a
vibrant and relevant mainstream mass movement requires a lot of intellectual
creativity/innovation and strategic thinking/planning, and a driving cause and force to
rally the community. However, such humongous transformation may only happen
through the reformation of the individual and the family and requires that we
address/revisit the fundamental questions of identity (who we are) and mission (what is
our role, or what are we trying to achieve/accomplish). Indeed, because the
community must be redesigned for a very different role in very different circumstances,
its building blocks, the individual and the family, must be shaped and cemented in a
different way. This is the purpose of this guide.
Currently, as a result of the identity ambivalence/confusion, limited ambitions, and lack
of inspiring vision/leadership and inclusive forums, the majority of community
members and families are trying just to get buy, living in isolation not only from
society, but also from one another. People are desperate for meaning and purpose in
their life, which is also lacking spiritual and social vibrancy/vitality.
The community was built around organizations and centers that are sustained by few
activists and donors, and are offering some basic programs that are serving only a small
segment of the community. In this paradigm, the prevailing message that people are
getting is to be good Muslims, to attend the activities, and support the organizations.
Beyond this minimum, organizers and organizations don’t have much to offer. In
return, the general public are giving only little attention and committing and
contributing minimum time and resources.
In the current paradigm, organizations are usually focusing only on masjid
congregation, are managed by few activists and are treating people as guests in their
activities and customers/clients who get some services and provide some support.
There is no mission to drive the organizations or the individuals who rely completely on
organization, which, implicitly or explicitly, present itself and is considered as a
substitute for individuals’ initiatives and efforts. This should come as no surprise
because most first-generation American Muslims came from a background where they
used to rely completely on their governments, and did not have a significant civic or
entrepreneurial tradition/culture.
The change that we seek is to make this community to become not only mission-driven
and country-focused, but also individual/family-centered. Individuals and families
must be committed to the divine mission and to America and should be inspired and
empowered to fulfill the mission in their immediate environments, in cooperation with
their fellow citizens (Muslims and non-Muslims). Their joined/collective efforts should
focus on fulfilling the mission in the society at large, and to integrate their specialized
and/or localized efforts. This new paradigm is centered around the mission, the
individual, and the country (starting with the immediate environment of the individual)
rather than on activities/services, organizations, and the community. The new paradigm
directs individuals, organizations, activities/programs, and the whole community
towards the fulfillment of the mission and the betterment/service of the
country/society.
The goal/purpose of the new paradigm is to commit our fellow citizens (Muslims and
non-Muslims) to a life mission that galvanize/fire up their latent energy and channel it
towards the public/common/greater good. It is about inspiring and empowering our
fellow citizens to embark on a life journey of a meaningful self development (to realize
their full potential) and a meaningful outreach and civic engagement (to maximize their
impact and the social cohesion). It is about boosting people’s civic awareness and
engagement.
This focus on the individual/family development and civic engagement rather than on
organizations and activities also aims at making our community much more vibrant
both spiritually and socially.
For Muslims (particularly practicing Muslims), Islam shall be the main source of
inspiration and empowerment. This, in turn, requires that we rediscover and embrace
the original/authentic version of Islam as a divinely-inspired life mission that translates
into a lifelong journey of self-development, outreach, and civic engagement to increase
social cohesion and serve the greater good. Indeed, an essential component in the
rebuilding of our community is to rediscover and reintroduce Islam as a life mission
that is civically oriented even though its source and its ultimate goal are divine. That’s
how the proper understanding of Islam seamlessly fuses the religious and civic
elements/components of our identity and our mission. In contrast, the prevailing
version of (private) Islam isolates the individual and the community from the society,
and isolates the individual, literally and/or psychologically, from the community. No
wonder why the vast majority of our community members are socially isolated and
civically disengaged, and lack any sense of mission or sense of belonging in the society
or in the community itself. And without a sense of mission and a sense of belonging,
people have no incentive to push/challenge themselves to become active or to make a
contribution, neither to their community nor to the society at large.
We have no choice but to move to the next level (evolve) by giving this community a
cause and a country to work/'fight' for, something that is much larger and worthwhile
than to build facilities and organize activities simply to preserve our identity. This in
turn requires:
- Confrontation of the brutal reality (thorough and in-depth analysis of our history
and our situation)
- Proper and relevant understanding of Islam (as a mission) from the sources
without limiting ourselves to any work that was done in a different era or a different
part of the world, no matter how great it is.
- Clear, genuine, and coherent American Muslim identity
- Solid commitment to the divine mission and to America.
In other words, there is no choice for our community but to become a mission-driven,
country-focused, inclusive, mainstream, relevant, and rooted community. That requires
that our institutions reinvent themselves and go through a real paradigm shift, and
members of our community to embrace the divine mission and to genuinely commit to
America, and to embark on a process of meaningful self-development and civic
engagement. This is the main thrust of this guide for personal development and civic
engagement, which aims at inspiring and empowering members of our community to
model and champion the needed change, and do not wait for such change to happen by
itself or to be affected by or through existing institutions. We aspire to instill in our
people a sense of mission and to get them to have a sense of responsibility for
themselves and for their environment/entourage and to embark on this journey of self-
development, outreach, and civic engagement to fulfill that mission and live up to the
responsibility.
SELF-DEVELOPMENT:
Self-development is a continuous/lifelong, comprehensive, and integrated process or a
journey of constant personal growth, improvement, empowerment, evolution, and
renewal. The aim purpose of such process is for the person to fully cultivate and realize
his or her God-given potential and to maximize his or her impact. People who embark
on a serious process of self-development usually live a better and more meaningful and
harmonious life and they better understand and engage this world, starting with their
immediate environment. Those who don’t develop themselves and don’t cultivate their
potential, usually live a shallow and routine self-centered life with limited goals and
insignificant impact, hence the connection between self-development and relevance.
Even if they seem to be busy and working hard, they are usually spinning their wheels
and putting out fires. Their lives usually stagnate and freeze early and their world and
sphere of influence remain small and limited. If they ‘succeed’, their success is usually
unbalanced, unilateral or unsustainable. Plus, it hardly impacts anybody beyond
themselves.
Meaningful self-development is driven and prompted by a passion that comes either
from a commitment to a mission or from high aspirations. Indeed, a person does not
usually engage or persist/persevere in any meaningful self-development if he or she is
not committed to a mission or does not have high aspirations. On the other hand,
effective self-development shall be geared towards increasing and enhancing one’s
ability to fulfill his or her mission and aspirations.
Because our mission is to be fulfilled in society, a mission-driven self-development
process automatically necessitates and results in a process of civic engagement, thus
sealing a synergetic cycle that consists of (1) a commitment to the divine mission and to
America, (2) self-development, and (3) civic engagement. Indeed, self-development
and civic engagement feed into one another and together they help in our embodiment
of the divine guidance, our fulfillment of the divine mission and purpose, the discharge
of our role as God’s vicegerents and witnesses, and our increased and enhanced
contribution to the common good. The reason why our approach focuses on
committing people to the divine mission and to America (not on activities and
organizations) is because that is what sets off and sustains the cycle, and results in a
meaningful and purposeful personal development and civic engagement.
The process of self-development should be as much as possible a continuous,
comprehensive and balanced process that covers all aspects of life and the personality
including the spiritual, the intellectual, the physical, the emotional, the financial, the
professional, and the social dimensions. In all these aspects, we should be constantly
expanding and sharpening our knowledge and skills and seeking to excel in and perfect
everything we do, which amounts to striving to meet the divine expectations and
fulfilling the divine purpose. Through personal development we aspire to become the
best and most complete embodiments of the divine guidance, and through civic
engagement we aspire to become the most effective and sophisticated instruments of
the divine Will/Purpose.
