Professionalism: Matt Damon's mindset and attitude when working in “bad movies” or roles that might suck

 

Oscar Nominee Matt Damon has starred in lots of excellent movie projects - Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, the Bourne franchise, the Martian, to name a few. 

He’s also starred in some pretty bad ones. 

What’s interesting is to learn his perspective about how he thought about starring in movies that he knows are going to be terrible. He once described a time he “fell into a depression” while filming a particularly regrettable movie project.

“Without naming any particular movies... sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” he said.

“And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go, you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember falling into a depression and questioned: What have I done?” 

My wife pulled me up, she just said, ‘We’re here now’,” 

It was then, it reminded him: 

“You know, I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor. 

And what being a professional actor means is you go and you do the 15-hour day and give it absolutely everything: even in what you know is going to be a losing effort.

“And if you can do that with the best possible attitude, then you’re a pro, and she really helped me with that.”

This is what professionalism looks like.

Sir Christopher Lee, the actor who played Count Dooku in Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Saruman in the Lord of the Rings franchise, once said, 

“Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them”

Like Matt Damon, we, too, might get bad “jobs”. The key: Never turn in a bad performance, working on them.

Ever got assigned roles which seem unremarkable or unappreciated? Maybe it’s writing the MOM, organizing the department team building, tedious contracting work, emceeing for yet another staff engagement session, or part of a “boring” task force.

Or sometimes your company or boss might assign you with cookie-cutter tasks or roles which aren’t particularly “sexy” or “glamorous”. They don’t necessarily rake in the profits, boost production, or seem worthy to appear on newsletters or intranet portals. 

Perhaps they’re the kind of assignments that make people go “meh” and question “so what?” Or tasks which you don’t like, disagree with, feel that it’s a “waste of time”, or perhaps, you’re just not excited or passionate about that work anymore. It just feels like spinning the wheels. The same mundane thing. SSDD - same stuff, different day.

Our tendency is, we become jaded, excessively cynical and just phone it in with minimal effort, just to tick off the box and get it over and done with. It becomes a venting topic at the water cooler, and we might even go on social media to whine about it and vent out our frustrations. 

Hallmarks of poor professionalism. 

In the words of Matt Damon’s wife: “you’re here now”. 

Put aside your ego and personal emotions, and instead, give it all you’ve got and commit to it with excellence & ihsan. Do it best, and move on. 

There’s a quote by Maya Angelou that says, 

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel”

Your attitude is a “live” CV, and firsthand demonstration of professionalism. People might not remember the magnitude or the contribution of the task. But people will remember the impression that your attitude left behind: How much integrity, workmanship, enthusiasm, and passion you put in, even though the task didn’t really seem all that fancy. 

Leaders with a keen eye can see that hidden potential: imagine if I actually gave this guy a flagship project. 

Team members who had the pleasure of working with you, would love to capture that same thunder again and would vouch for you, when the time comes: transfer proposals, vacancies, maybe even more? 

And that’s why, “bad movies” didn’t even cause a dent in Matt Damon’s career. He continues getting groundbreaking roles such as the 2024 Best Picture Oscar-winner Oppenheimer. 

Because he always gives it 100%, and gets back up like a boss.

And so should you.

🤝🏼 Kenapa para sahabat & salafus-soleh mengucapkan “تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنَّا وَ مِنْكُمْ” sebagai ucapan Eid / Hari Raya? 🤝🏼

 

Jubayr ibn Nufayr meriwayatkan: “apabila sahabat2 Nabi ﷺ saling berjumpa padi Hari Raya (Eid), mereka berdoa sesama sendiri: “تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنَّا وَ مِنْكُمْ” - semoga Allah menerima daripada kami dan juga daripada kamu

(Diriwayatkan dalam Al-Fath, 2/466 - Ibn Hajar berkata sanad ini hasan)

Mengapa para sahabat berdoa sedemikian? Apa significance doa ini, terutama sekali pada Hari Raya?

Di dalam surah Al-Mu’minun ayat 61, Allah menceritakan tentang sekumpulan orang soleh yang bersegera dan berlumba-lumba mengerjakan kebaikan:

أُولَٰئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ

“Mereka itu bersegera untuk kebaikan dan merekalah yang segera memperolehnya”

Apakah ciri-ciri golongan ini? Apa yang mendorong mereka begitu tekun dan bersungguh-sungguh?

Pada ayat2 sebelumnya, menjelaskan golongan ini, Allah menggambarkan sifat mereka:

Hati mereka berasa karena takut akan (azab) Tuhan mereka, beriman dengan ayat-ayat Tuhan mereka, tidak berlaku syirik (mempersekutukan sesuatu dengan Allah).

Sehinggalah sampai ayat ke 60, Allah menggambarkan, 

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ

“membelanjakan apa yang telah mereka berikan dengan hati yang takut, (mengetahui) sesungguhnya mereka akan kembali kepada Tuhan mereka.” (23:57-61)

Mendengar ayat-ayat ini, A’isya bertanya kepada Rasulullah ﷺ tentang ungkapan ringkas ini: وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ, “hati mereka takut”. A’isya hairan:

“Mengapa mereka takut? Adakah mereka berdosa seperti minum arak, berzina atau mencuri dan takut akan diazab?”

Rasulullah menjawab, “Tidak, wahai anak As-Siddiq! Bahkan, sebaliknya, mereka inilah orang yang (mengerjakan amal soleh, seperti) puasa, menunaikan solat, dan bersedekah.

Mereka lakukan semua ini, sedangkan mereka berasa takut: yang amalan-amalan mereka tidak akan diterima oleh Allah: merekalah yang bersegera dalam kebaikan”

(HR At-Tirmidzi, Ibnu Majah)

Perhatikan: Mereka bukan takut sebab dosa mereka. Bahkan, mereka beramal soleh.. Cuma, mereka takut amalan mereka tidak diterima.

Okei.. so, apa di sebalik mindset & pemikiran mereka ni?

Bayangkan, kalau syarikat kita, boss kita, dah declare awal tahun, pada bulan April: “Ok, tahun ni prestasi kau dah confirm cemerlang.” Kalau guru atau lecturer kita, awal2 sem sebelum peperiksaan dah declare kita dapat gred A+..

Bagaimana agaknya sikap kita?

Holiday la. Tak payah la usaha! Result dah setel, bah!

