Majlis Tilawah Al-Qur'an (MTAQ) PETRONAS 2026 - KL Convention Center, 25 Oktober

 

Susulan daripada penyertaan dalam kategori Murattal Pidato pada tahun 2025, tahun ni saya ambil kembali ke kategori asal: Hafazan.

Kategori yang dah berkali-kali masuk sejak 2013, namun tak pernah berjaya meraih Johan. Paling kuat dapat Naib Johan pada tahun 2019, dan tempat ke-3 pada tahun 2022.

Tahun ni, saya masuk dengan harapan & azam: mungkinkah 2026 peluang saya? Can I breakthrough my achievement ceiling in 2026?  

Keputusan malam tadi:

Alhamdulillah, Naib Johan 🥈 . Ceiling tetap maintain. 

Pi blajaq, come back stronger 🤣 

Johan hafazan dewasa lelaki adalah milik Dr. Muhammad Sani dari Nigeria 🇳🇬 , pensyarah UTP, dan saya akui, bacaannya cukup baik Masha Allah.. Well-deserved! ❤️ Allahumma barik 🤲🏽 

Tahun ni silibus Hafazan Dewasa lebih mencabar dari tahun2 sebelum. Tahun ni silibus termasuk keseluruhan Juzuk 1 (Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 1-141), surah Al-Kahf, surah Luqman, Al-Qalam, Al-Haaqqah, Yasin dan Ar-Rahman (mencabar untuk ditebuk, ya) 

Tahun ni sepatutnya Peringkat kebangsaan dianjurkan di Kota Kinabalu, tetapi memandangkan MTAQ tahun ini adalah tahun istimewa, sempena MTAQ ke-25 (Jubili Perak 🥈), pihak penganjur adakan khas di ibu pejabat. 

Masha Allah, 25 tahun dah program ni Jalan.. Menunjukkan komitmen management dalam sungguh2 menganjurkan MTAQ ni. Walau bagaimana cabaran2 Industri - Harga minyak jatuh mendadak, COVID... MTAQ tetap berjalan, tetap istiqamah. 

Betapa banyaknya manfaat yang ramai warga PETRONAS sekeluarga dapat manfaat dalam memperingkatkan kemahiran Al-Qur'an. Kami sendiri pun rasa banyak kebaikan semenjak saya mula turut serta pada tahun 2013.. Saya sendiri, dulu tak hafal pun surah2 ni.. Tapi bila daftar dan commit, kita paksa diri untuk pulun menghafal. Dan hafalan tu, manfaatnya berterusan. Di samping tu, seronok bertemu kawan2 baru dan dapat inspirasi daripada peserta warga PETRONAS lain yang hebat2 Masha Allah, allahumma barik 🤲🏽. 

Semoga Allah kurniakan keberkatan kepada barisan kepimpinan yang konsisten dan istiqamah agar meneruskan komitmen dalam MTAQ, dan inspirasi kepada sahabat2 untuk join sebagai peserta! 

Visionary Leadership: Navigating Change & Future Challenges - Huffaz Leadership Camp: Masjid Asy-Syakirin KLCC

 

Alhamdulillah it was an honor to connect and share with 109 students from 14 educational institutions across the nation, including International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) as well as 4 universities from Indonesia and Thailand.

The topic assigned to me was "Visionary Leadership: Navigating Change & Future Challenges", which I broke down to two parts:

1. High Aspirations - redefining what it means to be a "visionary", which we can break down to 3 dimensions: Aim High, Look Far, and Think Wide.

We focused on "Look Far": thinking long term. And that goes beyond "where you see yourselves in 10-20 years", or even the legacy you leave behind.
For Muslims, the mindset goes much further: the Hereafter.
When we view the world with this End in Mind, we can easily reframe hardships into blessings, pain into forgiveness, investment instead of sacrifice, for the wisdom not to be deceived by our present state of wealth (or lack of it), and even our social lives: to approach relationships mindful of the consequences Hereafter.