As the name indicates, self-development is essentially the responsibility of individuals
and families, not organizations. One of the biggest flaws in the prevailing Islamic work
is to get individuals and families to rely on Islamic Centers and schools, and on the
educational programs offered by Muslim organizations for their own self-development
and the development of their children. Some parents went as far as delegating such
critical role to TV, video games, and other gadgets. It is no wonder that very few
members of our community are engaged in any meaningful self development process or
are mentoring anybody else including their own children. And an essential part of the
change that our movement aspires to affect is to reverse this trend of neglecting or
delegating self-development (or confusing it with shallow educational activities and
programs), and to inspire and empower individuals and families to take charge of their
self-development and the development of their children. This - we hope - shall result
from committing our people to the divine mission and to America, raising the bar of
aspirations for themselves and for their children, and getting them to live a life that is
bigger than their own. Indeed, our people shall embark on a meaningful self-
development and civic engagement if we succeed to fuse the Islamic and American
components of their identity, and the religious and civic dimensions of their mission.
Finally, personal responsibility for self-development does not negate the importance of
mentorship. Unfortunately, mentorship is largely lacking in our community and for
some reasons our people are not keen to mentor or to be mentored. And one of our
goals is to instill in our community a strong culture of self-development and mentorship
so that as many members of our community are engaged in a meaningful process of
self-development while being mentored and at the same time mentoring others.
Self-development is a continuous improvement process that consists mainly of two
dimensions: (1) self-purification (spiritual and character development), and (2) self-
empowerment (intellectual and physical development, skill-building,…).
Even though self and family development are primarily personal responsibility, the
process requires – and shall be substantially boosted by – meaningful relationships and
vibrant social life. It was said that you learn from the books you read and the people
you know. That’s why on one hand, we want our people to be constantly improving,
empowering themselves, expanding their network, and increasing the scope and the
effectiveness of their engagement. On the other hand, we want to enhance social
interaction of our members, make it more meaningful, and turn it into spontaneous and
fruitful exchange that serve/boost the process of self-development and civic
engagement.
In this part of the guide, we will discuss the different dimensions/aspects of self-
development and how they are related, with the emphasis on the need of the process to
be balanced and integrated. This is meant to be only a guide or a primer for the process
of self-development and civic engagement. The spoon-feeding approach that some
groups adopt is futile/ineffective, and there is no plan that will fit every person. Our
approach aims at teaching people how to fish rather than feeding them a fish, and at
developing them into leaders and self-starters rather than passive learners, followers,
and helpers.
1- Spiritual Development:
Spirituality is a fundamental tenet of life and faith that is largely misunderstood and
overlooked/neglected by many Muslims. This was partly because our life became too
materialistic and demanding/exhausting, and partly because of some over-sensitivity to
– and abuse of the concept of bida’aa, and an overreaction to the excesses/deviation of
some sufi groups.
Even the most committed Muslims tend to neglect spirituality and tend to focus their
efforts on knowledge or activism, even if the usefulness/relevance of such knowledge
and the relevance/impact of such activism remain questionable. No wonder why Islam
became largely a ritualistic/routine and dull/monotonous religion that is lacking
spiritual vitality/vibrancy.
Even though the contemporary Islamic movement started with a heavy spiritual dose, a
number of factors, including the intimidation from some Islamic groups and schools of
thoughts, combined to marginalize this vital dimension of Islam and Islamic
movement. And while other dimensions were blown out of proportion and sucked all
the time and efforts, spirituality was relegated to some sporadic routine activities. It is
also widely misunderstood.
The essence of spiritual development is a concerted and sustained efforts to know
Allah, love Him, live with Him, get constantly closer to Him, and nurture all aspects of
our relationships to Him including love, fear, reverence, gratitude, trust, and
dependence. It is about striving to be godly devoted servants who are mindful of Allah
as is His due. Like physical wellness, spiritual wellness requires adequate hygiene,
healthy diet and regular exercise, except that the focus is not on our body but on our
hearts and souls. In the spiritual arena, this means that we guard our senses, we
adequately feed our hearts and minds, and we perfect and intensify our worship (our
spiritual exercise). And while thikr, reflection on Allah’s names and attributes,
contemplation on Allah’s creation, and all acts of worship are needed and helpful, the
key instruments of spiritual development are prayers (connection with Allah) and the
study of the Quran (the divine guidance which is essentially about Allah).
When it is not neglected/relegated, spirituality is misunderstood and is usually
associated with isolation, disengagement, and passivity/passiveness.
Our goal is not only to revive the spiritual dimension of Islam but also to link it – like
all other elements/tenets of personal development – to the mission/cause. Indeed, one
of the best characterizations of the prophet’s companions was “monks at night and
knights during the day”. They properly understood spirituality as a process of self
renewal/revival and a process of self-purification from the past and self-empowerment
(with spiritual fuel/energy) for the future.
When properly understood and effectively cultivated, spirituality should result in :
• Strong/intimate and vibrant relationship with Allah in all its aspects,
which include love, fear, reverence, gratitude, trust, and dependence. Indeed,
spirituality essentially means godliness, and spiritual development means
purification of the soul/heart and cultivation of godliness and the different
aspects of our relationship with Allah. Effective spiritual development brings
you closer and closer to Allah, and makes you more and more mindful and
obedient of Allah. It increases Allah’s presence in our life to a point where we
become truly living with Allah. As a result of such intimate relationship, one
would find the joy/pleasure of praying, worshipping, obeying/serving, and
praising Allah (swt), which in turn express and nurture the intimate relationship,
thus creating a synergetic cycle. Effective spiritual development shall transform
worship from a duty to a pleasure. In worshipping Allah, we both express and
nurture our feelings of love, fear, gratitude, dependence, and trust, and we seek
His guidance, help, forgiveness, and protection. Allah (swt) says:
13:28 "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of
Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.
And He says:
8:2 For, Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts,
and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their
trust in their Lord;
And the Quran if full of verses that describe the characteristics of true faith and the
characteristics of true believers and the manifestations of their relationship with Allah.
And an important part of our spiritual development is to trace those verses, check
ourselves against them, and strive to fully embody them.
Directly and through the intimate and vibrant relationship with Allah,
effective spiritual development shall result in an intimate and vibrant
relationship and interaction with the Quran, the Book of Allah. This is
because Quran is the words of Allah and is essentially about Allah. In the
Quran, Allah reveals Himself and His Will, and speaks to each one of us.
No wonder why, Al-Hassan al-Basri, one of the great scholars in the
history of Islam “if you want to speak to Allah establish prayer, and if you
want Allah to speak to you read the Quran”. (takshairru). A spiritually
sound heart is a heart that finds peace in the remembrance of Allah and
‘responds’ to the verses of the Quran whether through reading or listening.
Allah (swt) says “39:23 Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most
beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet)
repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their
Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the
celebration of Allah's praises. Such is the guidance of Allah.
Abandoning/deserting the Quran or even not responding to its verses is
both an indication and a cause of weak faith and ‘sick’ heart. 57:16 Has
not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility
should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has
been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to
whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them
and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious
transgressors.
• Love of the prophet (pbuh) and following his sunnah: indeed, effective
spiritual development should engender and sustain/nurture an in-depth and
vibrant faith. The prophet indicated that one of the characterization of such
faith is to love Allah and the prophet more than anything else. Also, Quran tells
us that people’s intimate relationship with Allah should translate into loving and
following the prophet, which in turn shall lead to Allah’s love of people. 3:31
Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your
sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Quran also linked the
obedience of Allah with the obedience of the prophet. 4:80 He who obeys the
Messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch
over their (evil deeds). An effective spiritual development should nurture an
intimate relationship with Allah and with the prophet, and an attachment to the
Quran and to the Sunnah of the prophet.