Naluri manusia ni, kalau kita tahu semua amalan kita diterima kita akan MALAS.

Sebaliknya, tatkala kita tak pasti dah confirm atau tidak, kita akan usaha lebih sikit. Mana la tahu, tak cukup, kualiti kurang bagus.. kena topup lebih. Kasi ngam.

Mereka sentiasa ada perasaan takut yang PRODUKTIF: Sebab mereka takut mamalan mereka tidak diterima, mereka lagi berssungguh-sungguh. Jadi, tatkala habis Ramadan, mereka bukan tinggal semua. Mereka tetap akan follow up dan istiqamah, sebab tak pasti: terima ke tidak amalan aku ni?

Inilah mindset orang-orang soleh terdahulu: Sifat tawadhu & merendah diri.

Pada satu sudut, mereka berbaik sangka dengan Allah: mengetahui Allah Maha Kaya, Maha Dermawan, Maha Penyayang, Maha Pemberi.

Manakala pada sudut yang lain pula, mereka berburuk sangka dengan diri sendiri. Mereka tidak sangkakan amalan mereka hebat. Sebaliknya, mereka rasa diri mereka banyak kekurangan - mungkin ada kecacatan pada niat, keikhlasan, atau tatacara amalan soleh mereka. 

Atas dasar itulah, seorang sahabat Nabi ﷺ, Abu Darda (radhiAllahu anhu) pernah berkata,

“Andailah aku tahu Allah menerima SATU solat yang aku kerjakan, maka itu lebih baik untukku daripada kesluruhan hidupku dan segala apa yang ada di dalamnya! Ini adalah kerana Allah berfirman:

  إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
“Sesungguhnya, Allah hanya menerima daripada orang-orang yang bertaqwa” (Surah Al-Maidah 5:27)

Dan, apakah matlamat di sebalik ibadah puasa, dan Ramadan secara keseluruhannya? 

Tidak lain, tidak bukan, untuk membina TAQWA.

Perhatikan: Abu Darda sendiri tidak yakin yang dia adalah seorang yang bertakwa, apatah lagi sama ada segala amalan-amalannya diterima atau tidak.

Diriwayatkan juga ada sebahagian salaf mengatakan: Andai aku tahu Allah terima satu SUJUD daripadaku, nescaya aku akan mohon untuk dimatikan segera.

Kerana mereka tahu, Allah Maha Pengampun, Maha Mengurniakan - dan pada masa yang sama, mereka khuatir kelemahan diri mereka sendiri.

Kita perhatikan pula contoh taqwa yang lagi hebat: KhaleelUllah, Nabi Ibrahim (alayhissalam).

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ١٢٧
Dan, tatkala Ibrahim membangunkan asas bangunan Baitullah (Ka’bah) bersama (anaknya, Nabi) Ismail, (Mereka berdoa):

"Wahai Tuhan kami, terimalah (amal) dari kami. Sungguh, Engkaulah Yang Maha Mendengar, Maha Mengetahui".

(Surah Al-Baqarah, 127)

Inilah manusia yang paling dicintai oleh Allah, sedang membangun masjid. Bukan sebarang masjid. Andailah kita dapat peluang menyumbang pembinaan masjid, nescaya kita akan rasai itu satu pelaburan yang besar. Tapi yang ibrahim dan ismail bina ini bukan sebarang masjid. Bukan calang-calang. Mereka membina Ka’bah: Masjidil Haram. Masjid yang diziarahi oleh berjuta-juta umat Islam setiap tahun, sehingga hari ini. Mereka bina, di tengah-tengah padang pasir tanpa pembangunan sekeliling.

Amalan yang mereka lakukan ini cukup HEBAT.

Kalaulah ada amalan yang kita boleh kata, “confirm Allah terima”, maka inilah dia.

TAPI.. mereka tetap memohon Allah, berdoa: رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ - Wahai Tuhan kami, TERIMALAH daripada kami.

SubhanAllah.

Kalau amalan hebat, daripada manusia2 hebat seperti Nabi Ibrahim dan Nabi Ismail, mereka tidak pernah over-confident yang amalan mereka dah diterima, maka apatah lagi saya dan anda? Kita yang iman cukup lemah ni, amal soleh berapa kerat je, dengan usaha kerdil ni.

Sebab itu lah, para sahabat mendoakan doa ini setelah selesai Ramadan:

Pada satu sudut, mereka mengucapkan tahniah. Setelah berakhirnya musim ibadah yang terbesar dalam setahun, setelah meletakkan usaha yang gigih, dan bersangka baik dengan sahabat lain, pasti kamu ada yang berusaha dengan lebih baik.

Juga penuh dengan perasaan tawadhu - “aku tak tahu kalau Allah terima amalan aku atau tidak”.

Bagi mereka - seperti diri saya - yang merasa usaha sangatlah lemah, maka kita berharap, yang Allah terima serba sedikit, usaha yang tidak seberapa ini, dan kurniakan keberkatan ke atasnya.

Kerana pada masa yang sama, yang lebih utama, doa ini menggambarkan mereka bersangka baik - husnu dzon - dengan ALLAH, yang akan mengurniakan sebaik-baik balasan, di dunia dan akhirat.

Hebat, doa ni, kawan2. Jom kita biasakan diri kita menyebut-nyebut doa ini kepada ahli keluarga dan sahabat2 kita. Mungkin awal2 kita akan rasa janggal sikit, sebab tak biasa sebut. Tapi kalau kita practice sikit demi sedikit, insha Allah jadi mudah.

Alhamdulillah, selesai sudah Ramadan tahun ini. Dengan itu, saya doakan, untuk diri saya, keluarga saya, dan anda semua:

تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنَّا وَ مِنْكُمْ

“Semoga Allah menerima daripada kami, dan juga daripadamu”   

-Faisal أبو معاوية sekeluarga

How Allah Grooms Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to be the Greatest Leader of all time: Reflections from Surah Ad-Duha

 

During yesterday’s live discussion on The Barakah Effect we had a really insightful deep-dive on the topic, “Your Lord Has Not Forsaken You: Inspirations from Surah Ad-Duha”

On of the amazing takeaways of of Surah Ad-Duha is that it teaches us how Allah prepares the life of Muhammad ﷺ, and Sets him up - both internally and externally - to be the greatest leader of all time. 