2. Future challenges: How we can build Resilience in facing a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

For this one, I break down the case study of Surah Yusuf. Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) is a unique example of a person who has gone through the highest and lowest hierarchy in society: from being raised in a prophetic household, to being sold into slavery serving the family of a noble Egyptian leader, to being imprisoned, and finally elevated to a position of leadership, taking over the position his former Master.

His journey takes him across Palestine to Egypt, Full of twists, turns, unexpected encounters, and so lots of much-needed life lessons and wisdom we can learn from.

It was also an inspiration to spend time with the organizing lecturers who made this event happen: Prof Fadzlin and her team, including Dr. Saifuddin and Dr. Liyana. They put in immense effort and overcome challenges with dedication and persistence to make this camp happen, where they faced all sorts of roadblocks, and at the same time, surprising support from sources they never expected.  An inspiring reminder of verse 2 from Surah At-Talaq that if we are sincere, Allah will send help and provide a way out: sometimes, in the form of uniting us with other like minded people.

Alhamdulillah, the students are blessed for having such passionate educators who yearn for their students holistic education on character development. Keep up the great work, allahumma barik.

May Allah continue nurturing these future leaders towards success, and leaving behind a positive, long lasting legacy for future generations.

👂🏽Being a Better Listener

Public speaking gets a lot of hype. Sure, but How many of us emphasize good listening? 

In many ways, being a great listener is an even more important life skill: for learning & development, building better relationships, strengthening rapport, resolving conflicts, influence, even negotiation. 

In his book, "Never Split the Difference", EX-FBI hostage negotiator writes about the role and importance of Listening in every negotiation (and yes, including the infamous task of "negotiating with terrorists"):

"Emotions and emotional intelligence (are) central to effective negotiation, not things to be overcome. 

It all starts with the universally applicable premise that people want to be understood and accepted. Listening is the cheapest, yet most effective concession we can make to get there. By listening intensely, a negotiator demonstrates empathy and shows a sincere desire to better understand what the other side is experiencing.

Psychotherapy research shows that when individuals feel listened to, they tend to listen to themselves more carefully and to openly evaluate and clarify their own thoughts and feelings. In addition, they tend to become less defensive and oppositional and more willing to listen to other points of view, which gets them to the calm and logical place where they can be good Getting to Yes problem solvers.

Contrary to popular opinion, listening is not a passive activity. It is the most active thing you can do." (End Quote) 

Likewise, Scholars of the past would constantly emphasize the importance and etiquette of effective listening: 

Ibrāhīm ibn al-Junayd advised his child:

"Learn the art of good listening just as you learn the art of good speech. Among the traits of good listening are: giving the speaker time until they finish, maintaining focus without darting your eyes away, facing them directly with your demeanor, and refraining from interrupting." (Kitāb al-Ṣamt - Book of Silence).

 

​Aṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ (عطاء بن أبي رباح) — the famous Tābiʿī, scholar, and Muftī of Makkah (d. 114 AH / 732 CE) said, 

​"A young man will share a narration (piece of knowledge) with me, and I listen to him as though I have never heard it before, even though I had already learned it before he was born." (Al-Adab al-Mufrad) 

The great tabi'ee, ​Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, advised his students on conversation etiquette:

"When you sit in the company of scholars, be more eager to listen than you are to speak. Learn how to listen well just as you learn how to speak well, and never cut off anyone's speech." (Jāmiʿ Bayān al-ʿIlm wa-Faḍlih)

Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah, teacher of imam Ash-Shafiee said, 

"The beginning of knowledge is listening, then understanding, then memorizing, then acting upon it, then disseminating it."

Let's make Listening Great again! 

🇬🇭 Connecting with Ghana (28/9 - 2/10)

My first international business trip (and in fact, first time to Africa 🌍) brought me to Ghana, Land of the Black Star,

previously known as the Gold Coast due to the nation's status as a major gold producer. 

