Lessons in Islamic Work: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII

The hadith (saying of the Prophet) of the seven who are in Allah’s shade, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He), on the Day of Judgment gives us guidance as to important milestones and markers for our spiritual development. These are goals that should be sought in one’s development.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: ‘I fear Allah’, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.

So there are seven things mentioned in this hadith:

1. A just ruler.
2. A youth who grows up in the worship of Allah.
3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosques.
4. Two people who love one another for the sake of Allah.
5. Someone who resists a direct temptation from the opposite gender.
6. A person who is completely selfless in charity.
7. A person who remembers Allah in private and sheds tears in doing so.

The seven things mentioned all relate to serious developmental goals that should be sought throughout our own personal development and our efforts to help other people in their own growth.

The first is to develop a level of God-consciousness (taqwa) in the way that one deals with power. Being in a position of authority in Islam is a responsibility that one is held accountable for and it is very serious. Part of that is that our base selves often push us to take advantage of our positions of authority and abuse our power at the expense of others. This is a serious developmental flaw because it shows irresponsibility and a lack of taqwa. We all have varying situations throughout our lives wherein we are in a position of authority and when we have such power we have to look critically at ourselves and hope that Allah gives us good friends who help keep us in line. The developmental lesson here is in learning to act responsibly with power.

The second is a special kind of person that you meet every now and then. They are just good and always have been. These people are truly special because their consistency in worship draws them close to the fitrah, or natural state of being. You can feel their goodness in their interactions and see their genuineness in the details of their behavior. Most of us were not raised this way but that does not mean that we cannot renew our commitment to God (swt). That is something that we can do it any time by asking His forgiveness and starting fresh. This developmental point is about being consistent in our servitude to God (swt).

The third is the one whose heart is attached to the houses of worship. These are the people you meet who organize their lives around prayer. They make every effort to be at the mosque for prayer as much as possible and find beauty and pleasure in doing so. They recognize the peace and tranquility that comes from spending time in the mosque, and they call others to do so as well. This developmental point is about learning to love worship.

The fourth is two people that love each other for the sake of Allah (swt). There are many reasons why we could care for someone in this life. Sometimes those reasons are selfish and sometimes they are selfless. The one who loves solely for Allah’s sake (swt) is selfless in their love. This is a kind of training of the heart that all seekers of the Divine must experience. They must learn to purify their relationships with others and focus them on the ultimate goal, the pleasure of God (swt). This developmental point is essentially learning how to love properly and for the right reasons.

The fifth is someone who is called to fulfill their sexual desires in an unlawful way and resists. This is mentioned as a major trial that can afflict a person and as such the reward for passing it is Paradise. The person who is able to resist such a temptation is someone who has a strong control over their self and a clear awareness of God (swt). The developmental lesson is in learning to resist immediate temptations in favor of a greater reward with God (swt).

The sixth is someone who is so charitable that they lose track of their charity. The expression here is that their right hand spends so freely that their left hand does not even notice it. This habit is not about simply giving when it is convenient or only on certain things and not others. This is a habit that becomes so much a part of the person’s being that it reaches all causes of goodness. The developmental lesson is in making charity a way of life.

The seventh, and final, is the one who remembers God (swt) in private and tears up. This last one is very intimate. Many people are able to maintain a stable Islamic personality in public, but when they are left alone by themselves they start to slip. Their identity and worship are public affairs but have not reached the inner depths of the self where true spirituality lies. The one who remembers Allah (swt) when alone and cries is the one who has cultivated a truly special and unique relationship with their Creator; an intimate relationship that cannot be explained by words and is only obtained through long periods of struggling for His sake. The developmental goal is to become intimate with God (swt) and move past the superficiality of common religious discourse.

Lessons in Islamic Work: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII

When people come together and struggle for a cause they have a tendency to focus on the details and materialistic aspects; in others words, they become consumed by the means. The potential downside of this is losing sight of one’s principles.