Here are some of those aspects:

1. Self-Confidence & Assurance - Comforting words

2. Optimism - Better days ahead

3. Gratitude & Humility

4. Empathy & kindness

5. You, too, can achieve Success

Let’s break it down:

1. Self-Confidence & Assurance

In ayah #3, Allah says: 

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ٣

“Your Lord (O Muhammad ﷺ) has neither forsaken you, nor does he Hate you.”

This surah was revealed at a time when revelation has briefly stopped. Angel Jibril had not come to the Prophet for a certain duration, and the people of Quraysh were attacking him with sarcastic gaslighting remarks, telling him, “I hope your devil has abandoned you” - supposedly masking her cynicism with “good intentions” of “hope”. As a human being with emotions, words like these hurt the feelings of the Prophet ﷺ. 

In life, you will undoubtedly face difficult times where feel incredibly lonely, facing self-doubt, begin questioning yourself, in times where seemingly nobody understands what you’re going through. As the final Prophet and Messenger, no one truly knows how it feels like to bear the burden of this responsibility, nor the hurtful words and difficult situations he has to go through. 

With this ayah, Allah reaffirms the heart of the Prophet - that his Lord hasn’t forsaken him, and certainly doesn’t hate him. 

Generally speaking, as we recite these verses, they are also a reassurance for the believers: Stick to your principles, even if - or rather, ESPECIALLY when - things get tough. 

If you are living by your principles as a believer, fulfilling your purpose in life by obeying the commandments of Allah, then know, that despite what might be apparent on the surface - the loneliness, the haters, and the self-doubt - continue to do the right thing, and stick to your values. 

Rest assured: your Lord will not forsake you, nor does He Hate you. 

In other words:

وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ١٣٩

“So do not become weak, nor be sad, and you will be superior if you are indeed (true) believers.” (3:139)

2. Optimism: Better days ahead

in Ayah #4, Allah says: 

وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ٤

There are two ways we can translate and understand these ayah. Firstly, if we understand it literally, from a worldly perspective, it means “what comes later (in life), will be better than what comes before it (whether the present, or in the past).”

Secondly, it means “The Hereafter is better than the present life (in dunya)”. 

Both meanings are correct, and they ultimately culminate in one meaning to instil optimism in the Prophet ﷺ, and ultimately for us: Your best days are yet to come. 

It’s an affirmation of the Growth Mindset: Whatever challenges you go through today, is to prepare you, to shape you, to nurture you to becoming a stronger, more resilient person. Whatever difficulties you face today that are outside of your comfort zone, be patient: this too shall pass. And it’s only a matter of time until you adapt, you get better, and if you face this situation again in the future, it’s easy for you.

From the other perspective, this ayah talks about a very important life Principle, as Steven Covey labels as #2 out of the famous 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: Begin with the End in Mind. 

Ultimately, even if things don’t necessarily improve, in the grand scheme of things, the life in this world is only a temporary existence. The true reward - the true success, true eternal happiness and settling down - lies beyond this life: in the Hereafter. 

And as long as you keep on this Straight Path, none of your efforts will go to waste. As He says in the following ayah,

وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ ٥

“And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.”

3. Gratitude & Humility

Allah then continues in ayah #6 - #8: 

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ ٦ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ ٧وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ ٨

“Did He not find you (O Muhammad ﷺ) an orphan and gave you a refuge?

And He found you lost and provided Guidance?

And He found you poor and made you rich (self-sufficient with self-contentment)?”

Here Allah reminds the Prophet of the favors He granted him - from his weak state of being an orphan, living without guidance, and living in poverty - and how Allah elevated him from all these adversities. 

It’s also worth noting, a little factual detail in sirah. On one hand, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born of the noble family of Banu Hashim - being raised in an environment of leadership and nobility. Yet Banu Hashim wasn't wealthy, and was in difficult economic circumstances.: as a result, the Prophet ﷺ always had to pour in extra effort, even to help out the housechores of the family of his uncle and guardian, Abu Talib. So, he was conditioned to leadership and taking responsibility through those hard times.

And reciting this ayah, we can reflect this for ourselves, too:

Wasn’t there a time when we, too were weak and helpless? And how people around us had taken care of us, sheltered us, provided us guidance - Our parents, our teachers, our friends, our mentors? 

Wasn’t there a time when we knew nothing? Yet Allah had placed in our midst, guardians, teachers, friends, who paved the way for knowledge, showed us the path, enlightened us, elevated us from the life of ignorance?

For many of us, trying to lead righteous lives - wasn’t there a time when we lived a path of sins and disobedience? Didn’t we, too, have a past that we are ashamed of? How did Allah help us and bring us from that darkness into Light?

For many of us who are earning sustenance for ourselves and raising our family - wasn’t there a time when we were struggling to finish our studies, find a job, and struggle to earn a good livelihood? Haven't we all been struck and touched by those miracle moments? 

Here, Allah teaches His Prophet - and by extension, you and me - a lesson in Gratitude and Humility, to be a better person, a better leader, for the people around us. 

He reminds us,

وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ 

“And do good (to others), just as how Allāh has done good to you.” (28:77)

Just as He was Generous and Kind with you, shouldn’t you, too, spread kindness and generosity with others? Shouldn’t you, too, play a role to help & elevate others, as others played a role in your life?

He also reminds us: None of this is done out of your own efforts. ALL of this was granted to you by Allah - even if you didn’t ask for it. There are many who don’t have half of the blessings that you have. And just has He granted it, He can also take it away. So don’t get arrogant, and never forget to attribute those Blessings to the One who granted it to you. 

Yes, Allah had elevated your situation and circumstance, but remember, there are many others who are still living in that state - perhaps even worse. Remember your humble origins.

And this ayah also reinforce the message of Optimism: If you're going through hard times, remember, there was a time when Allah elevated you in the past. And if He could do that back then, He could do it again in the future. Hang in there, buddy!

4. Empathy and Kindness

فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ٩ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ١٠

“And as for the orphan, do not oppress. And for the beggar, do not repulse him.”

The Prophet ﷺ was raised in an environment of hardship: having lived, firsthand, his entire life as an orphan who couldn’t read or write. And until he was married to Khadijah, he was always living a life of difficulty and poverty. 