Known also as “Home of African

Independence”, Ghana was actually the first sub-Saharan African colony to gain independence from British colonial rule in March 1957, the same year Malaysian gained independence, too 🇲🇾. 

Unfortunately, because we were on a short business trip, we didn't get to experience much of the city of Accra. But one thing we did experience for sure, that Ghana was famous for: the warmth of the Ghanaians. 

Our colleagues from Ghana National Petroleum Corporation  were very friendly and made us feel very welcomed throughout our stay. Since English was their national language (and they love their spicy chilli), we felt right at home. 

We had the privilege of meeting their CEO, Kwame Ntow Amoah, their directors, and our awesome technical counterparts. 

Alhamdulillah, our first time in Africa turned out to be a fruitful learning experience and meeting new friends. Looking forward for exciting opportunities to come! 

"Building A Jamaah": IQ-LEAD 2026

Alhamdulillah, grateful for the opportunity to be invited as a speaker for the International Qur’anic Leadership Programme (IQ-LEAD), organised by Huffaz Frontiers Leadership, IIUM, in collaboration with NAMA Foundation, to speak on Team Building & Management in Islamic Perspective: "Building a Jamaah" 

Around 80 participants joined the session, comprising undergraduate (79%) and postgraduate (21%) students from across the world — Malaysia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, China, and others.

It made the subject of building a jama‘ah feel especially relevant.

I started the session with a simple Mentimeter question:

“Managing people is…”

The two biggest responses? 

“Complicated” and “Challenging.”

Indeed! 

Technical capability doesn't necessarily prepare us for the complexity of human beings. Yet whether or not we aspire to become “managers”, learning how to work with people is an essential life skill — in our workplaces, families, communities, volunteer organisations and friendships.

So instead of approaching management purely through contemporary frameworks, we explored one of the most fascinating case studies of team-building in history. 

How did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ build the community of Madinah?

He had to bring together the Muhajirun and Ansar, Aws and Khazraj, different tribes and personalities, people of different faiths and backgrounds — all while facing tremendous external and internal pressures.

From there, extracting from sirah (history/biography of the Prophet ﷺ), we explored several ideas that remain remarkably relevant to organisations today:

Align people around shared values. Learn to mix with people & learn to tolerate differences without compromising values. Develop, not only good leadership, but excellent followership. Become a “multiplier": bring out the intelligence and potential of others. Learn to see the strengths in people rather than expecting everyone to contribute in exactly the same way.

In the segment "Best vs Worst leaders", students shared what they felt were the key traits of leadership: what can we adapt & learn from it. 

One lesson I wanted the students to leave with: Not everyone needs to be the person at the front lines. 

The Prophet ﷺ said, that Allah admits three people into Paradise because of one arrow: the person who makes it well, the person who shoots it, and the person who hands it to the archer.

3 people. 3 completely different roles. One shared outcome.

That, to me, is a picture of what a jama‘ah - collective, group, organization - should look like.

Perhaps we spend too much time asking: “How can I become a better leader?”

Maybe we should also ask: “What strengths has Allah given me, and how can I use them to make the jama‘ah around me stronger?”

Because building great teams is not about everyone trying to become the most important person in the room.

It is about everyone learning how to contribute their best — and helping others contribute theirs.

Firdaus Wong x TBE podcast

 Alhamdulillah.. Selesai podcast bersama sahabat kami, Firdaus Wong.

Nantikan episod kami yang bertajuk "Harga SEBUAH keberanian - di sebalik kelantangan Firdaus Wong".. Di mana kami bincang kan sedikit "personality deep dive", Memahami apa yang berlaku di sebalik tabir tatkala beliau terjebak dalam isu2 kontroversi dan tular, dan ajukan soalan2 seperti: 

🤔 Bagaimana cari keberanian bersuara - terutama sekali sebagai Rakyat Malaysia yang lebih suka berdamai dan mengelat dari konflik? 

