“Achieving Success: Dunya or Akhirah?” with Dr. Hassan Akbar, with DFE department, Friday 29/11/24

Alhamdulillah was a blessing an honor for us to receive Dr. Hassan Akbar to enlighten us on the subject matter. Hailing from Brooklyn NY, USA, Dr. Hassan was our first-ever international guest speaker for our weekly Jumflex (Jumaat Reflection) session at our department. 

What I loved most about the session was how Dr. Hassan shared about his own personal life experience and growth trajectory in his religious practices. After spending time with him in recent weeks, I only recently got to know that Dr. Hassan is about the same age as I am (1 year younger, in fact), and he only started taking islam seriously and seeking knowledge about it around the same time as me, around 2008 - just after graduation, and well into our adult lives. 

Since knowing this, and seeing how much we have in common (in addition to both of us being engineering graduates), it always struck me as an inspiration to see how far he’s gone in his growth trajectory - from graduating in another bachelors, a masters, and PhD, to authoring and self-publishing 5 books through his own publishing house, to being a khatib and helping out in his community, and an international speaker. And he does all this while working a demanding full-time job and raising 4 children - masha Allah, Allahumma barik.  

Up to the age of 23, he was only some whom, he would describe as a “Friday Muslim”. When his father passed away from cancer, that was the catalyst for him to step up religious commitment and worship. 

His initial intent was to be united with his father in Paradise (which I find very touching, masha Allah). He went for hajj at the age of 24, and committed himself to learning, practicing and taking Islam seriously. 

In hindsight, as a parenting reminder for himself and the rest of us, he shared to us that he would make a very personal du’aa: 

“O Allah, don’t let it be my death that will push my children to develop a relationship with You”

He took the decision to work the night shift (11pm - 7am) just so that he could the daytime study Islam - Coming home, studying Arabic from 8 to 10am with his tutor live from Egypt, then going to sleep, waking up in the evening to his islamic studies courses online.

He did this for seven years. 

“This was a lot”, he admitted. 

How could he achieve all this? 

He shared with us, his secret weapon: 

“A huge part of my success was that I have a good wife” 

It was his wife who supported him, gave him the space to prioritize my achievements, gave him space to fulfill those goals. As a result, achieve tremendous things, while simultaneously taking care of the family and uplifting them along the way - reminding us the saying or Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, “the best thing you can acquire in this world is a righteous spouse”. 

In his words: “if you build the right team, you can achieve anything.”

How did his journey to becoming to becoming a khateeb, a speaker? 

He wanted to give back to the community, to share the knowledge, somehow. And all it took was one person to offer an opportunity: “hey, how about you give a khatib and speak?”

And then some random listener would say “hey, come to our masjid, give a khutbah”. 

Then from there the momentum slowly built his reputation, his network - all while continuing to work his career in the electrical company, studying and teaching, writing and publishing books, while raising his family. 

He brings an interesting perspective: He is in Malaysia for an entire month - and every single day he spends in Malaysia, it’s on his time, taking a leave of absence. “Literally, every day I’m losing money being here.”  

But guess what?

“In my mind, it’s worth the sacrifice. That I have the free time, I am able to touch and inspire brothers and sisters and able to share that little knowledge that I have been given”

When he gets back to Brooklyn, he gets back, hit the ground running - working Sundays to Thursdays. Every Friday, he gives khutbah, gives lectures on Friday and Saturday, then back to work on Sunday. 

People see him and say to him, “how do you DO this? You’re working full time AND doing da’wah?!”

His response? 

“If you’re passionate about something, and you are goal oriented, it is no different from a person who plays golf or goes fishing every weekend. 

Some people choose to play golf. I choose to give da’wah.”

There's so much to unpack from Dr. Hassan's story, but here's my big takeaways: 

✅ Have a goal, a vision and be passionate about it. 

✅ Success will always have a price to pay - put in the work. Side note: when you're doing something sincerely for the sake of Allah, it's not "sacrifice": it's your long-term investment with a 100% guarantee it will be paid back multiple-fold!

✅ Stick to the grind! Keep the End in Mind.

✅ Enjoy the process.

✅ Build your team & establish your support system

✅ Always have a keen eye to pick out potential in others - give them the opportunity and the space to thrive

✅ Be a great support to others: you don't always have to be at the front lines or the tip of the spear. If you support them, with the right intention, you get equal rewards!

✅ Always prepare yourself to seize the opportunities that come

Finally, in closing, he returns to the leading question: Dunya or akhirah? 

Pursue both!

No one is villainizing seeking worldly success. Allah says:

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ١٠

“Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah! 