Knowing what it’s like to live in tough times, his upbringing conditioned him to have empathy for the underprivileged in society. Treat them with kindness. 

Sure, we might not necessarily have lived through the hardship that others, as the Prophet ﷺ himself went through. At least, acknowledge that we are ignorant and lack knowledge of their suffering, and have the humility to learn and empathize - to listen to them, put ourselves in their shoes.

By instilling these values to treat the “lower class” of society, by extension, Allah also trains us to have kindness and gentleness to the rest of society. 

In a materialistic community, people tend to be “nice” only to the upper class, yet they are mean and nasty to the weak of society such as the poor and the orphans. On a superficial level, it can difficult to be kind and gentle to people who seemingly can’t offer you anything “in return”, and therefore it can annoy people and make them uncomfortable confronting these underprivileged “nobodys”. 

Allah therefore Reminds us: Don’t stoop to that level. Be better than that. You’re not doing this for them: You’re doing this for Allah!

If you don’t want to give, you don’t have to be nasty while doing it. If you don’t want to give extra, then at least fulfill their rights. 

If you can condition yourself to practice kindness, gentleness and generosity, to the weak of society, then it’s a whole lot easier to be kind and gentle to others. 

 

5. You, too, can achieve Success

Ultimately, these verses remind us that the life of the Prophet should also instil hope that ANY of us can be successful in life. He was an orphan, poor, and illiterate. In those days, any one of these three elements would have been a major handicap against success. Yet, by the Mercy of Allah, He elevated the Prophet to becoming the greatest leader in the history of mankind. 

Even if we lack knowledge, are poor, or are underprivileged society, we have what it takes to achieve extraordinary success - if we put in the effort!

“Let’s Be the Change!” - Alumni sharing, Dynamic Leadership (DL) Cohort #18 kickoff, April 2024

Recently, I volunteered to give conduct a short sharing to the new participants under Dynamic Leadership (DL) - back in my day, it was called Managerial Excellence (ME). This course was designed for newly appointed managers over a course of 4-months, with a mix of in-person classroom sessions, virtual classroom, and assignments. To get participants fired up, during the virtual kickoff, organizers at PLC place a slot for DL alumni - past participants who’ve attended previous sessions - to address these new leaders & set the learning into context in relation to the organization’s aspirations. 

It was an excellent program, and so the moment I graduated from my ME course last November 2023, I immediately reached out to the PLC team - guys, let me be your alumni!

I’ve always wanted this opportunity to reach out to my fellow managers, to share some honest insights and hopefully inspire them throughout this journey.

Some key messages I shared: 

1. Congratulations! The organization has seen some qualities in you to deem you worthy to entrust you with handling and the most important resource of the organization: Our people. So let’s make it count

2. My own struggles as a new manager - the message I wanted to send to them was, it isn’t easy! I faced immense struggles right off the gate, and the challenges keep coming. Being overwhelmed, confronting impostor syndrome, questioning yourself if you’re doing the right thing, facing ruthless criticism, feeling hopelessly at a dead end.. if you’ve ever felt this way, I’ve got news: This is normal. 

    

Yes, it’s tough. 

    

But as a Leader once shared with us, “I have good news and I have bad news”. 

The bad news: It’s going to get TOUGHER. The good news is: You’re going to get BETTER. 

The key to thrive as a leader, isn’t to fret and lose hope, but rather, to embrace the future possibility that we will grow to adapt, and expand our abilities to handle greater challenges! 

    

3. Let’s BE the change: 

Let’s be honest. Chances are, some of us might have had (or are currently having) leaders who aren’t quite “model examples”. Maybe our leaders are poor listeners, don’t practice psychological safety, are terrible at giving, seeking or receiving feedback, lack the courage to act, just don’t care about our development, or bootlickers who “kiss up, kick down”.

    

Now, we can either look at this situation like whining cynical netizens, or we can step up to break the cycle, to do things differently. 

     

As our leader shared a recent townhall event: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. 

    

The company didn’t appoint us as leaders to perpetuate the problem. They appointed us to be part of the solution. 

    

Now that we are leaders, this is our chance to make a difference in our capacity. 

    

So, let’s step up, and BE that change: together.

We got this, guys!

QTG Leaders Conversation: “Courage to Lead” - 5th March 2024, SKA Auditorium

 

For our recent department Staff Engagement Session (SES) Leaders engagement, I decided to try out something new: Instead of just having an open mic session squaring off between the leaders and audience, let’s put more structure to it. Have Leadership conversations that are more relatable, more engaging and inspiring to the grassroots and team on the ground - set the tone, and have open mic Q&As in between.

The Conversation was split into two parts:

Panel #1: A conversation with new leaders - Hear some behind-the-scenes thoughts from our newly appointed managers. What are the struggles they went through (and still going through!), how they adapted from the drastic change from their previous roles, how these roles pushed them beyond their comfort zone, the culture shock they had to confront, and what are they aspire to do differently now that they are in the driver’s seat.

Panel #2: we bring our senior leaders and Head department to shed light and thoughts on the previous conversation on developing leaders; where we also relay the “tough” questions submitted online and through our cultural survey.

My role as the moderator is to shine the spotlight on our leaders, especially the young managers: Let’s break down barriers between “bosses and the rakyat” - use this platform to allow our colleagues to hear this side of the story, get to know our leaders on a more personal, human level. My hopes is that we can bring the team one step closer to build bridges, form connections and close gaps between our colleagues and our LT, and inspires trust and loyalty in the team while at the same time, trigger some takeaway, actionable points that they can develop in themselves and instil leadership in whatever role they are playing.

After all, as Simon (Sinek) says, “Leadership is not a rank or a position. It is a CHOICE: A choice to look after the person to the left of us & the person to the right of us”.

Highlights & Takeaway points:

✅ Always find good mentors and teachers. Mentors don’t necessarily have to be more senior - they might even be your own subordinates. Use this learning curve as an opportunity to build bridges, instil trust and respect amongst one another

✅ Never be ashamed to Ask for help - reach out to others, always find a way to improve. If you reach a dead end (no precedence, no “experts”), just create avenues to learn: Create your own study circles, form your own Community of Practice.