Then what?
Many people ends their spiritual journey at this point or continue but in the wrong
direction. Such people isolate themselves, shun people and society, and become
indifferent/uncaring to what happens around them. They may also become judgmental
or hostile/antagonistic towards people.
Instead, a sound spirituality and an effective spiritual development should result in:
• A compassion towards people (Allah’s creation) which should propel us
towards reaching out, building relationships, and helping those who need help,
and
• An outrage towards mischief, injustice, and indecency, which should
propel us towards relentless civic engagement to uphold justice,
advocate/promote that which is right, and contend with that which is wrong.
That’s what all messengers did once they were commissioned. Their main duty was to
embody and deliver the message and to engage their societies, and they did with full
compassion as indicated in their dialogue with their people.
Not only many Muslims are neglecting spirituality, but also those who don’t they
usually fail to make this connection between spirituality and spiritual development on
one hand and outreach and civic engagement on the other. It is this positive and
dynamic spirituality that Islam promotes and we are trying to revive.
In the dawn of Islam, night prayers, one of the greatest symbol of spirituality and one of
the most effective tool of spiritual development, was mandatory. The verses that
prescribed night prayers and other spiritual activities (praising Allah, reading Quran)
linked all that to the momentous message and mission that was commissioned to the
prophet.
In a famous hadith* (of Jibril) the prophet (pbuh) made it unequivocally clear that
isolation/disengagement and indifference are wrong and cannot be justified in the name
of piety and worship.
Quran tells us that the prophets’ piety and spirituality did not drive them into isolation
and apathy. In the contrary, their piety and their anxiety about the Day of Reckoning
translated into a proportional compassion and propelled them to reach out to their
people to deliver their compassionate message and contribute to their wellbeing to the
point where one of them, Shuaib, summarized his message/mission by saying to his
people “I only desire your betterment to the best of my ability”.
Quran also tells us in an indirect admonition that the fear of Allah and the Day of
Judgment should translate into charitable work and helping those who are in need. “They
perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide. And they feed,
for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,-(Saying),"We feed you for
the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. "We only fear a
Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord." [76:7-10]
In summary, spiritual development starts with a strive to surrender yourself to Allah, but
does not end there. It should lead you to become an instrument of Allah’s Will and
doing His Work.
Most of the prayer-related indicators (including night prayers) can be measured, and
you could easily create a spreadsheet to track your numbers and monitor your progress.
5. Praising Allah:
One of the great comprehensive advices of the prophet was to keep our tongue busy
with the remembrance/praise of Allah. Indeed, if the prayer constitutes the peak of our
connection with Allah, remembrance/praise of Allah is the way to stay connected in-
between prayers. And connection to Allah is the best protection against shaytan and his
tricks (if you are connected you are protected).
God-consciousness or being mindful of Allah is the essence of piety (taqwa). One
should try to be connected and mindful of Allah most of the time, if not all the time.
There are two forms of remembrance of Allah (thikr):
• Specific thikr: associated with each of our daily routine from the time we
wake up to the time we go to sleep. One should memorize the thikr associated
with every act and make sure to say it wholeheartedly. Some acts for which
there is a special thikr include waking up and sleeping, start and finish eating,
leaving and entering the house,…
• General thikr: this include tasbeeh, tahleel, and takbeer (glorification of
Allah), istighfar (seeking forgiveness). One should do as much as possible
especially during dead times (driving, waiting,…).
Thikr is not a passive uttering of words, but it must be done wholeheartedly and should
translate into a positive action. Allah (swt) instructed Dawood and his people to express
their gratitude in action 34/13.
6. Meditation: and Duaa
Meditation (tafakkur), intimate communication with Allah (munajat), and supplication
(duaa) are special types of connection, remembrance, and mindfulness of Allah. Taking
private time more or less regularly to perform these spiritual exercises may be very
effective in promoting our spiritual growth and vibrancy.
Some of the themes/issues that our deep reflection may concentrate/focus on include
Allah’s Names and Attributes, the creation and its purpose, our mission/role in life, our
relationship and status/record with Allah, our deeds (good and bad), death, and the
Hereafter and our destiny.
Like remembrance/praise of Allah, intimate discourse and supplication to Allah
(munajat and duaa) are the essence of the salat (prayer) and the Quran itself. Indeed,
many verses mention thikr, salat, and the Quran together and interchangeably. All
converge towards building and nurturing an intimate relationship/connection with
Allah. In the same verse 3/91, Quran praised those who remember/praise Allah in all
circumstances and reflect/contemplate on the creation of heaven and earth.
It was narrated that Duaa (supplication) is the essence of worship. It is the way that
Allah showed us to express our need, our dependence, and our trust in Allah. Duaa is
also a very powerful tool in our hand because it isthe means by which we get Allah’s
Help, Protection, and Guidance; and that’s all what we need to cope with the demands
of our mission and the difficulties of life. Yet, for different reasons not many people
take advantage (make use) of this powerful tool. First, because of the weakness of their
faith/belief and trust in Allah, and their relationship with Allah in general, people are
not motivated to make supplication. People are also discouraged from making
supplication because they think that their supplication was not answered in the past and
therefore may not be answered in the future.
First of all, we need to know that unlike people who may be irritated when their help is
solicited, Allah (SWT) is not pleased with those who don’t ask Him and don’t solicit
His Help.
2:186 When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen
to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will,
Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. 40:60 And
your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too
arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"
It may true that people’s supplication is not answered for some valid reasons that the
prophet explained in some of his hadiths*.
However, the prophet assured us that in general when one pleads to Allah, Allah does
not send him empty-handed. When we make duaa, Allah will either grant us what we
want when He wills, or He will spare us some harm that was coming our way, or He
will save the favor for us when we need it the most: on the Day of Judgment. And
Quran tells us that what we desire may not necessarily be good for us
2:216 But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a
thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
4:19 it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of
good.
Therefore, it is crucial both for our spiritual growth and for our success in life to be
constantly making duaa with sincerity and certainty, particularly at the recommended
times and circumstances, such as before fajr, between Azan and Iqamat, during sujood,
after salat, when traveling,…
7. Studying the model life (saying and actions) of the Messenger:
The life of the prophet is the best illustration and perfect implementation of the Quran,
i.e., the Will of Allah. The prophet’s actions and sayings were vetted and backed by
revelation. His wife Aisha said “his manners were embodiment of the Quran”. The
prophet is the most beloved person to Allah. In several verses, Allah expressed His
love of the prophet and praised him, and indicated that emulating the prophet is a
proof of the love of Allah and a condition for Allah’s love of people:
15:72 Verily, by thy life (O Prophet)
68:4 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
3:31 Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your
sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
The prophet indicated that one of the characteristics of a vibrant faith and of tasting the
beauty of faith is to love Allah and the prophet more than anything else.
The life of the prophet is the life that Allah chose for us, and if Allah’s pleasure is truly
our ultimate goal then emulating the prophet is the surest way since nobody pleased
Allah more than prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
However, in spite of all these solid arguments, loving the prophet and expressing that
love is hampered among many Muslims by concern for shirk and bidaa, and by
overreaction to excesses by some Muslim and non-Muslim groups in revering their
prophet. That’s why many Muslims are not emotionally attached to the prophet, except
probably becoming angry when he is attacked!
An essential part of our attempt to rediscover, revive, and renew our faith and an
essential part of our personal development in general and spiritual development in
particular is to study/explore the life of the prophet which shall certainly lead to
knowing him and therefore loving and emulating him. Indeed, the purpose of spiritual
development is to develop and nurture an intimate relationship with Allah (and with the
Quran and with the messenger), and the prophet is the one who established the most
intimate relationship with Allah.
