Make Time For Yourself: Avoid Burnout

February 10, 2006 – 11:28 pm

When you get involved in da’wah, don’t forget yourself.

We see many examples of this–people join the local MSA, and spend 40 hours a week to keep it alive. And the next year, you see them in the bar, with their girlfriend or boyfriend. Or others spend months putting together The Biggest Conference Ever, and while it goes on, they miss all the lectures and mill around outside with their friends, or out in the parking lot arguing about lunches.

If you don’t make time for yourself, you’ll eventually burn out, and be worse off then before you started.

Don’t let it happen to you. Make sure you always spend time to learn and grow, even if it’s a little bit of time compared to all the work you do.

May Allah help you along your way and protect you from an evil end, ameen.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Da'wah, Islam, Islamic Work, Tazkiyyah | Comments (0)

Fallout From Not Practicing Islam Properly

February 9, 2006 – 10:32 pm

Familiarize yourself with Ar-Rajal, companion to the fake prophet Musaylimah.

Many people believe that when you don’t practice Islam 100%, you’re not hurting anyone but yourself. But subhanallah, if you look at Ar-Rajal, how many people did he misguide by not practicing Islam? Howmany tens or hundreds or thousands joined Musaylimah because Ar-Rajal endorsed him?

If you work or attend school, look around you. How many “Muslims” do you know who don’t wear a beard, don’t observe hijab, they drink, they go clubbing, they have a girlfriend or boyfriend. And then you tell your boss “Sorry, I can’t come to the bar with you after work, I don’t drink” they say “What! But all my other Muslim employees drink!” or “Ya professer, I can’t attend your lectures because of all the nudity in the content” they say “What! But no other Muslims in the class complained!”

Subhanallah. Consider it a grave reminder for those of us who do not practice to the full extent we should, or who disobey Allah in public.

And remember, even when you think nobody is watching, Allah is watching. And His angels are taking notes.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Da'wah, Islam, Tazkiyyah | Comments (0)

Storytelling: A Fundamental Da’wah Technique

February 1, 2006 – 5:22 pm

Storytelling is a fundamental da’wah technique. It effortlessly communicates a message in a memorable medium.

Storytelling is so powerful that you see it in the Qur’an (Surah Baqarah and Surah Yusuf, for example), in ahadith (The People of the Ditch).

Among the benefits: storytelling communicates a message without spelling it out. Human beings recall stories more easily then they recall other forms of teaching. With a story, you can continually extract lessons and benefit from it.

Use stories in your da’wah–in your khutbas, your books and your literature, your speeches and your discussions.

References

Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Breach of Covenant. University of Toronto, Toronto. May 2005.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Da'wah, Gems, Islam, Islamic Work | Comments (2)