And remember Allah often so you may be successful.” (Surah Al-Jumu’ah, 10)

Many of us make the mistake of making a distinction “or” decision when it comes to religious affairs - be successful in career OR religious affairs.

But this is the wrong perspective.

وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا 

“Seek the rewards of the hereafter through the means that Allah has Granted you. 

However, do not forget your portion of this world” (Surah Al-Qasas 28:77)

Success in BOTH areas can be attained and achieved - There are no limits of to what we can achieve if we set our minds to it!

Make the Hereafter our goal, keep our eyes on the grand prize: and with that, turn all of our day to day responsibilities - our jobs, worldly achievements, parenting - be the means to that end goal!

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

مَنْ كَانَتْ الْآخِرَةُ هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَجَمَعَ لَهُ شَمْلَهُ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَفَرَّقَ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهُ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ

“Whoever is makes the Hereafter his primary concern,

1. Allah will place richness in his heart, 

2. Bring his affairs together, and

3. the world will inevitably come to him - even if

Whoever is only concerned about the world, Allah will place poverty between his eyes, disorder his affairs, and he will get nothing of the world but what is decreed for him.

(At-Tirmidhi #2465)

May Allah grant steadfastness, barakah and success in all all affairs, dunya and akhirah, for Dr. Hassan and his entire family and to us all.

What it takes to Excel as a Process Engineer: 10 Habits, Attitudes, Mindsets

 

“How can I excel as a Process engineer?” What does it take to go from good to Great?

It was a question that was a huge mystery to me, and I struggled to really figure out in the early years of my career.

After 16 years of Process engineering experience in both projects as well as optimization and troubleshooting as a Technologist including 3 years managing teams of process engineers for Upstream Oil & Gas fields, I've observed common attitudes, themes, patterns and best practices that differentiate the high performers, taking cues and inspiration by working with and learning from the best.

Here are a list of 10 Habits, Attitudes, and Mindsets that I've observed that typically differentiate the "great" engineers from the good.

Young engineers take note - this is the guide I wish I had!

🛠️ 1. Resourcefulness

in other words, the ability of “using quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties”. Working with limited data is difficult, especially when we're handling facilities designed back in the 60s and 70s, with old engineering standards, and documents that are either handwritten, produced from a classic typewriter, or nonexistent altogether!

An effective engineer seeks different avenues to source for obscure information, being able to work with limited data, making intelligent assumptions to come up with meaningful and practical solutions while mindfully understanding the potential risks involved with uncertainty.

Beyond the tools and database, they also know how to utilise their soft skills to leverage their “know-who”, knowing who holds the key to vital information, and reaching out accordingly.

🔍 2. Solution-oriented Customer focus

In Malay, we say, “don't syok sendiri”. Engineers love analysis and simulations, and once we get into the zone (”naik sheikh”), we can hack at it for hours. The danger, though, is when we get so deep into it, we fall into the trap of analysis paralysis, being overly rigid and sometimes failing to provide practical solutions or move the needle forward. Effective engineers are solution focused, by aligning expectations understanding pain points of the customer, and working backwards towards those goals, knowing when to make pragmatic simplifications and quick judgments with tolerable error and acceptable educated “guestimates”. The best solution providers have also mastered the art of bridging: Even if a task isn’t necessarily their “job scope”, the buck doesn’t just stop there… They can help point others in the right direction for them to find their solutions.

💡 3. Innovate now

Some of the best engineers have the core trait of curiosity and a sincere openness to listen. Sometimes, clients may come up with unreasonable or irrelevant requests, and our knee-jerk reaction would be to reject it. Great engineers ask questions, take a closer look, try things out, find ways to add value, find common patterns to find opportunities. And they elevate this curiosity through courage to challenge norms, test themselves outside of their comfort zone, to step up and seize opportunities - and unrealizingly become trendsetters, raising the bar and blazing the trail for others to follow.

🦻🏼 4. Learn from others and Reach out

Don't just work in silo and stick to your basic scope. Every platform, every project has its own unique set of challenges and issues. Leverage interface meetings and knowledge sharing platforms such as communities of practice (COP) or technical forums to Learn. Ask critical questions: Why? How did they do it? Open past studies and submissions. Compare differences in design (especially by different operators with different standards). Use that information to fuel your ideas of what is possible, what can we replicate, what might potentially work, how we can do things differently.