Also, the purpose of our personal development is to realize our full potential and full
impact, and to achieve the highest level of distinctiveness and strength/empowerment.
And again studying the life of the prophet is an effective tool because he was the most
influential person in the human history, and the person who has achieved the highest
level of spiritual strength and moral distinctiveness.
Obviously, the prophet’s life is good not only for spiritual development, but also for
character development, community building, and for understanding, living, and
promoting/advocating Islam and infusing its teaching for the welfare of people.
For all these reasons, we need to be constantly studying the authentic sayings and
actions of the prophet with the same approach of studying the Quran (see above), and
for the purpose of understanding his personality to a point where we can figure out how
he would handle the circumstances that we face. And while all aspects of the prophet
seera are important, we should focus on more on his methodology of understanding,
applying/embodying, teaching, and disseminating the divine guidance, and his approach
to fulfill the mission and build and lead the community of believers (the movement).
Indeed, if properly understood, the life of the prophet (pbuh) is a perfect example/model
for living the mission and the perfect guide for personal-development, outreach, and
civic engagement. Studying the prophet seera and sunna could be done individually,
but the benefit will maximized if the life of the prophet is studied in a collective way
with family and/or friends.
8. Guarding one’s senses
Like physical wellness, spiritual wellness requires adequate hygiene, healthy diet and
regular exercise, except that the focus is not on our body but on our hearts and souls.
And like with physical wellness, in spiritual wellness one ounce of prevention is better
than one pound than a pound of cure.
Spiritual exercises are meant to be always mindful and connected to Allah and to keep
our hearts pure, sound, and vibrant. And guarding our senses is the preventive measure
that keeps our hearts pure and prevents any distraction.
Guarding one’s senses play the role of diet in physical wellness. To maintain physical
health you must watch what you eat, and to maintain a spiritual health, you must watch
what you hear, see, and say. Failure to strictly guard your senses will allow spiritual
‘poisons’ into your heart and into your brain, which will require tremendous subsequent
efforts of ‘cleansing’, and such vicious cycle will more than likely prevent any
significant spiritual growth.
Guarding one’s senses is necessary not only to maintain spiritual and mental lucidity
but also to prevent sin complacency (ilf al-maasiya), which usually paves the way for
committing sins. Guarding our senses means to avoid hearing, seeing, and saying not
only what is prohibited, but also what is useless. Quran tells us that one of the
characteristics of the successful believers (after their concentration in prayers) is that
they shun vain talk. Allah (swt) praises the believers who avoid vain talk 23/3.
The prophet tells us that looking at what is forbidden is like being hit by a poisonous
arrow of shaytan, and told his companion Muaath that most people are led to Hellfire
by their tongues. And In one comprehensive advice the prophet said that “whoever
believes in Allah and the Hereafter, let him say something good or keep quite”. Indeed,
we need to make every effort to utter, hear, and see/watch only that which is lawful and
useful/fruitful. This is crucial not only for the individual spiritual growth but also for
healthy relationships and social harmony.
Guarding one’s senses used to be a challenge primarily in public places. However, with
the TV, satellite, internet, and cell phones the challenge became bigger and more
omnipresent.
It is very important for our spiritual health and growth to strictly guard our senses, to
keep them busy with useful tasks, and to surround ourselves with people who help us
guarding our senses.
9. Worship (Ibadat is the road to taqwa)
Worship is the purpose of creation, and therefore the struggle of our life is to transform
it into a continuous act of worship. That’s the meaning of the verse that says: 51:56 I
have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.
However, in order for our worship to encompass our life, regain vibrancy/vitality, and
become an effective spiritual exercise, both the concept and the purpose of worship
need to be clarified. Worship is not limited to rituals, and rituals if they are not
properly performed may not be accepted as act of worships. Worship is a
comprehensive concept that means being mindful and obedient of Allah, and doing the
right thing at the right time in the right way. As long as you are mindful and obedient
of Allah, you are in a state of worship. And any act that is right/correct and done for
the sake of Allah is an act of worship. Worship is and should be purposeful, and should
never be allowed to become a mere habit or a routine activity. And the key is to have
our intentions always renewed, so that complacency does not creep in.
The purpose of creation is worship, and the purpose of worship is taqwa (God-
consciousness). That’s what Quran tells us about worship in general, and about specific
acts of worship:
o About worship in general:2:21 O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord,
who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn
righteousness;
o About fasting: 2:183 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it
was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-
o About prayer: 29:45 Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to
thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds;
and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows
the (deeds) that ye do.
o About hajj: 2:197 For Hajj are the months well known. If any one
undertakes that duty therein, Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in
the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) Allah knoweth it. And take a provision
(With you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, o ye
that are wise.
o About zakat and sadaqa: 9:103 Of their goods, take alms, that so thou
mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a
source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth.
Our worship should be a fruitful and effective spiritual exercise that bolsters our
spiritual growth. That applies to every act of worship be it our salat, our fasting, our
charity, our reading of the Quran, our thikr,…. Each one of those acts should be
properly performed and should produce a tangible positive effect on our spiritual
growth/development and a tangible progress in our spiritual journey. And the key is
renewed intention, adequate preparation, and proper performance.
On the other hand, we need to strive to be always mindful of Allah and to align all our
acts with His Will and dedicate all our life to Him
6:162 Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are
(all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:
And the key to all of this is to be always aware of what we are doing and why, to be
very careful about everything we do or we say, and to make sure that everything we do
or we say is ultimately intended to seek the good pleasure of Allah, or at least doesn’t
violate any of Allah’s commandments. Therefore, asking ourselves the WHY question
before we do anything and performing regular self-assessment (muhasaba) may be very
helpful both to ensure that our worship acts are not reduced to mere habits and routine
acts, and to turn many of our habits and routine acts into acts of worship. The bottom
line is to be always in the business of improving/perfecting and intensifying worship.
Indeed, no matter how good you think your worship is, you should and could constantly
improve and increase it.
10. Doing Allah’s Work: (it leads to Allah’s pleasure and love, our
ultimate objective):
Islam is usually defined as submission to Allah. This is a true definition. But for many
people it carries a passive connotation and implies that the maximum one should and
could hope for is to be a good observant/practicing Muslim. Such misconception about
Islam has been the main reason behind the isolation and disengagement of many
Muslims who don’t feel the need to do anything more than observing the rituals of
Islam, applying/practicing Islam in their own lives, and possibly actively seeking
Islamic knowledge, or being active within the Muslim community..
Islam is neither a religion in the tradition sense of the word nor even a way of life.
Rather, Islam is a life mission. Therefore, Muslims are not supposed to be just good
servants of Allah or even to be active in some way, but also to strive to be
good/effective instruments of Allah’s Will and to effectively and persistently do His
Work.
Not only that we need to understand/rediscover Islam as a mission that must be pursued
through outreach and civic engagement, but also this essential aspect of Islam should be
fully integrated with personal development in general and spiritual development in
particular. In other words, our personal development efforts to embody the teachings of
Islam are not separate from our civic engagement efforts to infuse the teachings of
Islam into the service of people welfare (common/greater good). These are not two
separate activities that we may choose among them or at most reconcile or balance
them. Rather, these are two essential aspects/dimensions of Islam that need to be fully
integrated to produce the needed synergy and self-reinforcing cycle between personal
development and civic engagement. As a result, our civic engagement should not only
serve the common good but also help our personal growth, and our personal
development in general and spiritual development in particular should boost our civic
engagement by bolstering our compassion towards people and our rejection of mischief
and injustice.
