THE ACTIVIST’S DILEMMAMumin Builder Retreat – February 2015

WHY DID WE JOIN DAWANET? To make the world better

Bring about change Continue the good work of others

Stand before Allah proudly

And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him. (Quran 7:164)

VIRTUES OF SERVICEIndirect

“For he who informs a ruler of the need of one who cannot speak for themselves will have their feet made firm by Allah on the Day of Resurrection” (Hadith – Tirmidhi)

Direct“The people who were close to him were the best of people…and the greatest of them in his sight were the ones who were most beneficent and helpful”(Hadith – Tirmidhi)

NEGLECTING OWN SOUL + HELPING OTHERS = DISASTER Hypocrisy

النفاق

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

“Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?” (Quran 2:44)

PRIVATE = PERSONAL Umm Salama – in relation to the Prophet

“His private and personal life are identical” His character was the message

vs

Majoring in international relations but have poor family relationships

STAY RESPONSIBLENo matter what level a worshipper reaches he is never free from needing to worship his Lord, nor is he excused from any of the responsibilities of the religion as long as he is alive and of sound mind

“And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).” (Quran 15:99)

PROPHETIC METHODOLOGY Hard on yourself but easy on others Removal of negative traits Inculcation of positive traits

HARD ON YOURSELF VS. EASY ON OTHERSExamples: Prophet prayed all night until feet swelled but

dissuaded Fatima from following Prophet returned loans by giving extra Continuous fasting

Imam Ghazali:“When people err we punish them, then why do we not punish ourselves when we err ourselves”

REMOVAL OF NEGATIVE TRAITS “What I have prohibited you from - avoid it,

what I have ordered you - do as much of it as you can” (Hadith –Bukhari & Muslim)

NEGATIVE TRAITSRemove in the following order: Major sins Minor sins Things that waste one’s time The lesser of two good options

POSITIVE TRAITS The better of two good options Voluntary actions Actions recommended by the Prophet Obligations

8 INROADS INTO THE HEARTI. EyesII. TongueIII. HandsIV. FeetV. EarsVI. StomachVII. GenitalsVIII. Whole body

AREAS OF FOCUS Prayer (heart as a whole) Tongue

for 40 days

“The religion is accommodating, and no one attempts excessive strictness in it without it overwhelming him” (Hadith – Bayhaqi)

WHY 40 DAYS?Hadith: Ribat of the believer is for 40 days (Hadith –

Tabarani)

While there is no specific number indicated by science, there is some cursory evidence for between 20-55 ish days –- to break a habit

GUARDING THE PRAYER Central pillar of Islam

“Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them” (Quran 2:3)

Focus on ritual purity (wudhu) Try to pray in congregation Pray on time

GUARDING THE TONGUEI said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire.” He said, “You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: Worship Allah alone; establish the prayer; pay the zakat; fast in Ramadan; and make the pilgrimage to the House.” “Shall I not guide you towards the doors of goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the praying of a man in the depths of the night.” “Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer and its peak is jihad.” Then he said, “Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it?” He said, “Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces except the harvests of their tongues?” (Hadith – Tirmidhi)

GUARDING THE TONGUE Lying Backbiting Argumentation Engaging in what does not concern us

“O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.” (Quran 33:70-71)

DAILY APPROACH Morning

Set conditions (musharita)

Day Vigilance (muraqaba)

Night Accounting (muhasaba)

Self punishment (muaqaba)

TIPS Every time you slip up start from the

beginning Get someone to help youوالعدوان اإلثم على تعاونوا وال قوى والت البر على وتعاونوا

“And help one another in righteousness and piety, and help not one another in sin and aggression” (Quran 5:2)

STAY STRONG WHEN YOU SLIP

: . : ، ذنبا عبدي أذنب وتعالى تبارك فقال ذنبي لي اغفر هم الل فقال ، ذنبا عبد أذنبلي . : اغفر ، رب أي فقال ، فأذنب عاد ثم به ويأخذ ، الذنب يغفر ، ربا له أن فعلمبه : . ويأخذ ، الذنب يغفر ربا له أن فعلم ذنبا أذنب عبدي وتعالى تبارك فقال ، ذنبيعبدي. : : : أذنب وتعالى تبارك فقال ذنبي لي اغفر ، رب أي فقال ، فأذن�ب عاد ثم

لك . غفرت فقد ، شئت ما اعمل بالذنب وي�أخذ ، الذنب يغفر ، ربا له أن فعلم ، ذنباA servant committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin. And He said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you. (Hadith – Bukhari & Muslim)

TRUST IN GOD NOT OURSELVESWe are weak but God is All-Mighty

 –  وجود عند جاء الر نقصان العمل على االعتماد عالمة منلل الز“A sign of dependence on deeds is the lack of hope when you slip into an error.” (Hikam of ibn Ata’llah)

We can do it!