The best engineers also reach out beyond - expand our knowledge beyond our core discipline. An effective process engineer actively builds his or her network, to expand their resources to understand how their role connects with other disciplines so they can improve their perspective of how they can add value, and embraces the inter-dependency on

🖼️ 5. Effective Work framing

A good engineer doesn't just excel at problem solving, they also excel at defining the problems to be solved in the first place. In certain problem statements or day-to-day operations, sometimes it can be unclear “what problem we are trying to solve”. Clients may come up with (what they think are) solutions but in actual fact might be missing key information and underlying issues. Effective engineers know how to take a step back, observe data patterns to define problems, set boundaries and identify the value to be seized.

🧩 6. Collaboration

Engineers who excel recognize that the key to long-term productivity is to leverage interdependency, in order that the team achieves more than the sum of its parts. They play their role as a piece of a bigger puzzle.

They have the professionalism and emotional intelligence to collaborate well with different types of people and put up with different types of characters (not just their cliques). They also have the maturity to respectfully handle disagreements, be open to alternatives, and accept constructive feedback.

📊 7. Reporting Transparency

From adhoc unplanned requests, troubleshooting support, engineering studies, and initiatives, work demand can be overwhelming at times. Effective engineers communicate their proposed prioritisation with their managers and key stakeholders. They get into the habit proactively check in and update the status of their tasks (especially those deemed as “priority” or “urgent” by perspective of your stakeholders), and let their stakeholders know if there are assignments being put on hold.

⚡️ 8. Drive Results

The best engineers are not just reacting to stakeholders breathing down their neck following up on deadlines, they are active drivers with a firm sense of determination to finish the job.

And they stick the landing: Get your deliverables signed off and formally documented, not a lazy “gentlemen agreement”, e-mail acknowledgement or once off presentation.

👣 9. Think Sustainability

The best engineers usually leave behind a legacy of beneficial tools and references. Why? Because they aren’t only focused about solving “the problem of the day” - they think long-term, beyond themselves: what if similar problems happen again in the future? Can I create a spreadsheet, come up with tools, or impart this unique knowledge on a knowledge sharing platform to provide a sustainable solution and method for future problem solvers?

📚 10. Share knowledge

If you know anything about me, you saw this coming. It’s inevitable. Start sharing whatever you know, create opportunities if you have to. Here's a message to the hard edged business leaders. Knowledge sharing isn't just fluffy soft skills exercise in -practicing generosity”; it's a mechanism for enhancing productivity, accelerating capability and broadening your network. When engineers put in the effort to conduct knowledge sharing and mentoring others, it forces them to learn - to get better at understanding and conveying their knowledge.

When you share knowledge, you practice generosity. By mentoring others, helping them grow, you build trust through developing genuine human capital, contributing to the greater organization at large, beyond yourself.

And beyond that, sharing knowledge opens up platforms for us to broaden our horizons: when people ask unexpected questions and expand your creativity. And the better you get at knowledge sharing, the more it opens up doors of opportunity: to present at conferences on a larger stage, expand their network, learn from others, and supercharge their growth trajectory!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Hope the above serves as a practical guide for engineers - especially our aspiring new graduates out there. Reading back above, it’s interesting to note that these aren’t just specific to process engineers - it’s pretty much applicable to all engineers, and professionals across the board!

Any thoughts on the above? Any characteristics you disagree, or key ones I left out? Share your thoughts!

United through Purpose and Values: Volunteers of TSP 2024 - The Straight Path Convention

 

In his famous book of tafsir, Imam ibn Kathir talks about the iconic People of the Cave (Ashabul Kahf) - who sought refuge in a cave, fleeing from the persecution of their people, just to stick to their principles of monotheism (tauhid), worshipping One God.

Here's the interesting part: they didn’t know each other. They were not friends prior to that. It was their principles that brought them together.

As ibn Kathir points out in his Tafsir:

“None of them knew the others, but they were brought together by the One Who instilled faith in their hearts..

When the people went out to attend this gathering, these young men went out with their fathers and their people, and when they saw their people's actions with clear insight, they realized that the prostrations and sacrifices the people were offering to their idols should only be dedicated to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth.

Each of them started to withdraw from his people and keep aloof from them. The first one of them to move away on his own went and sat in the shade of a tree, then another came and sat with him, then another came and sat with them, then four more followed suit one by one.” (End quote)

They were brought together and united by a common cause. This is as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

الأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَفَ
“Souls are like recruited soldiers. Those that recognize one another will come together,

and those that do not recognize one another will turn away from each other” (Muslim)

And Alhamdulillah, that is how Allah brought together these groups of people: the volunteers of TSP. We didn't know each other, but here we are, united in One Cause: To collaborate in righteousness, to spread knowledge for the Sake of Allah.

May Allah reward all the speakers, organizers and volunteers, who spent their time, effort, energy, patience, and understanding, towards making this event a success.