🤔 Apakah di sebalik sikap "apologetik" yang sering jadi pendekatan ramai golongan Muslim masakini? 

🤔 Bagaimanakah isu2 ni memberi kesan kepada kehidupan peribadi dan keluarga? 

🤔 Adakah personaliti beliau sama di media sosial, dan bersama keluarga? Adakah kita "talam dua muka" jika membeza-bezakan keperibadian mengikut situasi? 

Kami juga membincangkan Topik "Leaving corporate, committing to Da'wah".. Perjalanan asal Usul beliau tatkala mengambil keputusan meninggalkan dunia korporat (dalam bidang marketing) sehingga mendedikasikan diri sepenuh masa dalam dakwah.. Serta perjalanan menarik beliau dalam belajar secara langsung dengan Dr. Zakir Naik di studio Bollywood bertaraf dunia di India dalam program International Dakwah Training Program, IDTP.. Atau seperti yang dijelaskan beliau, ada kalanya lebih wajar digelar international Dakwah and Torture program 😂. 

Bagaimanakah perjalanan beliau? Apakah faktor yang harus dipertimbangkan dalam meninggalkan kerja yang bergaji tinggi untuk memasuki dunia dakwah yang tiada jaminan atau kestabilan? 

.. Dan juga Topik menarik seperti poligami, dan/atau lain2 yang sewaktu dengannya.

Watch this space at The Barakah Effect 👀

Jazakumullahu khayran kepada Firdaus & team di The Merdeka Times. Looking forward for the release! 

Chillin with Ustadz Farhan bin Rafee

 

Alhamdulillah done recording podcast with Ustadz Farhan from Australia. Watch this space on @thebarakaheffect for thrilling, enriching and even exciting discussions on:

1. Why your heart prefers distraction—and How to Change it: why do we Crave Reels, but Not Qur'an? Why is worship "boring" to some of us, and how to "fix" it: and even *gasp* enjoy worship!

2. Marriage Mushkila: Has Modern Culture Broken Muslim Marriage?

Whats up with all this widespread fear of marriage, fear of bearing children and the increasingly viral trend of choosing "child free", and ridiculous increase in one-month-divorce marriages? 

On top of that, it's really awesome hanging out with Ustadz Farhan. The trip to and from the studio was, in many ways, just as beneficial and exciting as the actual podcast conversation. 

I am particularly inspired by his super close relationship he has with his father, Sheikh Rafi Ahmad. He calls his father every day to consult him and get advice.. Something rare in the modern world. 

I also admire his work ethic, allahumma barik. He wanted to rush back to prepare for the classes the next day. He really puts in the time, effort and passion to prepare for his lectures, and it can really be felt in his classes.. Every talk feels specially prepared. 

One big practical takeaway was the importance of having people in our lives to help keep us in check, so we don't just veer off into deviance or slip into our desires, especially in this age of social media. 

I also learnt that we are both huge fans of Tarteel app (Gotta love that AI-corrective memorization feature). I've been using the app for almost a year now and it's really helped me with consistency in Qur'an.. Highly recommended app - trust me, the premium subscription fee 100% worth the investment. 

Looking forward for the episode release! May Allah keep us steadfast, sincere and gather us in the company of the righteous in Jannatul Firdaus 🤲🏽 

Muawiyah goes to TSP2026

 #ProudFatherMoment

3 weeks ago:

"Muawiyah, Abah is going to TSP, and we will send you and (your sister) Rumaysa to Thinker Thoughts. 

"But I don't want to go to Thinker Thoughts. I want to go with you"

"Oh okay. If you go to thinker thoughts you can spend time with your friends"

"No, I like to sit with Abah more than I like to sit with my friends"

"Aww. I like to sit with you too. But don't you already meet me every day?" 