The message of Islam is based on principles; there are lines that cannot be crossed. An important concept that helps one stay true to their principles is to remember that it is Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) who gives victory, and it is Allah All-Mighty who controls all affairs. In doing so we put our focus on the principles and we work for the long term, without bending on our values in order to attain short term results.

This brings us to the lesson that that which is beneficial and sincerely done for Allah will remain. Allah (swt) mentions this in Surat Ar-Ra’d, “He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam…Thus Allah presents [the example of] truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth. Thus does Allah present examples.” (Qur’an 13:17)

In this example Allah (swt) compares that which is not beneficial to foam. At first glance it looks impressive and it takes up a lot of space, but when you try to test it there is no substance. It does not really consist of anything, and just as quick as it shows up, it disappears. He also gives the example of truth and says that it remains on the earth. Truth then has substance. It does not leave quickly. Its results do not wear off in fifteen minutes or an hour. It is the kind of thing that you can build on, and more importantly depend on.

In the realm of Islamic work there are at least three important ways to look at this. The first is that when we plan and organize we should always stick to our principles. This in and of itself is proof of our belief and our dependence upon Allah (swt). The second and third are things that we should focus on when developing as individuals. Those two things are correct knowledge and sound worship. These are evidences that a person is truly growing in their relationship with their Creator. Hype and large attendance are not indicators of success. That excitement should be directed into teaching people about their faith and encouraging them to increase and improve their relationship with Allah (swt). To do these things is to focus on what is beneficial and long lasting, putting emphasis on long-term growth. It is also a reminder of what we need to focus on in our own development.

May Allah (swt) put barakah (blessings) in all that we do for His sake and may He increase us in closeness to Him. Ameen.

Lessons in Islamic Work:

One of the things that happens in work in general is that we have a tendency to sideline those who disagree with us. It just makes the whole decision-making process easier and things can move quicker, or so it seems. However, this is a major mistake and shura (decision-making) is not shura unless it includes those who disagree as well. Sometimes this takes extra time and seems to slow things down, but it makes for a richer decision-making process and also guards against group-think.

The Prophet ﷺ made shura in Badr and Uhud, as well as many other places in the seerah (biography of the Prophet). This was to establish the principle that taking shura is essential. One striking example of this is that when they went out before Badr, they were expecting to raid a caravan, not go to war. So when it became clear that war was upon them the Prophet ﷺ asked his companions if they agreed. Three of the Emigrants (Muhajirin) stood up and affirmed but the Prophet asked again. He wanted to include the Helpers (Ansar). When a representative from the Helpers affirmed the decision, he went with it and they prepared for war. Heﷺ made sure to include all parties in the decision-making process.

The companions also understood that in issues not related to revelation they could differ with him. This is why we see what happened when the Muslims were positioning themselves before the Battle of Badr.  They stopped at a certain point near the wells of Badr, and a companion named Hubab ibn al-Mundhir asked the Prophetﷺ if the decision was based on revelation or strategy. When heﷺ replied that it was strategy, he said that he thought it would be better if they positioned themselves differently, and the Prophet accepted his advice. This companion is not well known or commonly talked about but even he knew that in such matters his opinion was important.

Another example of this that I heard about recently was in relation to one national Muslim organization. Several years back there were some major disagreements nationally in regards to vision in the organization. There were two major camps, and in the end one won the public opinion battle. What the President did after that was the amazing part. When they put together the new board, there is always one seat that is not elected but chosen by the leadership. He insisted that that seat be filled by someone from the opposing camp. He did this so their voice would not be marginalized and would still be heard at the decision making table.

Another modern example was with one of the major Islamic groups internationally. They used to have a shura that was not binding and the amir (leader) would have the final say. When they switched to a binding shura (meaning the majority decision is binding on the board and not only in the hands of the amir) the then president of the organization did not state his opinion in meetings for seven years! He did this to make sure that the organizational culture would shift.

So in organizing it is always important to make sure that there are various view points at the table and that as long as everyone is agreeing on the major objectives then that difference should be welcomed and enriches the decision-making process.

