Lessons in Islamic Work:

One of the key aspects of working for Islam is that you are calling to God, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He). That requires knowledge of Islam and a serious relationship with the Qur’an, sunnah (traditions of the Prophet), and tradition of Muslim scholarship.

Many times activists fall into this concept of knowledge being practical and relevant and every other really cool buzzword. This is wrong. We learn daily as Muslims in order to better our understanding of our faith and our Lord (swt). This is not something you do only when you find an immediately beneficial thing that you are most likely planning to share with someone else. That is not learning and that is not the legacy of Islam. We should study regularly and intently, seeking to improve ourselves. Learning should be part of our culture. And not learning for the utilitarian end of using it on someone or with someone but learning so that we can grow as individuals.

We used to judge the success of our MSA by the attendance at the weekly Islamic studies class. If more people were committing to it, then we knew that more people were committing to a long-term effort to improve themselves. Everything else is just hype and will eventually wear off.

So…never stop learning…for you.