"Sometimes you come back late from work" 

*manly fatherly hugs*

Masha Allah, a Proud Father Moment as our 8yo Muawiyah joins me at the front row listening to Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem and Ustadz Farhan, studying The Book of Prayer and the Book of Marriage from Sahih Muslim, over the weekend seminar at @thestraightpathconvention

A brother made a comment, "isn't it a little early for him to learn about marriage?" 

It sure is, and Alhamdulillah in hindsight I'm so glad we brought him. 

I remember the powerful advice from Shaikh Wael, that when it comes to sex education and marriage, we parents need to step up & take proactive steps to be the authority for them. Don't ever let social media (or filthy sources like p**n) to teach your children! 

And what better way to learn about these matters than directly, from authentic Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ, straight from the 2nd most authentic compilation, Sahih Muslim? 

Gotta admit though, awkward moments as sheikh was going through Hadith on intimacy.. I was secretly hoping that Muawiyah doesn't keep probing me with questions 😅 

Shout out & kudos also to other fellow parents out there who brought their children along to the course with them: you are the future the Ummah needs! BarakAllah feekum 🤲🏽 

Reflecting on the early conversation with Muawiyah also reminds me to Savor these moments which our children crave spending more time with us. A time will come one day (bi idznillah) that they will grow and leave us.. Make the best of their childhood. 

Last night I asked him, "what did you think of The Straight Path last weekend?" 

He said, "I like it sooo much. One hundred so, and one hundred much!" 

Masha Allah. See you in the next course, Little Man.

Amin to Sheikh Assim's du'aa 🤲🏽 

Muawiyah's First Kumite Competition: UKM Sunday 31/5/26 🥋 - a proud moment of our son's growth mindset

 

The Journey of a thousand miles begins with One Step (Insha Allah 😊) 

Alhamdulillah today was the first time our 8yo Muawiyah participated in the Kumite (sparring) category for Karate. 

Coming from different states across Malaysia, it was really impressive to watch these little warriors compete in Kumite, which tests their distance management, timing, and strategy.

Muawiyah lost his first round, defeated out by an experienced competitor who used lots of high attacks and scored big with his head shots.

But to us parents, it was a huge victory in our eyes. 

It was never about "winning". It was about showing up, taking the first step to challenge Muawiyah outside of his comfort zone, and proving to himself, that he has got what it takes. 

Just a few weeks ago, he was totally hesitant to do Kumite... The mere mention of "Kumite" and "competition" in the same sentence would send him into a loud protest. His comfort zone was Kata (forms/patterns), where he was pretty good at it and wanted to stay. He didn't like the discomfort or pain of getting hit, and also the peer pressure since his most of his dojo friends (including his cousin) preferred to focus on Kata. 

But therein lies the power of a strong teacher. His sensei Zad saw potential in Muawiyah, believing he was athletic, threw strong hits and had good agility instincts. His reluctance gradually grew into "ok lah, let's try".

But the proud father moment that impresses me is that Muawiyah didn't just begrudgingly phone it in, just to please his parents or sensei. He really committed to practicing for this Kumite, and throughout the fight, he kept his composure and form throughout, and readily listened to his sensei's instructions and advice in between rounds.

Merely by participating, and scoring those two points, he proved to himself that "I can actually do this". To cross that mental barrier from "never" to "I actually have a shot at this". That character - the growth mindset - is what we want. From here, if he keeps up that attitude, all he needs is technique & practice to go higher and higher. 

Now that we've overcame that barrier, here's looking forward for more to come. 

As the saying goes, the Journey of a thousand miles begins with One Step.

Well done, little champ.. Allahumma barik🏅 

Achieving Mastery: By Ibn Al-Qayyim

 

 

A seeker of nearness to Allah and the Hereafter, and the one striving towards mastery in any field of knowledge, craft, and leadership, so as to become a leader and role model in that field, must be:

Courageous, bold, and self-sufficient, ruling over his own imaginations, not subdued by the dominion of his desires. 