Lessons in Islamic Work: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII |Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII

One of the common mistakes that is seen in those who are working for Islam is that they lose balance of all the things they are responsible for. We know that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Every one of you is a shepherd and every shepherd is responsible for his/her flock.”

Our “flocks” can be different things at different times but we should always keep some priorities in mind as well as a guiding principle.

In relation to priorities there are several overlapping circles of development and responsibility:

1. The individual
2. The family
3. One’s local community
4. The greater society
5. The rest of the world

These are in order of importance, however, they are not mutually exclusive. If one is working at the individual level on some of their issues, it does not mean that they cannot give anything to their family or community. The priorities do give us guidelines for change though. We are fooling ourselves if we think that we are going to change any of the latter things in a substantial way while failing with the beginning priorities. It is possible that one can have varying levels of engagement with a number of these at once, but certain parts will shift and take precedence depending on time and circumstance.

In our context it is usually the first two that get neglected. People work very hard for programs in the community and for others but when it comes to their own development and their responsibilities to their families, they come up short. Often times this is not a problem of time, but rather how we use our time, but that is a different lesson.

Some of our individual responsibilities that need to be watched out for:

1. The quality of our prayers
2. Our daily remembrance of God, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He)
3. Our manners and character development
4. Our education
5. Our professional development
6. Our physical and mental health

Family is its own responsibility whether a child, parent, or spouse. All of us have roles and responsibilities towards our loved ones and they should not be neglected.

So we should keep these priorities in mind and balance between them with fluidity and integrity as things come up.

Lessons in Islamic Work: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII |Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII

We have discussed previously the importance of quality over quantity and how we should focus on the development of people. This lesson is related to that one in that it gives us something to measure our success or lack thereof by. 

It is true that we should be concerned about our efforts more than the results and that sometimes a person or group will do all that they can and still not see the fruits of their efforts. This was clearly shown through the story of Noah, `alayhi as-salaam (peace and blessings upon him), in the Qur’an where he called to Islam for centuries and still only ended up with a handful of followers. However, at the same time, it is important to look to certain things to figure out if we are having real success with our people or not.

Some of the practical day-to-day indicators for this are the prayers and classes. Efforts like the youth group and other mostly social-based activities are means by which to draw people closer to the community and masjid (mosque) so that they can come closer to God, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). One of the main indicators of this is whether or not they attend the prayers. This is also an indicator for ourselves. If we do not find that we are more encouraged to attend prayers in the masjid then there is a problem in how things are coming together for us. We can also tell this through attendance at classes. Classes take more effort than social activities but they also indicate that people are taking serious steps towards making themselves more grounded in their faith.

These are both things that lead to people who are firmly founded in knowledge and worship and therefore are qualified for leadership. The real question of success is whether or not you leave leaders behind. Charismatic leaders are a fact of life and have their place but the work should never be dependent upon one individual. If things are structured well and efforts are put into developing people then when one leaves, one’s place will be taken by another. The work will not stop. If work is done for years, but there are no people to show for it, then the efforts may have been put in the wrong place. 

Ibrahim (as) understood this and that is why when God (swt) tells him that he will make him a leader in the earth he asks,

“And as for my descendants?” God replies by saying, “My covenant does not apply to the wrongdoers,” (Qur’an 2:124).

Ibrahim (as) understood that the message of Islam is about more than one person, and that if righteousness is to continue in the earth, then it must have bearers who can carry the message of truth. God (swt) gives him an indirect answer which basically implies that if they are righteous then His promise will apply to them too but if not, then no. As we work and organize, we should always be planning for the future and trying to plant the seeds of goodness and righteousness in the potential leaders of the coming years.

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.

Lessons in Islamic Work:

This lesson is a corollary to the last one, and there is no contradiction between them. The last one was about how we should look at ourselves, and today’s is about how we should look at others.

At the same time that we are humble with ourselves and understand our own weaknesses, we should also acknowledge that good people are special and hard to replace. It can take years of time and effort to develop someone to the point that they are solid on their deen (religion), losing such people can be very difficult. We should always make du`a’ (supplications) for them and thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), for having them in our lives.

