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.

Even at a young age, the Prophet ﷺ showed amazing consideration to those around him. Despite the lack of a steady father figure and the many trials he endured in his youth, the Prophet continued to persevere and serve those who were around him.

After the death of his grandfather, he was sent to live with his Uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Talib had many children but he always treated the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as his own and did not deprive him of what he needed. He was known to be a generous man and would always feed the hujjaj (pilgrims) when they would come to make pilgrimage. Because of his intense generosity, Abu Talib was poor and struggled to keep his family fed. At the young age of thirteen, our beloved Messenger ﷺ decided that he never wanted to be a burden on the shoulders of his uncle and wanted to fend for himself. In a time where being a shepherd was seen to be lowly and unrewarding, the young Prophet ﷺ sacrificed his own image and became a shepherd, receiving the lowest pay possible.

He did whatever he could to make sure that his uncle did not have to struggle to keep him fed and carried his own weight around the house. He stayed patient and rose in ranks in the work force until he became a successful business man by the age of twenty-five. It is at this time, in a highly chauvinistic society, that Khadijah radi Allahu ‘anha (may Allah be pleased with her) hired him to work for her. Just as his ego did not prevent him from a lowly job when he needed it, again his ego did not prevent him from working for a successful woman, whom he would eventually marry.

When he did finally marry Khadijah (rA), he did not forget the generosity of his uncle. It was not enough for him that he had carried his own weight when living with his uncle, he also wanted to give back. The Prophet ﷺ returned to Abu Talib and made a noble and dignified request. He asked for one of the children of Abu Talib so that he could raise him and care for him, just as his uncle had once done for him. Abu Talib agreed and gave him Ali, who would later be a great torch bearer of Islam.

At an age where many young men are only thinking about themselves, the Prophet ﷺ was already catching every opportunity to make the lives of others easier. Had he not returned to foster one of his cousins, Abu Talib would not have been hurt. Abu Talib did not expect such a gesture; rather, it came from the pure unselfish heart of the Prophet ﷺ. He was truly a man of consideration, asking for nothing in return.