He must be detached from everything besides his ultimate goal, passionate about what he seeks, knowledgeable of the path to it and the paths that prevent it. 

Bold in his ambition and steadfast in his resolve, not deterred from his goal by the blame of a sinner or the criticism of a critic. 

He must be constantly calm and thoughtful, unphased by the pleasure of praise or the pain of blame. He must fulfill the means of assistance he needs, not provoked by opposition. His motto is patience, his comfort is fatigue. 

He must love noble morals, guard his time, and only mingle with people cautiously, like a bird picking seeds among them. 

He governs himself with hope and fear, longing for the results of being uniquely distinguished over his peers. He does not allow ant of his senses to be wasted in vain, nor his thoughts to wander aimlessly in the ranks of worldly affairs. 

The key to this is abandoning habits, and cutting off the ties that stand between you and your desired goal. 

(Ibn Al-Qayyim, Al-Fawa'id p. 192-193)

طالب النفوذ إلى الله والدار الآخرة بل وإلى كل علم وصناعة ورئاسة بحيث يكون رأسا في ذلك مقتدى به فيه يحتاج أن يكون شجاعا مقداما حاكما على وهمه، غير مقهور تحت سلطان تخيله، زاهدا في كل ما سوى مطلوبه، عاشقا لما توجه إليه، عارفا بطريق الوصول إليه والطرق القواطع عنه، مقدام الهمة ثابت الجأش، لا يثنيه عن مطلوبه لوم لأثم ولا عذل عاذل، كثير السكون دائم الفكر غير مائل مع لذة المدح ولا ألم الذم، قائما بما يحتاج إليه من أسباب معونته، لا تستفزه المعارضات، شعاره الصبر وراحته التعب، محبا لمكارم الأخلاق ،حافظا لوقته، لا يخالط الناس إلا على حذر كالطائر الذي يلتقط الحب بينهم، قائما على نفسه بالرغبة والرهبة، طامعا في نتائج الاختصاص على بني جنسه، غير مرسل شيئا من حواسه عبثا ولا مسرحا خواطره في مراتب الكون.

وملاك ذلك: هجر العوائد، وقطع العلائق الحائلة بينك وبين المطلوب، وعند العوام أن: لزوم الأدب مع الحُجَّاب خير من إطِّراح الأدب مع الكشف.

الفوائد (ص: 192-193)

Nikmat potong kuku lepas korban 🐐💅

Masha Allah, nikmat potong kuku lepas korban ☺️ 🐐 . If you know, you know 😉

Yang amalkan sunnah ni akan faham perasaannya

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda,

مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ ذِبْحٌ يَذْبَحُهُ فَإِذَا أُهِلَّ هِلَالُ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، فَلَا يَأْخُذَنَّ مِنْ شَعْرِهِ، وَلَا مِنْ أَظْفَارِهِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يُضَحِّيَ

Sesiapa yang mempunyai binatang korban untuk disembelih, maka apabila terlihatnya anak bulan Zulhijah, janganlah dia mengambil satu apa pun (memotong) daripada rambutnya, mahupun daripada kukunya sehingga dia selesai berkorban.

(Riwayat Muslim (1977), Abu Daud (2791))

Eid Mubarak & Selamat hari raya Aidil adha,

تَقَبَّلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ 🤲🏽 

​🏃🏁 Achieving the "impossible" Four-Minute Mile

 

​The year is 1954. For decades, mankind considered the "4-minute mile" was an absolute brick wall. Unachievable. Medical experts and scientists openly theorized that the human heart would rupture under the pressure, and that the human body was simply not built to run that fast.  

Australian athlete ​John Landy was a spectacular runner for the time, running world-class speed achieving his 1-mile at 4:02, 4:01.5, and 4:01.4 - over and over again. 