Overall, the purpose of spiritual development is to develop, nurture, and sustain an
intimate relationship with Allah. As a result, the person becomes fixated on what
pleases Allah (SWT), which is achieved by different acts at different times and in
different circumstances. Such acts fall in two main categories:
• An act of spiritual (or personal) development that uplifts the person and
reinforces his/her embodiment of the divine guidance and his/her intimate
relationship with Allah.
• An act of charity or advocacy that further/advance the
work/cause/purpose of Allah, which is essentially the welfare of people.
These are not acts to choose from or to try to balance and reconcile. These are different
acts to be taken at different times and circumstances for the very same purpose.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
I firmly believe that any real change should start in the spiritual and intellectual spheres
and with an unequivocal resolution of the fundamental questions of identity (who you
are?) and mission (what is your role and what do you want to accomplish?). A clear
vision and a sound strategy are then needed to inspire, maintain focus, and affect the
needed change.
I should confess that it wasn’t easy to choose which aspect/dimension of personal
development to cover after the spiritual part. To be effective, personal development must
be comprehensive and integrated, and it is hard to prioritize the different
aspects/dimensions of personal development. They are like pieces of a puzzle.
Neglecting any one of them may hurt/compromise the whole process.
However, I chose character development to be second because it has to do with the
interaction and relationship with people, and it was narrated that muaamala (interaction
with people) is the essence of faith*. So, I thought that spiritual development and
character development combine to fix our relationship with Allah and our relationship
with one another.
Moreover, the choice of character development was also reinforced by the hadith of the
prophet in which he says “he was sent but to perfect/complete people’s good manners”.
And the famous poet, Ahmad Shawky, stated that the prosperity/welfare of
people/nations hinges on their character, and they are bound to decline if their character
weaken/decay/degenerate/deteriorate. Indeed, the status of countries and nations very
much reflect/mirror the character of their people.
Unfortunately, Muslims’ manners were severely altered as a result of a combination of
the steady decline of Muslims in the last couple of centuries together with the detrimental
effects of the globalization of the materialism and consumerism.
Like other fundamental Islamic concepts, such as worship, Dawa, taqwa, character was
substantially weakened, twisted or misunderstood, and therefore needs to be
unequivocally defined before we can discuss character development. Indeed, the
prevailing understanding of Islamic character is both partial and superficial. People tend
to focus only on some limited aspects of Islamic character, and tend to confound genuine
and robust character with image/façade and impression. As a result, rather than making
an effort to develop and root genuine character, they concentrate on ‘polishing’ their
images and impressing one another. They usually end up putting different masks in
different settings, saying things they don’t mean, telling people what they want to hear,
concealing their true self, censoring their true feelings and thoughts. Consequently, their
true character and personality don’t develop, plus such superficial manners/character and
artificial interaction don’t allow for more than superficial and artificial relationships.
Genuine characters are not to be confounded with the masks that an individual put to look
good or to impress or deceive others. Authentic characters need to be rooted and
nurtured and are proven when tested. Character development means working on your
inner/true self so that it is reflected in your appearance and you become yourself.
Progress on character development eliminates the need and the tendency to put masks.
But, in this shallow and artificial time/world, image is considered to be everything, and
people prefer shortcuts. That’s why rather than improving and displaying their true self,
they choose to invest in their image and hide behind it. They end up developing
superficial outward characters that are exposed by tests and meaningful interactions. No
wonder why character shallowness and ambivalence is so widespread that people –
including many Muslims – find it normal, and compatibility between words and
deeds/actions or even consistency of either became rare commodity. Those who insist on
consistency find it increasingly difficult to interact with people and are often shunned.
In addition to the endemic obsession with the image/impression, people don’t embark on
any meaningful character development because they don’t realize that good manners
could be acquired (and therefore there is no need to fake them) and bad manners could be
eliminated (rather than just concealing them). Indeed, many people are don’t improve
their character because they don’t realize that not only it is possible for people to change
their manners, but also character development is a lifelong struggle and there is no
limit/ceiling to character perfection.
The vast majority of people don’t embark on any meaningful process of character
development because of the misconceptions they have about character, because they lack
incentives, because they are content with the cheaper artificial and superficial manners,
and because they don’t believe they can change/improve their manners. Unfortunately,
superficial character don’t allow for more than superficial relationships (because of the
gap between the person’s neglected inner reality and the heavily boosted
image/impression), and the two combine to create a self-reinforcing cycle that weaken
both the individual and the community/society.
The purpose of character development is to constantly bolster/perfect and deeply
root/entrench/engrain existing good manners, acquiring new/missing ones, and spotting
and eliminating bad manners. The resulting genuine and robust characters manifest
themselves in what people do and say consistently in their substantive/meaningful
interactions, but they stem/originate from sound/pure hearts. Indeed, character
development and spiritual development are closely linked/intertwined. No wonder why
the prophet indicated that taqwa (God-consciousness) and good manners are the main
reasons that leads people to heaven, and that the better the believers manners are the more
complete is their faith. He also said that if the heart is sound, the person is righteous, and
the opposite is true.
For our character to be genuine and robust, the aim of our character development should
not be to impress people and boost our image. Rather, the aim should be to meet Allah’s
expectations, improve our status/rank with Him, and embody the perfect character of our
beloved prophet. The prophet defined al-birr, which is a word that encompass all aspects
of goodness, as the good manners/character. And in the same hadith, he defined sin as
any of your characteristics that you don’t want people to know about. And the purpose of
character development should be to eliminate those embarrassing traits rather than
concealing them.
No matter how good we think our manners are, there is always a long list of good
manners to acquire, and a similar one of bad manners to rid ourselves of and inoculate
ourselves against. However, there are few good and bad cardinal/mother manners. The
good ones should be maintained at all times and the bad ones should be completely
avoided. For example the prophet indicated that truthfulness leads to all kinds of
goodness (al-birr) and lying leads to all kinds of wickedness (al-fujoor). We also know
that it was arrogance and envy that led shaytan astray and led Cain to murder/slay his
brother Abel, and led to unthinkable mischief, killing, and injustice throughout the human
history.
Rather than closing the gap between the reality and the image through a meaningful
character development (and personal development in general), many people try to
preserve their image by limiting their social interaction. This is both a wrong and a futile
approach.
Because of flawed character, or psychological immaturity, or social disability, many
people chose to live largely isolated or interact only with few likeminded. For such
people, relationships are a zero sum game. On the other hand, an effective character
development helps the person to confront himself/herself, to find and to be his/her true
self, which allow him/her to reach out and effectively engage all kinds of people.
The key to a meaningful/effective character development are truthfulness and humility.
On the other hand, dishonesty/deception and arrogance constitute the mother of all
character flaws and the biggest obstacle to any fruitful character development.
Truthfulness is one of those traits that are indivisible. You either have it or you don’t.
You can’t be partially or occasionally truthful. At the very least, truthfulness means to
never lie and never deceive people by saying half-truths or mixing truth with falsehood.
Truthfulness is a 3 dimensional character: with Allah, with ourselves, and with people.
Truthfulness with Allah means sincerity, and always seeking His Pleasure and doing
everything for His sake. Truthfulness with yourself means to know who you truly are
and constantly evaluate and confront yourself. Truthfulness with people means to be
yourself, to speak your mind and your conscious, to say the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, to keep your word/promise, and to ensure that what you say and what you do
truly reflect your true self, your true feelings, thoughts, and
beliefs/principles/convictions. Also, a truthful person should ensure that what he/she
says is accurate and complete, and that the picture that people get is as close as possible
to what he/she intended, and what has actually happened. In other words, the facts, the
words that convey them, and the impression must be as consistent as possible. Overall,
truthfulness means not to say or do anything or to harbor any feeling or thought that may
deceive people and/or embarrass you. That’s how the life of our prophet was: both
simple and an open book. Even when he jokes the prophet does not say anything that is
not true.