✅ Journalling - write down the things that you’ve learnt. Even the soft skills. On top of your technical skills, put more mindfulness on leadership aspects of your professional growth: Communication, listening, strategy, stakeholder interaction, difficult conversations. Learn and write the things you “should” do, and also, write down what you should NOT do. As you learn and grow, learn to be better at filtering knowledge: Ambil yang jernih, buang yang keruh (take the good, filter out the bad)

✅ Stay away from toxic influences who will demoralize you and make you “lose hope” of progress. Life’s too short to be surrounded by these energy drainers. Find positive role models who can inspire you to keep progressing forward

✅ The key to effective communication is SINCERITY.

✅ If you feel like you’ve reached a “dead end” in your career, doing the same thing again and again, realign your intentions of working, re-discover that passion from within. Perhaps this might be a triggering point for you to challenge yourself to do something different: reignite that spark!

✅ Leaders, just like all human beings, are a “work in progress”. We are never a “finished product”. We make mistakes, we try to learn from them and improve - and, we will make mistakes again!

✅ No matter how great they are, leaders are human, too. We have flaws, emotions and weaknesses. If we find gaps and flaws to be improved, let’s work together, help and collaborate to bring improvement. Sama sama!

✅ When the organization undergoes re-organization, especially when it seemingly “reverts back to its former structure”, look at it hollisticallly: the organization is growing and learning, too. Don’t be quick to judge that the leaders are “flip flopping” or just to satisfy "an agenda".

✅ Some may feel that people don’t listen to our feedback, but that’s our personal perception. The reality is, feedback is being processed and listened to, and while we improve certain aspects, other aspects might not be seen. Sometimes your feedback may contradict feedback given by others. Sometimes some aspects require a major change. Change takes time.

✅ When we try to improve and bring a solution to the team, sometimes that opens up door for new, unexpected challenges (i.e. from “insufficient people” to “overwhelmingly huge team”) - we must learn to be agile, resilient and adaptable

✅ Leaders are willing to listen - but are YOU willing to talk and open up?

“Perhaps I can give it a try?” - the Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

 “Perhaps I can give it a try?”

That was the first step triggered my entire experience volunteering as an MC. 

The year is 2012. Mufti Ismail Menk comes to Malaysia for the first time, in the event titled Mufti Menk Live in KL, MMKL2012.

A few days before the event. Logistics for the speaker, venue, ticketing, registrations, promotions. Ready. All good to go.

Only one problem. 

“Hey ermm… who's the Emcee?”

Silence. Followed by panic. We didn't have anyone. 

I considered: Perhaps I could give it a try?

Then, reality check: Whoa, why me? I’ve never done public speaking or debates back in school. I’m clearly not fit for the job.

But wait. We have time to prepare. Just come up with a script, memorize, read it well, and keep rehearsing. Leave a good impression for the organizers, that’s enough. Step up! 

I spoke up.

“Err.. perhaps I can try?”

A huge sound of relief can be heard in the meeting room, to fill up this much avoided task. 

Now, the task was simple enough: just introduce the speaker, introduce the event, welcome the audience, give a background of the organizers. 5 minutes, max. 

But for an introvert who isn’t a natural speaker, who wasn’t “born with the talent”, that was not easy! The prep time for those few minutes.. i spent more than 5 hours to prepare. Scripting, practicing, rehearsing, repeat. 

Fast forward, the next year in 2013: Mufti Menk comes back to KL. “Bro Faisal, can you become the MC again?”

One more time? For real? Hmm.. okay then. Perhaps, we can try to do even better. Improve a little bit more.

2014, repeat.

2015: The event gets upgraded to a full-blown convention: The Straight Path (TSP). Adding speakers such as Dr. Muhammad Salah, Sheih Saeed Rageah, Abdul Rahim Green. Wow, big event. 

“Bro Faisal - can you be our emcee?”

Gulp. No way. One talk, sure. But a convention? That’s totally different level!

Okay. Another opportunity to challenge ourselves. Let’s give it a try. 

Alhamdulillah, I get invited to the next TSP. And the next. And since then, I’ve become the emcee every year. Every event, an opportunity to improve, and opening more doors, as stepping stones to something greater in meeting new people, experiencing new events. 

Now, 12 years later, in 2024, I was invited to become emcee for the very first Perlis International Sunnah Convention (PISC), masha Allah.

The reason I’m writing this isn’t to tell you how “great” I am. Quite the opposite. I really just a normal guy who doesn’t have any “talent” in public speaking. Over the years, I slowly learn, slowly develop. But it all starts with the courage to take that first step.

The reason I’m writing this is a rally call for my friends out there to step up. Be the change you want to see. Seize the opportunities as they come, because they may never come again. Step out of your comfort zone, to try new things and tackle new challenges. Dare to fail, keep improving. 

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

“Cuba je.. mana la tahu” - menjadi Emcee PISC2024

 

Demikianlah titik permulaan saya dalam pengalaman sebagai emcee sukarelawan. 

Tahun 2012. Mufti Ismail Menk datang ke Malaysia pada kali pertama: Mufti Menk Live in KL, MMKL2012.

Beberapa hari sebelum event: Semua dah bersedia. Logistik utk speaker, selesai. Venue, settle. Tiket, sistem pendaftaran, promosi.. good to go. 

Satu je masalah.

“Chup.. korang takde emcee ke?”

“Eh.. yelah…!”

Habis semua panic. Korang kenal tak, siapa2 brothers yg boleh jadi MC? 

Silence. Loud sigh: Payah betul cari emcee melayu lelaki yang berbahasa inggeris. Rare species. 

Aduh.. Jam. Macam mana ni? 

Kemudian, saya terfikir: Sampai bila kita nak mengeluh “susah nak cari emcee melayu yg cakap English”?

Mungkin saya boleh try..?

Eh, sat sat… takkan aku kot.. aku tak pernah ada pengalaman emcee. Tak pernah public speaking atau berdebat waktu zaman sekolah. Bagi la orang lain. Don't make a fool out of yourself, bro. 

Tapi, terfikir: Ada masa nak prepare. Just buat skrip, hafal, baca dengan baik.. peluang untuk leave a good impression.. cukup ah. Try la. Cabar diri sikit, luar comfort zone. Mudahkan penganjur.. Jadi spare tire. At least ada la bidan terjun ready untuk islamic. Lepas ni takde la pening kepala sangat cari Emcee. Apa kata kita buat something crazy: step up and be the change we want to see? 