"Frankly, I think the four-minute mile is beyond my capabilities. Two seconds may not sound like much, but to me, it's like trying to jump over a house."

On the other end, we have another athlete:​Roger Bannister, a busy medical student from England who could only spare about 45 minutes a day to train during his lunch breaks.

But Bannister had an edge: his coach, an Austrian visionary named Franz Stampfl. 

At a time when everyone else was validating the physical limits of the human body, Stampfl looked at Bannister and planted a completely different seed. He explicitly told Bannister that the four-minute mile was not a physical barrier, but a psychological one.

Stampfl used a radical approach for the 1950s: visualizing his victory. He made Bannister close his eyes and mentally visualize running a 3:59 mile over and over until his brain accepted it as a normal, achievable reality.

On the blustery, cold morning of May 6, 1954, at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, the weather conditions were terrible. Bannister wanted to call off the attempt. 

Coach Stampfl looked him in the eyes and firmly told him that if he did not run today, he might never get the chance to be the first. He instilled the absolute belief that the environment didn't matter—the mind did.  

​Bannister ran a 3:59.4.

A record was broken. It it doesn't stop there. Once rival John Landy saw that a human being had actually broken the 4-minute mark, the mental ceiling in his own mind collapsed. Just 46 days later, Landy went out and absolutely shattered Bannister’s new record, running the mile in 3:57.9. 

Within a year, three more runners did it in a single race. Within a few years, hundreds of athletes achieved it. 

What happened? 

Did the human body suddenly evolve in a single month in 1954?

The only thing changed was the mindset.  One person to prove it can be done, and suddenly other athletes unlocked what they previously thought was not humanly achievable. 

"It's always impossible until it's done" (Nelson Mandela) 

But above all that? 

Sometimes all it takes is to have someone - a coach, mentor, friend, family - who can break our self-limiting beliefs. To nudge us just that little bit more, so we can step up and go higher. 

A little nugget on mentorship and mindset: Bannister had it in him all along. Franz Stampfl merely planted the seed. 

Seeking faults of self vs. Faults of others

 Abu Hatim Ar-Razi (d. 275 AH) – advised,

‎الواجب على العاقل لزوم السلامة بترك التجسس عَن عيوب الناس مع الاشتغال بإصلاح عيوب نفسه

“It is an obligation for the sane person of intellect, to traverse the path of safety, in that he must abandon tajassus (to seek and expose) the faults of others, and instead should occupy himself by rectifying the faults within himself, 

‎فإن من اشتغل بعيوبه عَن عيوب غيره أراح بدنه ولم يتعب قلبه 

For verily, whomsoever keeps himself occupied with (improving) his own faults instead of (seeking and gossiping) the faults of others, he will have rested and relaxed his body (from useless activities) and from exhausting his heart (with diseases such as envy and arrogance)

‎فكلما اطلع على عيب لنفسه هان عَلَيْهِ مَا يرى مثله من أخيه 

For every time he meets a fault within himself, he will humble himself when he sees that fault in his brother (i.e. will empathize with his struggle to rectify that fault)

‎وإن من اشتغل بعيوب الناس عَن عيوب نفسه عمى قلبه وتعب بدنه وتعذر عَلَيْهِ ترك عيوب نفسه 

And verily, whoever busies himself with (seeking, exposing and gossiping) of the faults of other people instead of his own faults, then his heart will be blinded, his body will be weak, in fact he will keep on making excuses to abandon rectifying his own faults! 

‎وإن من أعجز الناس من عاب الناس بما فيهم وأعجز منه من عابهم بما فيه 

Verily, the weakest amongst mankind are those who busy themselves with faults of others; and weaker still are those who busy themselves with others faults while they themselves have those faults!

