🌈 7 Layers of Hidayah: The Greatest Du’aa

Ibn Taymiyyah said: 

أنفع الدّعاء وأعظمه وأحكمه دعاء الفاتحة: "ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٧

the most beneficial, greatest and most comprehensive of all du'aa is this du'aa of Al-Fatihah: 

“Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.”

The greatest du’aa is one that we make 17 times a day, every day: in our obligatory 5-daily prayers.

One might wonder: Why ask for guidance? So much and so frequently? 

Sometimes we may know the truth but we are not able to act upon it - either because we lack ability, or simply that we are lazy and lack in motivation. 

Or we may act upon it, but we may lack sincerity in our actions. 

Or maybe we act upon, but it isn’t done correctly in accordance to the sunnah.

And more importantly, today we might be upon ‘guidance’, but what about tomorrow?

Every time we ask Allah to grant us Hidayah to the Straight Path, it’s a deep, comprehensive du’aa with many layers underneath. Here are at least seven of those layers of guidance:

1. Islam - we ask Allah to guide us to the Path of Islam, the religion chosen by the One True Creator: “Veril, religion with Allah is Islam.” (3:19)

2. Knowledge - teach me beneficial knowledge. What are the ways - the quickest, shortest, most optimal path - in which we can best attain Allah’s Mercy and forgiveness to attain success in this world and the next

3. Ability - to act upon that guidance and put that knowledge into action and practice. 

4. Motivation - to open up our hearts, and grant us the tawfiq (inspiration) to act upon the knowledge and walk the talk.

5. Sincerity - to act with pure intentions, only for His Sake, and not for praise and validation from others, neither to be recompensed in any material, wordly way. 

6. Ittiba (conformity & correctness) - to act in accordance to the sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, conforming to the standards which He Revealed his Guidance: the Qur’an and Sunnah. 

7. Steadfastness -  to keep our hearts firm, to remain consistent on that Path, and to die in the state of submission, and to meet Him while He is Pleased with us.

By default, every single human being - including you and I - are in a state of misguidance: whether it’s in one or several of these different aspects. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

يَا عِبَادِي! كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْته، فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُم

“O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you.” (Muslim)

Because we are always in a state of need for all these seven aspects of hidayah (guidance), that is why this recitation from Al-Fatihah makes it the most beneficial and comprehensive du’aa - and the only compulsory supplication that a Muslim must make every day, as the mandatory rukun (pillar) in our 5-daily prayers.

So let’s make it a point to remember: Every time we recite ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ in our prayers, try to plant in our hearts that we are asking for these seven things all at once - Islam, Knowledge, Ability, Motivation, Sincerity, Correctness, and Steadfastness.

May Allah guide us all to the Straight Path 

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!