Truthfulness is very connected to two other cardinal virtues: trust and justice/fairness,
which were combined in one verse.
6:152 And come not nigh to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he attain the
age of full strength; give measure and weight with (full) justice;- no burden do We place
on any soul, but that which it can bear;- whenever ye speak, speak justly, even if a near
relative is concerned; and fulfil the covenant of Allah. thus doth He command you, that
ye may remember.
Indeed, justice/fairness is defined as the virtue that gives everyone his due, and a person
who always seek and say the truth will more than likely be fair and trustworthy. These 3
virtues are critical to build resilient credibility and robust relationships.
Humility/humbleness is another master virtue. In many verses, and in many ways, the
Quran emphasizes humility as it emphasizes truthfulness, trust, and justice. Indeed,
Quran reminds us of our origin and our destiny, and tells us about the greatness of Allah
and of the universe, and relays the ruin of arrogant people and nations throughout the
human history.
Humility entails knowing and focusing on yourself and your own limitations,
shortcomings, and deficiencies, not on others’. The prophet indicated that leaving that
which does not concern you is a sign of a good faith. And while we must be very
ambitious and determined to achieve/fulfill our aspirations, we should always put
ourselves where we belong or even lower, but definitely not higher.
Humility also entails not expecting, let alone demanding from people anything more than
what you deserve, or to give you any special treatment. It was narrated that whenever
they meet the prophet and his companions, the visitors of the Medina would ask “who
amongst you is Muhammad?”, because he did not distinguish himself in anyway.
Humility results in respecting people and bowing to the truth, and therefore opens the
door for constantly improving and learning and accepting advice from everybody (any
source). No wonder that Allah raises in ranks those who sincerely humble themselves.
Unfortunately, humility is one of characters/virtues that could be easily faked, and rather
than training themselves on genuine humility, many people find it easier to put the mask
of humbleness. The prophet corrected the misunderstanding of his companions and
decoupled arrogance (and therefore humility) from the appearances, and defined
arrogance as “rejecting the truth and denying people their due rights/credits”.
Other virtues that are critical for fruitful and robust relationships include
kindness/compassion, fidelity/faithfulness (wafaa), and patience. Kindness/compassion
stems automatically from proper and effective spiritual development and from humility,
and goes hand in hand with fairness. Allah (swt) says “60:8 Allah forbids you not, with
regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from
dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. The prophet
said “everything is beautified by the presence of kindness and is spoiled by the absence
of kindness”. And all prophets were very compassionate towards their people, and in
tirelessly delivering their message and fulfilling their mission, they were driven by their
devotion to Allah and their compassion to their people. On the other hand, no
relationship could survive in the absence of fidelity/faithfulness. The prophet said that
Allah’s abundant Mercy does not include those who are not compassionate. He also said
that those who are ungrateful to people are ungrateful to Allah, and that Allah does not
have mercy on those who are not merciful.
Personal development in general is meant to help you embody the divine guidance,
realize your full potential, and effectively fulfill your mission and engage your
environment/world. Spiritual development establishes and nurtures an intimate
relationship with Allah and a vibrant spirituality, which results in tremendous passion for
the mission and compassion towards people. It is also your source of energy and
perseverance to meet the tremendous demands of the mission. Character development
helps you becoming a role model, which in turn enables you to mentor people and
influence them by example, and allows you to open up, reach out and build an extensive
network of robust relationships. This helps advancing the mission/cause and boosting the
common good and the social cohesion. The core virtues of honesty, humility, fairness,
and kindness are critical for the process of character development (and therefore the
process of personal development), especially in fostering fruitful interaction and robust
relationships among people.
It is for a reason that the prophet said that an atom-weight of arrogance in the heart of a
person is enough to bar/disqualify him/her from heaven, and asserted that a believer
cannot be a liar. Indeed, together with lying, arrogance is at the heart of most vices that
ruined the lives of so many people, communities, and nations throughout the human
history. In defining arrogance, the prophet clearly linked it to lying “arrogance is
rebuffing/snubbing the truth and denying people their due rights/credits”.
Lying encourages and leads to all kinds of vices by providing a cover for such vices and a
blank check for future sins. And the liar focuses on covering his deficiencies rather than
fixing them. On the other hand, arrogance (and self-centrism) prevents people from
learning and improving and rather channels their energy towards defending and justifying
what they do no matter how obviously wrong and futile it is. Also, arrogant people
usually feel they ‘know it all’ and they are ‘infallible’, and therefore they are usually
unwilling to learn, to admit mistakes, or to adjust/reassess their thoughts and conducts.
In contrast to truthfulness and humility, which instill tranquility and confidence, lying
and arrogance engender insecurity and anxiety, which usually makes the person
argumentative/belligerent.
Both lying and arrogance don’t only harm the individual but also relationships,
communities, and nations. Indeed, in most cases, broken relationship results from broken
promises, and throughout the human history, arrogance and lying caused and justified
most of the tyranny, injustice, oppression, killing, and destruction including racism,
slavery, genocide, colonialism, and wars. Once an individual, a race, or a nation feel they
are intrinsically better than others, everything becomes a fair game.
Another vice that may make everything a fair game is anger. Indeed, those who don’t
learn to control their anger may do all kinds of things to harm themselves and harm
others in ways they would not do in normal conditions/circumstances. No wonder why in
his response to a repeated request for advice, the prophet told the person not to get angry,
and promised him heaven if he restrains his anger.
Character development goes hand in hand with spiritual development and entails cleaning
not only our acts and our words but also our feelings and our thoughts, so that we don’t
do, say, or harbor any feelings or thoughts that may embarrass us before Allah who
knows what we reveal and what we conceal or before people neither in this life or in the
Hereafter. Like all aspects of personal development, character development is a process
of gradually but consistently incorporating and rooting sound characters and weeding out
bad characters. Exploring the Quran and the hadith is the best way to compile/identify
the good characters to be acquired and the bad characters to be weeded out. Priority
should be given to bad characters that are considered major sins (kabaa’ir) such as envy,
fornication, false testimony, lying, drinking alcohol, backbiting, and slander. Special
consideration should be given to the feelings, sayings, or actions that are considered
disqualifiers from heaven such as arrogance, slander, stinginess, ingratitude towards
parents, deserting kinsmen,… Like all other aspects of personal development, such
exercise could and should be pursued both individually and collectively.
Like many other qualities in life such as knowledge and skills, characters are changed,
acquired and rooted through dedication and practice. One may acquire a good character
or get rid of a bad one by practicing and forcing yourself until it becomes rooted in your
personality and therefore becomes part of your natural/spontaneous behavior. You must
train and force yourself on a particular character/virtue long enough until it becomes your
second nature. That’s how the prophet taught us about acquiring knowledge, kindness,
and patience. The same approach applies to the removal/elimination of bad habits.
Therefore, we should be constantly in the business of acquiring and
enhancing/reinforcing good manners and ridding ourselves of bad manners.
Individual successes and failures in any aspect of personal development have
considerable implications both on the individual himself/herself and on the community.
But there is probably no other aspect that has bigger, more direct, and more lasting effect
on the community than the character of its members in general and its leaders in
particular. This is because Dawa, mentorship, and relationships are directly and greatly
affected positively or negatively by sound/exemplary character and by character flaws,
respectively. Indeed character is much more contagious than other aspects of personal
development and have much bigger and more direct effect on the harmony of the family
and the cohesion of the community.