In one of the homes of Madinah, Umar ibn al-Khattab, radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him), was sitting with a group of his companions. He asked them, “Make a wish. What is your greatest wish in this world?”

One of them replied, “I wish to have as much gold as would fill this whole house, so that I could spend it all for the sake of Allah.”

Umar (ra) did not give much attention to this response and then again asked, “Make a wish. What is your dearest wish in this world?”

Another companion said, “I wish that this house was full of jewels and pearls so that I could spend it all for the sake of Allah.”

Yet again, Umar (ra) did not give much attention to this reply and asked for the third time, “Make a wish! What is your greatest wish?”

Frustrated, his companions said, “We don’t know what to say (what you mean), O leader of the believers.”

Thereupon Umar (ra) replied:

“I wish that this house was full of men, like Abu ‘Ubaydah Ibn Al-Jarraah, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal and Saalim who worked for Abu Hudhayfah (names of some of the companions who died in the service of Islam) in order to use them to spread the word of Allah.”

Umar (ra) understood the value of people with a sense of mission and purpose. Men and women who will carry the banner of Islam, be bearers of the message, and be unwavering in their dedication and commitment to moving Islam forward. Because no amount of gold or silver can replace people. No amount of money can replace “among the believers (those who) are true to what they have promised (to) Allah […]” (Qur’an, 33:23).

He also made the same point when he sent Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (ra) to the people of Kufa to teach them. He said to them, “I have given preference to you over myself in sending Abdullah to you.”

This is love. This is appreciation. And this is a recognition that good people are hard to replace.

One of the trials that workers are often afflicted with is thinking that they are more important than they are. We work hard, we struggle, we have a few successes, and then we think that we have done something. We allow these successes to cloud our brains and our hearts, and we get fooled into thinking we are irreplaceable. We think that the work will not continue without us or that our opinion is more important than someone else’s. This is the beginning of a massive heart attack. It is the seed of arrogance. When this seed is left unchecked, we start disrespecting others when they disagree with us, we marginalize others in our decision-making processes, and develop incorrect perceptions of who we really are and what this is really all about. We lose focus.

In order to regain focus we must come back to the basics and ask ourselves: How can I combat this onslaught of arrogance? The first step is to look at the definition of arrogance given by the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him).

When asked about it, he defined it as two things: Rejecting the truth and looking down on people. The two questions that should come as a result of that definition are:

1. How do I know the truth?
2. How do I build the spiritual capacity that will prevent me from looking down on others?

These are heavy questions and questions around which revolve the sincere search for truth and beauty through submission and worship.

As to the first, there is no solution other than to study. In the modern world we often think of this as reading books. This was never the way that Muslims studied throughout history. They read, yes, but they never read by themselves without tutelage and rigor. It is disturbing to me when I give a sermon on Culture and Islam and people think that they have understood the topic afterward. It is a sermon. There has been no elaboration, no discussion, no application, no analysis, nothing. This is a huge topic. You have not yet understood. The scholars always say:

“Never take Qu’ran from someone who studied it through the mushaf (its written form) (and not through a teacher). And never take knowledge from someone who only studied it through books (and not with a teacher).”

This is truth, and it requires rigor, humility, and patience. It is only through such dedicated study that one can develop one’s understanding of Islam to the point that one feels JUSTIFIABLY comfortable in what one understands to be the truth. It is also through such study that one truly begins to realize how little one knows, which is one of the most important lessons one can learn in life. However, simply learning is not enough. To practice it requires another element, which relates to the second issue.

The second issue is our spiritual development. To not look down upon others requires us to have a true and honest understanding of ourselves. We have to know and recognize our shortcomings and be in a constant state of struggling to align ourselves to the teachings of Islam. This is what submission is about. The key to this path is adab (courtesy/etiquette). Without it the seeker is lost in his or her journey and will never reach their goal. It begins in adab with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He), and manifests itself in the way we treat others. This is one of the fruits of sound spiritual development. It is reported that some of the sufis used to say that the one who is better than you in adab is better than you in Sufism. Ibn al-Qayyim, radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him), commented on this and said:

“Nay, rather the deen (religion) itself is adab, so the one who is better than you in adab is better than you in the deen itself.”