Faisal: “err.. I boleh cuba?”

Kedengaran suasana lega dalam bilik mesyuarat. Happy. Akhirnya ada orang step up buat kerja yang orang tak mau.

Waktu tu, tugas saya sempoi je. Setakat introduce speaker, introduce to event, background tentang penganjur.. saya kira, 5 minit je max. Tapi cuak weh.. saya ambik masa lebih daripada 5 jam untuk prepare. Tulis skrip, praktis, rehearse, ulang, praktis, ulang.

Fast forward tahun seterusnya, 2013: Mufti Menk datang lagi. “Bro Faisal, boleh jadi Emcee lagi?”

Oh, jemput saya one more time? Biar benar. Masha Allah. Okay, ni peluang saya buat lagi bagus. Cuba improve sikit lagi. 

2014, Mufti datang. Jemput saya lagi. Okay, cuba improve lagi. Prep time reduce dari 5 jam ke 3 jam. 

2015: Acara dinaiktaraf kepada tahap konvensyen: The Straight Path (TSP). Menambah penceramah lain seperti Dr. Muhammad Salah, Sheikh Rageah, Abdul Rahim Green. Wow. Big event. “Bro Faisal, boleh jadi Emcee?”

Gulp.. bair benar. Konvensyen? That's a totally different level. Okay2. Bro cuba.

Alhamdulillah, dijemput lagi TSP seterusnya. Semenjak TSP yang pertama tersebut, setiap tahun saya jadi emcee. Setiap acara, saya improve, dan setiap acara, laksana batu loncatan, satu per satu membuka pintu baru, kenalan baru, dijemput emcee event lain. 

Sehingga lah kini.. 12 tahun kemudian, tahun 2024. Dikurniakan peluang, dijemput menjadi emcee untuk Perlis International Sunnah Convention (PISC) yang pertama, 2024. masha Allah. 

Tujuan saya menulis ni bukanlah nak cakap saya hebat. Quite the opposite. Saya ni tak pandai pun. Over the years, slowly belajar. Tapi segalanya bermula dengan memberanikan diri mengambil langkah pertama.

Tujuan penulisan ini adalah sebagai pengajaran bagi sahabat2 lain untuk step up. Be the change you want to see. Seize opportunities. Step out of your comfort zone to try new things and tackle new challenges. Dare to fail, keep improving.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

🎤 Exposed: My Experience Working with Amin Idris

Alhamdulillah, Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2024 (PISC2024) last weekend opened up an opportunity to be working and collaborating with brother Amin Idris for the first time, sharing the stage as co-MC’s. 

I've always wondered: how is it like to be co-Emceeing with an actual professional?

So, in this post, I am going to expose: How it's really like to work with the one and only Amin Idris.

In short: He’s a consummate professional, both on and off-stage, and an absolute joy to work with. 

Masha Allah, Allahumma barik.

Here is what I’ve learnt:

1. Dedication - the day before the event, he was shooting for a program in KL that ended 11pm before driving from KL to Perlis, spending the whole night road tripping (by himself!) arriving at 7am on the day of the event, and immediately started. 

But you can't tell. He shows up hitting the ground running, giving 100% like any other day.

Throughout the event, he's always alert, keen to receive instructions, being flexible for changes, and unlike some MC's I've worked with in the past, he doesn't abandon his post; always there, even during my slots.

Every time I express my amazement at his work ethic, he'll brush it off with some phrase like "kerja bro" or some dismissive excuse like "takut dengan Mufti” 🤣 .

In other words: That's the job.

2. Collaboration as MC. 

This event is the first time I've had a partnering Co-Emcee for an Islamic convention - let alone with a well-known public figure and professional speaker - and being the underdog volunteer, admittedly I was very nervous going in. Am I going to look foolish up there against this certified pro?

Should I just render myself irrelevant, take a step back and just let Amin dominate the stage?

Surprisingly, it wasn't like that at all. Working with him has been a very pleasant collaborative experience. I immediately felt we clicked with chemistry on the get go: We would exchange ideas & suggestions, seek and fully support each other's ideas. Onstage, he would always encourage me & open up space to speak, keep the momentum going, and help trigger my talking points when it appears I might have forgotten or shut down 😅

3. Handle Criticism like a Champ - 

As he just learned for the first time (and I've personally experienced), having Sheikh Assim as a panelist is very scary, if you're the Moderator. Be prepared to take a jab or two at your questions! But Amin handled it well, laughing it off with constructive remarks, even inviting Sheikh to "tease him some more" (by which Sheikh Assim happily responded, "no problem").

Amin shared that in the past, when he gave one of the speakers the indication of Times Up, the speaker called him a "dajjal" for "stopping the da'wah". Ouch!

But just as he does with the netizens commenting on his pages, he takes it like a champ and moves on. And this is something we should all learn from. 

Being able to stay cool while handling criticisms requires professionalism, humility and self-confidence. 

4. Akhlaq - I think this is my favorite aspect working with him. He's always got this aura of likeability: very welcoming, friendly, humble, accommodating and inclusive. Having conversations with him can make you feel like old buddies even though we just knew each other. The more I hang out with him, the more I’m inspired - from his origins of writing books at a young age, to his journey achieving 100k subscribers on YouTube, to him never missing his daughter’s sports events until this event (”sebab takut Mufti”)

Beyond that, he doesn’t discriminate his akhlaq, where it's a shaykh, or some random strangers requesting a selfie. 

I honestly feel that this is his underlying drivers of success: his offline akhlaq, coupled with his professional ethic and commitment, that always leaves people with a good impression. Because they enjoy working with him, people call him back to collaborate, therefore continuously creating opportunities and allowing him to always push his limits towards improving.

This reminds me of one of the previous PETRONAS Cultural Beliefs: Nurture Trust. 

Come for the professional services & work ethic, stay because of the akhlaq.

Sorry Amin, terlebih puji sikit. Best kerja ngan hang. It's been an honor & pleasure, my bro.

Semoga dpt peluang bekerjasama lagi (PISC2025 let's GO?)

PISC2024 Forum, Day 2: “Islam & Iconoclasm” with Sheikh Wasim Kempson + Dr. Muhammad Salah (full video on PROmediaTAJDID)

 

Definition of Iconoclasm: A belief that people should reject religious images (like icons or monuments) by destroying or avoiding them.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FORUM:

1. Historically, iconoclasm - destroying idols - is often spoken about in derogatory terms - as a heretical or deviant movement. Why is this the case? Isn’t this something to uphold tauhid?