For all those reasons, a corner stone of the needed change in general and of personal
development in particular is to get our people to engage in a meaningful character
development, which should pave the way for effective mentorship and Dawa by example,
genuine relationships, harmonious family, and cohesive community. But character
development and all other aspects of personal development should be pursued for the
sake of Allah and as part of fulfilling His purpose and transforming all our lives into
worship.
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT:
What many people don’t realize is that to be healthy, our brain/mind, like our body, needs
to be properly and consistently fed and worked out. As is the case in other areas of
personal development, intellectual development is both neglected and misunderstood. As
a result, not many Muslims are engaged in a consistent and effective/meaningful process
of personal development in general and intellectual development in particular.
One of the outrageous but true/accurate characterizations of Arabs/Muslims is that they
don’t read, or at least they don’t read regularly in disregard to the Quranic and prophetic
clear and preponderant commandments praising all aspects of learning. No wonder why
the vast majority of Muslims, including activists and leaders, are intellectually shallow
and stagnant/frozen. But this trend must be reversed and this reversal is an essential part
of the needed change.
Indeed, Muslims in general and leaders in particular must be aware of what is going on
and why, and must develop a coherent and sound intellectual and strategic framework
that helps to understand how the country and the world were shaped and are functioning
in order to effectively engage it and impact it.
Moreover, many people confound knowledge with the formal education to obtain a
degree. Such people usually limit their learning to their field of study (textbooks,
assignments), and largely stop learning after graduation. As a result, they usually know
very little outside their field of study.
Among those who do seek knowledge outside their field of study and/or after graduation,
many confound knowledge with information. They don’t distinguish between
systematically and consistently gaining useful and in-depth knowledge on one hand, and
haphazardly, sporadically, and superficially gathering/accumulating/memorizing
information. Knowledge like CPU is the ability to process information.
Another misconception related to intellectual development is the artificial distinction
between religious/Islamic and non-religious/non-Islamic knowledge, and many people
tend to disregard/overlook one or the other.
These are some of the misconceptions about intellectual development and some of the
reasons why most/many people don’t embark on any meaningful/effective process of
intellectual development.
In essence, intellectual development entails a concerted effort to broaden, deepen, and
refine/crystallize our understanding/comprehension of our faith and our life so that we
may effectively apply the former to uplift the latter. Intellectual development also entails
understanding our world and our role/mission, so that we may increase/boost our ability
and our efficiency in fulfilling our mission and engaging and shaping our world. Our
world starts with our own selves and ends with the world at large, which became a global
village, and includes everything in between: family, neighborhood, city, community,
state, and country.
This requires extensive and diverse reading and interaction with people to seek wisdom
and useful knowledge from all sources, thus fulfilling the prophetic characterization of
the believer as someone who is constantly searching for wisdom, and the Quranic
characterization of the believers as those who follow/implement the best of what they
learn.
As such, intellectual development intersects with spiritual development and character
development, because spiritual development is essentially about knowing the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe and establishing and nurturing an intimate relationship with
Him. On the other hand, as indicated above, character development is essentially about
building ourselves into a role model, which in turn should help us effectively
influencing/mentoring and engaging people.
Knowing your Creator and understanding your Deen and your world, both the human part
and the physical parts of it, are all essential and integrated parts of our intellectual
development that enable us to effectively fulfill our mission and engage our world and
our people. Indeed, Allah embedded the rules (sunan) that govern the universe/world
(both the human and physical parts of it) in the scriptures and in the universe. And
therefore, those rules (sunan) are to be discovered by studying/exploring Allah’s revealed
book (Quran) and His open book (the Universe) which encompasses both the fields of
sciences and humanities (history, sociology,…). That’s why throughout the history of
Islamic civilization, it wasn’t uncommon for a person to be a scientist, a religious
scholar/teacher, a devote worshipper, and in some cases a civic/political/military leader.
These people understood very well that the main purpose of Islam is the welfare and
harmony of people/humanity (al-maslaha and rafi’ al-haraj), and the prevalence of
justice*, which in turn requires to properly understand and effectively leverage the divine
rules that govern this universe and that Allah embedded both in His revelation and His
creation.
57:25 We sent aforetime our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the
Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice
TIME MANAGEMENT:
Time is the most precious commodity, even more precious than money. Indeed, you can
always make more money but you can’t make more time. Time is life, and there is never
enough of it. Any amount of time that elapses takes away from life and never comes
back.
Even those who are not on a mission and are living for themselves are struggling with the
increasingly demanding life to make ends meet, not only financially but also time wise.
Add a momentous mission and a number of extra responsibilities, and you will realize
that things will not fall in place without a very strict and efficient management of your
time.
Time and money constitute the vital resources with which individuals, families, and
communities get things done/accomplished. They come next in importance only to
human resources.
The best ideas, plans, and aspirations/ambitions will remain just dreams without the
money and the time (and of course the people) to turn them into reality. Unfortunately,
like with other aspects of life, many of our people manage their time in a very primitive
and inefficient way. As a result, they found themselves constantly putting out fires, and
doing nothing and wasting a lot of time in between.
Islam gives time a religious dimension by making it like money and life itself a sacred
trust. Indeed, among the key factors that decide people’s fate in the Hereafter is how they
spent their time in general and their most productive years, together with how they
acquired and spent their money. Unfortunately, not many members of our community
manage their time efficiently, even though most people appear to be always very busy
and on the run. However, in most cases this state says more about the bad time
management than about their tight schedule. Indeed, there is no shortage of indications
that a lot of time routinely slip away from our people, which puts them in constant
struggle just to handle their daily routine and deal with emergencies. Moreover, our
people usually don’t deal with issues proactively and decisively. Rather, they tend to
duck issues until they blow in their face and become crises and emergencies.
This is not meant to be a technical/professional document on time-management. But as
with previous themes, some guidelines will be mentioned that will hopefully help people
manage their time more efficiently:
6- Integration/Focus/Balance:
Life is multifaceted and its facets are intertwined, and so are our different roles and
responsibilities. Success and increased efficiency requires balance and synchronization.
We need to balance our different roles/duties and we need to make sure that our
plans/schedules are synchronized. Being out of sync and/or out of balance may well have
a ripple effect and can be very costly both financially and time wise.
Such situation may even become chronic/permanent if it is not reversed quickly.
Balance and synchronization may be achieved and maintained through a combination of
focus and integration: focusing exclusive on a task whenever necessary and integrating
tasks whenever possible. Indeed, some tasks require utmost focus/concentration. Others
can be integrated to hit more than one bird with one stone. This applies to many
activities that you can do with the family, and the tasks that you can do while
commuting. Always think about maximizing and/or diversifying the benefit from any
time you spend and any activity you conduct either through extra concentration or by
channeling it in more than one direction.
Increased efficiency requires more than integrated activities. It requires integrated life
that focuses the thinking, the energy, and the resources. This applies to the individual,
the family, and the community. At all levels, a clear/well-defined and unified mission is
the only thing/factor that may integrate and focus your life.
Integrated life is necessarily a mission-driven life and starts with a coherent personality
whose eyes are fixated on a clear mission/purpose. Such person will strive to ensure that
everything in his/her life serve the mission or at least is consistent with it. And integrated
family life is a life that is driven by a clear and shared mission that ensures and constantly
reinforces/solidifies the cohesion of the family. This makes the family a one solid entity
that is moving in one direction, and whose efforts and resources are not scattered.
The unified mission does to the family members' efforts/energy and resources what ????
does to the solar/light beam. The resulting synergy makes the family a very strong
building block of the community/society, a very effective instrument of Allah's Will, and
a powerful engine of the divine mission.