‎من عاب الناس عابوه 

The one who exposes others faults, will himself be exposed (by others)

‎ولقد أحسن الذي يقول 

Verily, beautiful indeed are the words of the one who said,

‎... إذا أنت عبت الناس عابوا وأكثروا 

‎... عليك وأبدوا منك مَا كان يستر

“If you were to expose the faults of other people, they will in fact increase in those faults to you,

And then they will expose your faults which were previously hidden”

[Raudhatul-‘Uqala wa Nuzhatul-Fudhala’]

The Infatuated Muadzin

 

Once upon a time in Egypt, there was a muadzin who used to call the adzan the masjid. 

One day, he ascended the minaret to call the prayer. When he looked down into a house down below, he saw an attractive lady: the daughter of the house's Christian owner.

It was "love at first sight". He was instantly attracted to her, and went down to meet her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He replied, "I want you." 

She said, "I will not marry you unless you become a Christian."

Drunk with infatuation - or, as the young people put it, "crazy in love" - he apostasized from Islam and embraced Christianity to be with her. 

He then met her and said, "I have done so."

He entered the house to marry her, then climbed to the roof of the house, fell from it, and died on the spot. 

فَلَمْ يَتَمَتَّعْ بِهَا، وَفَاتَهُ دِينُهُ.

Thus, he did not enjoy her, and he lost his religion.

(Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi in Al-Muntazam and Dhamm al-Hawa, and Ibn al-Qayyim in Al-Da' wa al-Dawa')

This simple story reminds us a profound lesson on: 

1. Suu Al-Khatimah vs. Husnul Khatimah; don't judge a person by their current state. What matters is the ending. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Verily, every actions are judged based on their endings"

 الدُّنْيَا سَاعَةٌ، فَاجْعَلْهَا طَاعَةً

​"The world (this life) is but an hour, so make it an hour of obedience." (Ibn Al-Jawzi, Sayd Al-Khatir) 

2. The trap of temptation: how one gaze - one spark - if not extinguished, can grow to become a fire that consumes oneself

The secret to Aging Awesome (that we don't talk about enough)

 

How many of us think about aging gracefully? 

How would we want our lives to look like when we're 60? 80? Or even 100?

What are we doing - how are we living our lives today - to achieve that? 

The few that do think about this, will often speak about food, exercise, sleep, etc. 

Sure, those are all awesome and important. Above that, there is one Islamic pro tip that many Muslims don't realize and often take for granted. 

Here's a story of a 100-year old man who shocked the people around him: an incident often cited as a masterclass in ageing awesome. 

In his book of biographies, Imam Adz-Dzahabi narrates the amazing story of the prominent Shafi'i scholar, judge, and hadith master, Abu al-Tayyib al-Tabari (d. 450 AH) came back from his sea travels at the ripe age of over a hundred. 

When the ship reached the dock, he jumped off the ship to the land onshore, with a dramatic and agile leap. 

This astonished everyone present, especially the young people. Those who witnessed this amazing scene expressed concern for his health, given he was over a hundred years old at the time.

How could this old man be so strong? 😱 

Abu Tayyib said to them:

​«هَذِهِ جَوَارِحُ حَفِظْنَاهَا عَنِ المَعَاصِي فِي الصِّغَرِ، فَحَفِظَهَا اللهُ عَلَيْنَا فِي الكِبَرِ»

​"These are limbs that we protected from sins during our youth, 

so Allah protected these limbs for us in our old age."

(Siyar A'lam al-Nubala [Biographies of Noble Figures] by imam adz-Dzahabi, Vol. 17, Page 669) 

Abu al-Tayyib al-Tabari (not to be confused with the historian Ibn Jarir al-Tabari) died at the age of 102, retaining full possession of his mental and physical faculties until his final moments. 

Scholars would narrate this incident and phrase, as a practical example to explain the famous Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: 

احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْك

"Preserve (the Commands of) Allah, 

and He will preserve you" (At-Tirmidzi)

What we can learn and apply from this:

From the barakah (blessing) of living a life of righteousness, Allah grants Physical health and vitality well into your later years. 

So. How well are we ageing so far?