One of the Hadith that always inspires me is the Hadith of the arrow. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
"Allah, Most High, will cause three persons to enter Paradise for one arrow: the maker when he has a good motive in making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who hands it over to the shooter" (Abu Dawud #2513)

This Hadith teaches us, that it's not just the shooter that gets the reward. But everyone behind the scenes who helped prepare the shooter also gets rewarded. And not at a discount rate, either - they receive the SAME reward as the shooter!

If there is any benefit - any reward, barakah, any inspiration of change that comes out from the event - it's not just the speakers onstage who get the reward. Every single person who collaborated to make it happen, gets their share from Allah!  From the collaborators, committee, volunteers in charge of the stage, the booths, the refreshments, the "valet" speaker buddies, collaborators, promotions and social media, registrations, audio-visual technical setup, mothers room, juniors course, and the organizations that opened up booths and enriched the conference experience, (and hopefully, the MCs too 🤲🏼) - all of us - may Allah reward everyone and unite us in Jannatul firdaus as He did for us last weekend.

Of course, as a reminder to myself and the others, our work does not end here. We've got a lot of work ahead of us to continue carrying the torch of the Prophetic Legacy. If anything, this should be a beginning!
As scholars would say, a sign of acceptance is that we continue  good deeds one after another - from acting upon the knowledge, to spreading it, and continuing to commit ourselves to spend our time and energy to help in the cause of Allah, and continue to improve our efforts to do them with ihsan.

If we've been subjected to challenges, conflicts, misunderstandings - then don't let it get to our heads . Take it positively as a lesson, and move on. A sign of our sincerity and professionalism is that we stay the course in spite of the issues and challenges - because we are contributing to a cause greater then ourselves. The extraordinary cause require extraordinary effort!
#tsp2024 #propheticlegacy

First time on Live TV: TSP2024 with TV Alhijrah

 🔓 Achievement Unlocked: First time on Live TV! 

With Dr. Hasan Akbar (from Brooklyn NYC) on TV Alhijrah yesterday 20th November 2024, sharing about The Straight Path (TSP) Convention 2024. Alhamdulillah what a (nerve-wracking and exciting) new experience!

D&I Sharing - Accidental Exclusions: Habits that (Unrealizingly) harm inclusion

How can we create a more inclusive environment? 

In a recent Leaders meeting, I gave a sharing about inclusion: how we, as leaders, can nurture a more inclusive environment in our teams and organization. 

I decided to take a different approach to the subject: by highlighting some of our subconscious behaviors that might indirectly have a negative impact to inclusion. 

To me, forming an inclusive environment is not about big campaigns, posters and marketing slogans. The key lies in the habits that we do every day: the moment-to-moment interactions we have with others, and how we respond in different contexts.

Inclusion boils down to two factors: belonging and uniqueness. 

As leaders, we need to ask: How can we make our team feel a sense of belonging, that they are "part of the team", while at the same time recognising and acknowledging their uniqueness and how they can contribute and add value to the team?

The tricky thing is, inclusion is often PERCEPTION through the individuals' human experience - not necessarily objective reality. 

And whether we realize it or not, some of our habits might inadvertently create a feeling of exclusion in others. 

Here are some examples of those habits: 

1. Sticking to our Social comfort zone - as they say, "birds of a feather flock together". We tend to stick to our cliques, and speaking with language we are comfortable with. The side effect, though, is that when we only stick to our clique, it subconsciously creates a divide ("geng2 bosses"), isolation and alienation to the rest. 

2. Overlooking team members and achievements - sometimes we are so focused on our tasks and results, we forget the human beings driving them. Take the time to get to know & appreciate others. 

3. Hierarchical bias / selective respect - I.e. When we are subconsciously "nice" to the bosses, but mean to the people who we consider "lower" - creating a sense of discrimination

4. Avoiding difficult conversations - this only creates negative suspicion & resentment. Procrastinating & ignoring only makes it worse!  

 

5. Separation language - language like "you guys" or "Korang" make people feel like they're separate from us. Try to use more inclusive "we" language. 

When I conducted this sharing with quorums of GM, SGM and VP, I was very careful to say things like "we leaders" instead of just "leaders need to XYZ", so I don't create a sense of divide or blame, and that we are in this together with a collective responsibility. 

There are many others - e.g. Dismissing opinions, failing to cascade info (am I not worthy?), talking trash/backbiting about others (making those around us feel unsafe and a constant sense of suspicion that "are they saying that about me?") - At the end of the day, we should endeavour to be more mindful of our physical and verbal habits, and be more deliberate in creating a more inclusive environment to those around us.