On the other hand, a non-cohesive family may well see its efforts and resources scattered
in all (and possibly conflicting) directions. Both the efficiency/productivity and the
contribution of such family will more than likely be very low, and it may become a
burden on the community/society.
At the community level, the causes and consequences of integrated and scattered life are
the same. Indeed, a clear and shared mission and a sound organization/system will go a
long way in ensuring an integrated and therefore a synergetic community life where
differences are effectively managed, diversity is leveraged, and talents and resources are
effectively tapped, efforts are streamlined, and derailment, friction, and waste of time are
effectively minimized.
Finally, from individual perspective, integration involves connecting, overlapping, and
whenever possible integration of the different spheres of involvement: family, work, and
community activism and civic engagement.
Complete separation of those spheres will more than likely result in a compartmentalized
personality and life, which usually reduces efficiency. Indeed, the more aware family
members are of one another challenges in other spheres, the more cooperative, cohesive,
considerate, and therefore efficient they are.
FAMILY DEVELOPMENT:
So far, the focus was on the tenets of personal development that are crucial to the needed
change. But everything that was mentioned so far about personal development applies
not only to the individual but also to the family whose members should inspire and
empower one another to realize their full potential and impact, both as individuals and as
a cohesive entity. On the other hand, all aspects of the personality that we need to
develop we must also build/ cultivate them in our children.
Indeed, personal and family development are very intertwined, and both are critical for
the well-being of the community and the society. This is because the individual and the
family constitute the two complementary stages of the human reproduction cycle: the
family gives birth to and nurtures the individual, who in turn forms and nurtures a
family.
One more aspect of personal development remains. It entails the social life of individuals
and of the community. Because social vibrancy depends on family harmony, social life
will be discussed under the section on family development.
The family is the building block of the community and of the society at large, and it is the
incubator and the first school of future generations. The health, the strength, the
cohesion, and the future of any community or society largely hinges on the state of its
building blocks: citizens, families, and communities. That’s why any meaningful and
lasting societal change goes through personal, family, and community development.
Family is where renaissance and decline of any community or society are recycled and
take a life of their own. This is because family groom individuals who in turn build
families. It is a cycle that could be very synergetic but could be very destructive as well.
Family is where the journey of personal development begins and where the personality is
framed and largely shaped. And one of the biggest illusion that we had as a community
is to try to have the mosque, the school, and the community activities assume the
essential role and responsibility of the individual and the family for self-development and
the development of children. We must reverse this trend by taking this responsibility
back to the individual and the family and have our leaders and institutions focus on
inspiring and empowering people to effectively discharge their responsibility.
The community and the society could and should enhance and supplement the role of the
family. But no amount of community or society programs and institutions could
indefinitely patch or make up for the failure of the family to fulfill its role and
obligations.
Like any relationship, in order to succeed and last, spousal relationship must be built on
mutual affection, understanding, respect, and on compatibility (matching personalities).
But because it is more intertwined and more important than any other relationship, all
those elements/aspects, especially the affection part, must be reasonably strong for the
relationship to flourish and endure the challenges and the ups and downs of life. That’s
why the selection/matching process and the pre-marital phase are critical for the success
of the family.
The Pre-Marital Phase: Do’s and Don’ts (reasons for success and failure):
Because many people don’t develop a coherent personality/identity (who they are) and a
clear mission (what they want), they usually don’t know what kind of person they need as
a spouse. As a result, their selection is usually hap-hazard, and their chances of finding a
good match and of a successful marriage are substantially compromised. The result of
such gambling oftentimes be a divorce, unhappy marriage, or at best a routine/dull
uninspiring family life, which will be damaging or at least limiting to both spouses and
more so the children.
Individuals must resolve the fundamental questions of who they are and what they want
in life before they can successfully select a partner/spouse to form a
cohesive/harmonious, happy, and empowered family. Whether they resolve those
fundamental issues after marriage or they don’t resolve them at all, they substantially
compromise their chances of building a successful family, and put a low ceiling for such
family, if it ever manages to escape divorce.
Not only they must resolve those issues before marriage, but also they must be clear
about them with their prospect/potential spouses. In other words, they must be
themselves and should not try to impress each other. Rather, they should make
themselves known (reveal themselves) and get to know their prospective spouses, so that
they make an educated decision and increase the chances of the success of the
partnership. This is the purpose of the pre-marital phase, which is actually a pre-decision
phase.
The potential spouses and their families must keep in mind that no commitment is made
and that things can go either way. Therefore, Islamic etiquettes must be strictly observed,
and the process should not take long before it is concluded one way or another. Another
critical requirement for the success of marriage and family life is the familiarity of each
spouse about opposite sex in general. It is no secret that man and woman came from
different planets*: they think differently and have different styles and approaches of
handling situations and dealing with issues. Ideally, man and woman complement one
another. But if they miss the magic combination/cycle of love and respect, they either
end up in a constant power struggle, or rather than a real home/family, they end up
establishing a shelter that offers its members the basic necessities of life. Life become
routine/dull and even though they are living together, each member of the family would
be living his/her own life.
In summary, the following reasons cause many marriages to end up in divorce, power
struggle, or routine/uninspiring life:
Prospect spouses don’t develop a coherent/mature identity and a clear mission before
they get married. As a result, they haphazardly select their partners, which substantially
compromise the chances of a match.
The pre-marital phase is mismanaged and is not conducted in a way to help the concerned
parties make the right decision. Two problems are particularly widespread: first, people
engage in this phase as if commitment is already made. As a result they may find it
difficult to separate/disengage, and they may not strictly observe Islamic etiquettes.
Second, oftentimes, people are not honest/open about themselves, which defeats the
whole purpose of this phase: to get to know one another and to make an educated
decision. And when people get married without really knowing one another, their
marriage becomes more or less a coin toss.
Many people get married without proper education about opposite sex, and about family
life – spousal relationship and parenting. Unfortunately, many people are yet to realize
that dealing with the opposite sex and raising children are an art or even a science that
should not be learned on the job. It is ironic that people plan carefully when they build a
house or a business, but they haphazardly build their families and raise/build their
children.
To have a lasting meaning and purpose, family life, like individual life, must be mission-
drive. A joint mission may go a long way in ensuring the cohesion and the resilience of
the family, and may make up for – or even repair – deficiencies in other aspects of the
personalities and the relationship. Indeed, a clear mission gives individual and family life
a meaning and purpose, and ensures the coherence of the personality and cohesion of the
family. And a mission-driven and cohesive family will more than likely nurture/raise
coherent and mission-driven children. That’s why it is critical for personal and family
development and for the community and society wellbeing that individuals
embrace/commit to a life mission and conduct a mission-driven life, and the earlier the
better.
On the other hand, if the purpose is to get citizens to succeed in life, realize their full
potential and live out their dreams, then one of the main functions of the society, the
community, the school, and the family itself is to help/prepare people to succeed in
building/establishing and nurturing a family.
Adequate institutions and programs should be devised to support the family from
‘conception’ through all the different stages and milestones of life.
Marriage and selection of a spouse constitute one of the most important moves and
decisions that one makes in life. And the family is the most important institution of the
society. But the family should not only be properly formed but also it should be well-
managed afterwards.
Indeed, spouses should see to it that their time is well-managed and their schedule is full.
They should never allow themselves to be trapped in a fire-fighting mode: constantly put
out fires and dealing, with emergencies, and doing nothing in between. Having nothing
to do simply means that you are deferring something important until it becomes a
crisis/emergency. If that free but precious time is not spent on doing or planning
something useful, it will certainly be squandered on trivial or even destructive things. In
family life, picking a fight/argument might be the way to ‘kill’ that free time. Because,
there is never enough time to do everything that we should and could do, there should be
no time wasted in our life.