If you've been putting off your dreams because you feel like you don't
have money to get started, or don't have the necessary education or
qualifications, I've got news: you may never have what you need to
feel ready.
Do you think any of the Prophets felt ready when they were chosen?
Muhammad ibn Abdullah (sws), the Messenger of Allah, received the
first revelation, then ran home and hid under a blanket. The Prophet
Musa (as) was confused and frightened when he entered the valleyand
heard a voice commanding him:
"Verily! I am your Lord! Sotake off your shoes, you are in the sacred
valley, Tuwa. And I have chosen you. So listen to that which is
inspired to you. Verily! I am Allah! La ilahailla Ana (none has the
right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform As-Salat
(Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance. Verily, theHour is coming and My
Will is to keep it hidden that every person may berewarded for that
which he strives. Therefore, let not the one who believesnot therein
(i.e. in the Day of Resurrection, Reckoning, Paradise and Hell, etc.),
but follows his own lusts, divert you therefrom, lest you perish."
(Surat Taha, 12-16)
When Musa threw the staff down and it became a snake, again he was
frightened. Allah directed him to have courage, and pick it up; when
he touched it, it was restored to its former shape. When he was
commanded to go to Egypt to free the Israelites and reform his people,
he felt unready for the mission. He had a speech impediment and was
afraid that he would not be able to speak convincingly. He sought
permission from Allah to take his brother and fellowProphet Harun
(as), who was an eloquent speaker. Permission was granted.
This illustrates another important point, that everyone needs a
wingman sometimes. We're not always strong enough to do it alone.
Sometimes we need a friend, an ally, a supportivespouse, just one
person who believes in our mission and is willing to help, or simply
puts and arm around our shoulders and says, "I believe in you."If you
have someone like that, he or she is a treasureand a secret weapon.
When it comes to the mostimportant things in life, no one is ever
ready. All you can do is stand tall, build a bonfire of resolve in
your heart, and move. The time to do what you dream is now. Consider
Abu Bakr (ra), who clearly knew howto embrace opportunities. When he
saw the slave Bilal (ra) being tortured, he bought him from Umayyahbin
Khalaf and freed him. He freed many other oppressed Muslims slaves in
the same way. When Abu Bakr's father saw this, he said: "My son, why
are you buying these weak slaves then freeing them? Why don't you at
least keep them so that you can make use out of them?" Abu Bakr
replied: "My father, I am only doing thisto seek the Countenance
ofAllah."
The Messenger of Allah (sws) told us that a man was granted Paradise
for removing a thorny branch from the path. A prostitute was forgiven
all her sins and granted Jannah for giving a drink of water to
athirsty dog. Another man was granted a house in Paradise for donating
a date tree to a poor family.
No good deed is insignificant, for it could bethe grain of sand that
tips the scale and saves you. Noworthy project is too small,nor too
large if you start with a single step, focusingonly on executing that
stepwell. When I face a large project, whether a major web project, a
writing project, or cleaning up a kitchen mess, I tend to get
overwhelmed. So I narrow my focus and I tell myself, just do one
thing. I do the one thing, then pick one more thing, and one more,
then I look around and SubhanAllah, the job is getting done!
If you find yourself disturbed by events aroundyou – whether
internationally, in your community, or within your family – and
thinking, "Someone should do something," well, you are the someone.
You see the need, you have the capabilities that Allah gave you as His
representative on earth, you have the same brain, heart and opposable
thumbs as anyone else. You're it, bro. It's you, sister.
Yes, someone needs to raise funds for our starving brothers and
sisters in Somalia, Syria, Yemen and other places. Someone must speak
out on behalf of political prisoners, educate people about Palestine,
start a Humanitarian Day event in the local community, adoptMuslim
orphans, establish Islamic institutions, represent Muslims in the
media, write Muslim novels, make documentaries…
If not you, then who?
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