2. What is the significance of imagery in religion - what is the connection between images and ibadah?

3. Common practice among Muslims: hanging pictures of righteous people such as “wali” on the wall. They don’t really have any intention of worshipping this righteous people, and they say it is to remind us to come closer to Allah. What’s the problem?

4. Seems there is a repeated tendency of human beings to return to shirik (idolatry, associating partners with Allah). We learnt from the history of shirik - in the case of the people of Nuh, in Amr bin Luhay. Even Prophet Musa, when he left, they immediately set up idol to worship. Is this totally the role of shaitan, or our human tendency to be inclined to imagery, drawn to idol worship?

5. A common symbol we have here is the “capal” - a drawing that allegedly represents the sandals/slippers of the Prophet ﷺ. They put this symbol as the brands, they wear this on their headgear, their clothing. What is the ruling of this? 

6. Some Muslim businesses have these symbols they hang up with the intention of attracting “better business” - from numbers such as 786, to putting up little mini-Qurans up the ceiling - what’s the ruling here? Is this a form of shirik?

7. In Malaysia, we live in a multicutural society - Malay, Chinese, Indians, and ethnic groups with diverse cultural practices. Some of these cultural symbols look relatively harmless, they have an exotic value, but when you dive deep into the origins, turns out that much of it is actually grounded in shirk. How do we navigate these problems while trying to integrate with other cultures?

8. Youth today are very much exposed to items like Oulja boards, divination, fortune telling, amulets as jewellery, and many similar things that deal with black magic and sorcery are becoming mainstream in modern day media, something that is seen as "fun & games". How do we protect our youth from such issues?

9. Islam seems to place strict restrictions on hanging pictures, for reasons that this can lead to eventually being led to idol worship. But what about family photos - we hang them up, without any intention of spirituality, worship or ibadah. A person just wants to hang up pictures of his daughter, his wife, on the wall, because he loves to be reminded of them. Is this still an issue?

Office politics: A Refreshing View

 

"You have to learn how to play the game."

When it comes to office politics, this is the common "advice" people give. But I found it very vague, impractical, and always made me feel uncomfortable. What does that even mean to "play the game"?

In the book “Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For - A Guide for New Leaders”, author William Gentry offers a refreshing and enlightening perspective, some of the best guidelines and advice to approaching office politics in a mature, professional way: Being political savvy. 

Thankfully, it’s not a game of thrones matter of either-you-win-or-you-die. 

Quite the contrary. In a nutshell, political savvy is about being sincere and authentic in all that you say and do, and leave people with a good impression.

This, I like. 

Quoting from the book:

“For many, politics is a necessary evil or a game to play. Favoritism, bullying, power struggles, and self-interest abound. These individuals see people making others feel small, stealing credit, or passing off the work of others as their own to get attention, glory, power, or resources. And bending or blatantly breaking rules and manipulating the system or people to get what they personally want.

Those who flip their perspective see politics differently.  They understand that politics aren't negative or positive. It's simply their air we breathe in organizations. This is not to say that they are naïve. They understand there are competing interests, scarce resources, ambiguity, unclear rules and regulations, and a lack of information.

The difference? They don’t let those perceptions get in the way of their goal to bring transparency and clarity to their teams, their coworkers, or stakeholders they work with. 

Goals of being Political Savvy: remove uncertainty and bring transparency, clarity, and a shared meaning to those you work with, so everyone knows what to expect, through the following:

1. Understand yourself and the environment around you - Having social astuteness: to objectively scan, observe, and gather information about yourself and the people and environment around you, so you thoroughly understand the thoughts, behaviors, and needs of coworkers and stakeholders you interact with. It’s also about impulse control (managing your temper) and remaining calm in the storm that is around you. It’s thinking before you speak and act.

2. Use that knowledge to be flexible and versatile enough to obtain goals that benefit you and others - Find common ground and do what needs to be done, so everyone wins something and feels good about the final result. 

3. Act in a sincere and authentic way - Leave people with a good impression: as a relationship builder who is seen as “flexible” and “adaptable”. If you do it in an inauthentic way, you’ll probably be labelled as “cunning”, “sly” or “obsessed with power”. 

If you have political savvy, you appear not to have it. Everything you do—your behaviors, your actions, the words you say—are all genuine, transparent, and authentic

That doesn’t sound bad, does it? Being politically savvy does not mean someone else must lose for you to win. It’s not about selfishness, having a façade, being a chameleon, or inauthenticity. Instead, it involves the sincere use of your skills, behaviors, and qualities to remove uncertainty and obtain goals that benefit you and others at the same time.

Over the years, we continuously find that managers with political savvy are seen as better leaders, more promotable, and less likely to derail in their careers according to their boss, peers, and direct reports. So don’t think of political savvy as being a brownnoser, a backstabber, a backroom dealer, a schmoozer, a shark, or a snake. It’s not embarrassing, patronizing, or inauthentic." (End Quote)

I like this point of view - it's straightforward, practical, and most importantly: Sincere. What do you think?

🏙️ Dunya is a Prison for the Believer

 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ
“This worldly life is a prison for the believer and Paradise for a disbeliever.”
(Muslim #2956)

When I first heard of this hadith, it kind of confused me. Why is this world a prison? As Muslims, are we expected to live a life of suffering?

It turns out the meaning is much deeper, and in fact, a lot more inspiring and motivating than that when we see it from the right perspective.

Once, the scholar al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani was walking through a market. At the time, as the Qadi, he was with his entourage riding a great, beautiful and magnificent animal mount. Suddenly a Jewish man, who is a flaxseed oil seller (i.e. one who lived in very poor and harsh conditions) came running towards him. The Jew was wearing an old worn out and dirty shirt.

He grabbed and stops the mule Ibn Hajar was riding and said: “Oh Shaykh al-Islam! You claimed that your prophet said: “The world is prison for a believer and paradise for a disbeliever,”

Then, in what way are you imprisoned and how am I in paradise right now?”

Ibn Hajar responded:

“If I was to compare the blessings Allah has promised for me in paradise in hereafter, then it is as if I am in prison right now!