This is not about sloganeering or intellectual prowess. We are not competing for votes or trying to win popularity contests. This is about a sincere and humble dedication to the truth. Only with such effort can one begin to protect themselves from the disease of looking down upon others.

It is with these reflections that we turn to the verse which inspired this lesson. God (swt) says in Surah Muhammad:

“Here you are—those invited to spend in the cause of Allah—but among you are those who withhold [out of greed]. And whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allah is the Free of need, while you are the needy. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people; then they will not be the likes of you,” (Qu’ran, 47:38).

This is a severe reminder for all those who seek to serve Allah (swt) in their lives. It is great that you are serving the community and working for the betterment of people, but do not ever forget that this benefits you more than it benefits anyone else. It is something that you have been called to do by the demands of your faith, and it is an honor and responsibility to answer that call. It is we who are in need of the mercy and love of Allah (swt). He is not in need of us. If we turn away, not only physically but also spiritually, by abandoning the path of deliberate self-criticism and reproach then He will replace us with others. You are great in potential, doing good things, but you are replaceable. Humble yourself.

This is the reminder that we take from this verse and the reminder that should cause us to reignite our commitment to the two pillars of learning and spiritual development.

One of the results of having an amir, leader, or decision-making process is that decisions have a process by which they should be made. Indeed, this sounds so simple that it is almost foolish to state it, but it is many times forgotten.

This is an important principle in organizational work because if a person was to make their own decisions and own initiatives at all times then there is no cohesion to the group. When there is a set decision-making process, ideas should pass through that mechanism before they are acted upon. A common mistake is when people begin organizing something and then seek permission afterward. This puts the decision-maker in a very tough position because if they say, “Yes,” they are encouraging the undermining of the system and if they say, “No,” they are blocking the initiative of the members.

It reminds me of when I was a kid and we really wanted someone to spend the night at our house. What we would do is invite the person and even have them talk to their parents and then after that was all done, we would go to our parents and ask them. This was a little trick that we did to put the pressure on our parents and make them approve. Of course it would always drive them crazy, and they made it very clear that any time we did this we would not have our way. We never liked that of course but both parties understood what was being done. It was a covert attempt to undermine the authority of our parents. Of course in retrospect this is not a healthy situation for all parties involved. As a kid it seemed normal, but as an adult, one notices multiple breakdowns in the unity of the group (in this case the family).

It is a seemingly simple thing but when ignored can lead to chaos and misunderstandings. So, when there is a decision-making process, that process should be followed, and if there are complaints or problems, they should be addressed directly to the leadership.

“If three people are traveling then appoint one from amongst you to be the amir (leader).”

– Narrated by al-Tabari with a sound chain of transmission.

An essential part of working for Islam is working in a group. There are many possibilities for sizes of such a group but there is always blessing in working in a collective. The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him)  said about this: “The hand of Allah is with the group.”

It is possible to accomplish together what cannot be accomplished individually. However, whenever we work together it is inevitable that we will differ in our opinions.

It is therefore imperative in all work that there is a process by which decisions are made. This should be clear, and the method should be known to those involved. This could take different forms: one amir (leader) who makes the final call on things, a simple majority vote, a council that makes decisions, etc. The thing that the Prophet ﷺ  is teaching us here is that decision-making chaos is not an option and that authority is important. There should be checks on authority, yes, but at the end of the day there are hierarchies to things. The overarching spirit behind all of this is that the collective is more important than the individual and that sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the good of the whole. Having clear processes by which we make decisions is an important aid in supporting that spirit.

So, what he teaches us in this hadith (narration of the Prophet ﷺ) is that order and structure are important. They are not goals in and of themselves, but they are means for the preservation of the collective. So when we are in a group, that group should choose who will lead it and how collective decisions will be made when differences of opinion arise.