While for you, if you want to compare your situation right now with what has been promised for you in hereafter, it is as if you are in paradise right now.”

Then, the Jewish man embraced Islam.

(Narrated in Faid al-Qadir (3/546))

What an amazing, honorable response. When we understand this hadith through the lens of iman - especially belief in the Last Day - it becomes a powerful motivational reminder of the nature of life in this world.

Here are six major life lessons we can learn from the Hadith, of the perspective on the life of this world:

1. Delayed gratification - be patient. The BEST is yet to come, in the Hereafter.

Imam al-Nawawi said the hadith means that by virtue of following the shari'ah, every believer is imprisoned and prevented in this world from prohibited and makruh (undesirable) desires. Every mukallaf Muslim (i.e. those who have reached maturity and therefore is accountable for his deeds) is commanded to be in complete obedience. However, when he dies - once he is released from this prison - he will no longer have to bear this responsibility. This will entirely change, where Allah SWT promised eternal and true blessings, leisure and comfort where it will forever increase without decreasing even a little. As for disbelievers, they are able to attain some sort of worldly comfort in this life. However, when he dies, he will be forever punished and be in eternal suffering. (Al-Minhaj, 93/18).

Yes, in this life as Muslims, Allah has placed on us restrictions, limitations and must practice restraint to obey His Commandments. And in that sense, it is as if we are in a prison. But the hadith reminds us that the true reward - Paradise - awaits after we depart from this world. Death is actually a form of release, a freedom from these restrictions.
   
The Prophet ﷺ described that a brief moment in paradise is  enough for us to forget ALL the suffering we faced in this worldly existence.
   
Rejoice and be optimistic for what's waiting for you on the other side, in the Hereafter, after you break free from this prison!
   
2. Lowering expectations - It's not supposed to be comfortable!

Prison, like the life of this world, is only a temporary transit phase, so expect it to be uncomfortable and difficult.

Allah also says   
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ
”Verily, We have created man in difficulty and hardship”.(Surah Al-Balad, 4)
  
   
3. Don't get attached - The Prophet ﷺ said, “be in this world like a traveler, or a wayfarer” (Al-Bukhari).
Just like the guarantee of death, you (and everyone else) will definitely get out of this prison of dunya! The allure of this world, with its riches and its enjoyment, is indeed very tempting, and it’s easy for us to get lost in the pursuit of attaining these, at the expense of the big picture of our success Hereafter. Whatever limited resources you have in this prison, practice generosity and share those limited blessings to others (i.e. your fellow inmates!), because you will leave your possessions behind anyway. It’s just a matter of time.

4. Defects of worldly pleasures - To a disbeliever, this entire worldly life IS the life. YOLO. Because they don't believe in the concept of accountability of the Last Day, the idea is to enjoy this life to the fullest: hence why the Prophet ﷺ describes it as a "Paradise for the disbeliever".

The believer, on the other hand, recognizes that the life of this world is only a testing ground, the pleasures of this world are designed to be fundamentally defective. No matter how beautiful or enjoyable the pleasures may be, they will always be imperfect. Food, wealth, possessions, fame, entertainment - there’s always a “catch”. Either it’s flawed, gives some unwanted side effects, or will simply deteriorate over time. But the reward in the Hereafter is perfect and everlasting - so keep your eyes on the Prize!

5. A place of reform - As we’ve witnessed in real-life scenarios, many people change for the better, when they are in prison. Thousands of prisoners have reformed themselves, turned to Allah and reverted to Islam while they are incarcerated. Why? Prison allows a unique opportunity: isolation and quiet, which can be difficult amidst the hustle-and-bustle and rat race of society. When we have more time in isolation by ourselves, it gives us moments of opportunity to reflect. To reconnect with our purpose, prioritize our lives.

What can we learn from this?
Firstly, make time for quiet reflection in your own life: whether it is for self-accounting (muhasabah) and repentance, opening up your hearts to Allah in du’aa, or contemplation (tadabbur) of the ayaat (verses) of the Qur’an. Don’t wait until you get to prison to change! Secondly, it’s not prison itself that changes them, because the reality is, there are also many other prisoners who become worse in prison. We need to make the conscious CHOICE and take action to change!

6. Gratitude - If this “prison” of yours is comfortable, then be grateful and content! We should realize that for many of us, QaddarAllah, out of Allah’s Mercy and Kindness, He has granted us very comfortable lives above millions of others across the world. The Prophet ﷺ reminded us that “Whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and he has his food for the day, it is as if he were given the entire world!” (at-Tirmidhī #2346), Just watch the news and the state of the world that we are in today in the 21st century: Even basic pleasures is a privilege that many other fellow human beings weren’t granted. Even though prison is supposed to be difficult and uncomfortable, we get it much easier than so many others. Don’t waste this beautiful privilege!

Finally, one might ask - does this mean that when you embrace Islam, you are choosing to be imprisoned?

Here's the perspective we should see it: Having belief & embracing Islam isn't a matter of "choosing" to be be imprisoned; rather, it's to realize that we already ARE living in one.

Our Mamacat Simba gave birth to three beautiful kittens, masha Allah.. Ahlan Wa sahlan 😽😸😻

 

Such a heartwarming sight to see animals caring for their little ones. Especially when we put into perspective, that this is only a little fraction of ONE part of God’s mercy, love and kindness upon His Creation. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 

“There are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah, and out of these, He has sent down one part of mercy upon the jinn, human beings, animals and insects. 

And it is because of this (one part) that they love one another, show kindness to one another and even the beast treats its young one with affection, and Allah has reserved ninety nine parts of mercy with which He would treat His servants on the Day of Resurrection. (Muslim)

Even more profound when we ponder upon how, as the Prophet ﷺ describes, Allah is even more merciful to His slaves than a mother will ever be to her child.

'Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported that after the end of a war, some prisoners were brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). Among them was a woman who was seen desperately searching (for someone) - until she found an infant amongst the prisoners. She took hold of the little baby, pressed it against her chest and suckled her infant. Upon the sight of this touching scene, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked his companions:

“Do you think this woman would ever want to throw her child in the Fire?”

We said: “By Allah, as long as it is within her ability, she would never throw the child in Fire!”

Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

الَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا ‏

“Allah is more merciful and compassionate to His slaves than this woman is to her infant child” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)