Keep faith in yourself and don’t let anyone else define your reality. You arestrong and unique. You have a particular mission inthis life that only you can fulfill. You can wake up in the morning and change the world, one small step at a time, just b

Keep faith in yourself and don't let anyone else define your reality.
You arestrong and unique. You have a particular mission inthis life
that only you can fulfill. You can wake up in the morning and change
the world, one small step at a time, just by fulfilling your unique
mission.
Maybe you think, "Hey, I don't want to change the world. I just want
to stay sane, take care of myself and my family, perform theIslamic
rituals and hope forJannah."
The thing is, life is always acontest between the worldchanging you,
or you changing the world. The world pushes, and if you don't push
back then it willinevitably corrupt you in one way or another.
Today's world tries to change you through the pressures of:
*. blind materialism
*. consumerism
*. sexual imagery in the media
*. constant advertising
*. negative portrayals of Islam
*. alcohol and drug use
*. peer pressure
to name a few.
Sometimes the pressures are more brutal and blunt: emotional or sexual
abuse, pornography, violence, racism, bigotry, misogyny, hatred and
war.
Iman (faith) is not static. It rises or it falls, but it never freezes
in place. If the world is not changing you then you must be
changingthe world.
You change the world by spreading light, teaching truth, being
honorable and kind, behaving with sincerity in all things, showing
compassion to all people, and always being just. You exert an outward
pressure of truth that has atransformational effect on those around
you, beginning with your family, and then rippling out to all those
you come in contact with, and then everyone they come in contact with,
flowing outward in concentric circles.
The ultimate world-changer – and our eternal example – was the
ProphetMuhammad (peace be upon him). Allah describes Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) in the Quran as an illuminating lamp: "O Prophet, indeed We
have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.
And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating
lamp." (Quran, Al Ahzab 45-46).
The Prophet's light radiatesthroughout humanity and the ages. Any
objective observer must admit the power and influence of the Prophet's
tremendous struggle. A non-Muslim writer named Michael Hart, in his
book, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History",
ranked the Prophet Muhammad as thesingle most influential human being
in history.
The Prophet grew up in a society of idol worship, moral corruption and
constant blood feuds, but he never allowed that society to taint his
innocent nature. Not knowing how he should worship Allah, he kept
himself distant from the evil around him and sought Allah in his own
way, until Prophethood came to him. When it did, he accepted the
burden and fulfilled the trust, exerting an outward pressure so
powerful that it changed the entire worldforever.
The same is true for you and I, on a smaller scale. We've been given a
trust and a mission. We are to be callers to Tawheed , witnesses for
truth, a civilizing force, champions of human equality, and restorers
of human values (the fact that many modern Muslims have failed
abominably on everypoint does not change the truth of this).
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not
die except as Muslims[in submission to Him].
And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become
divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were
enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His
favor,brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He
saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that
you may be guided.
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is]
good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and
thosewill be the successful." (Quran, Aal-Imran: 102-104)
That is our mission and trust. If we fulfill it – even ifwe only try –
we will change the world, maybe incrementally, maybe profoundly.
If we fail, then the world will change us, and not for the better.
There is one key to success in fulfilling our mission to change the
world. It's not purity, because in a post-Prophethood age, no one is
truly pure. Purification of the soul is indeed a lifelong goal to
strive for, but it is not the key.
It's not wisdom, or power, or finance. It's not even knowledge.
Knowledge is the most powerful tool there is, but like any other tool
it can be used or misused. That's why a littleknowledge can be a
powerful thing, while greatknowledge can sometimes be crippling.
Purity, wisdom and knowledge are goals for usto pursue. But none of
those is the single most important key to changing the world.
The key is sincerity in all things: sincerity with Allah,with your
family, your friends, your colleagues, and – this is the greatest
challenge of all – sincerity with yourself. Sincerity enc0mpasses
purity, because actions done sincerely are done with purity of
intention, and with obedience to Allah.

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Everything is possible for those who believe

Nourish your dreams. To achieve anything requires faith in Allah,
belief in yourself, imagination, vision, persistence, hard work, and
sometimes blood and tears.
The will of Allah and the power of your heart and mind make an
unbeatable combination. Everything is possible for those who believe –
anything you can envision, and many things you can't.
I'm thinking of a ragtag group of desert Arabs, who,in the course of a
single generation, transformed the world forever. I am speaking of
course of the Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him) and his companions.
What they didwas impossible – there's noother word for it. But through
the power of Allah, and the tremendous determination of one man, and
the faith of those who followed him, the impossible became possible.
Because of their faith and sacrifices, you andI can utter the words, "
Laa ilaha-il-Allah " and put them into practice in our lives.
Your dreams don't have to be that grand. Whether you dream of building
a new masjid for your community, writing a novel, competing in sports,
becoming a doctor, doing charity work overseas, memorizing the Quran,
or any other good and meaningful goal – it can beachieved by the will
of Allah. But you can't just sit back and wait for it to happen. Feed
your dream as you would feed a newly planted seed. Care for it, devote
time to it, don't give up, and watch it grow before your eyes.

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Your “Stuff” is Not a Part of You

In fact what truly defines our character is how we react to loss. If
we were stripped of all the possessions we love, who would we be in
that moment? Would we still be grateful to Allah, patient, trusting?
Hopefully it never comes tothat. But seriously, those times of
greatest sadness and joy are when our thoughts must turn to Allah, The
Eternal, The Merciful, The Wise.
Allah says, "Never will you attain the good until you spend from that
which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allahis Knowing of
it." [Quran 3: 92]
Think about that. Allah is telling us to give away the things that we
love the most! SubhanAllah! Why does Allah ask this of us? Is it to
liberate us from slavery to material possessions? To f0cus our minds
on Allah and the aakhirah (hereafter)? To prevent the evil that
results from the love of money? To benefit the poor?
Yes, for all of those reasons. Excessive attachment to any
materialthing is misguidance. The love of possessions is a spiritual
trap.
I have at times given away things that were precious to me, thinking
they wouldmean as much to the otherperson as they do to me. Sometimes
they do, and sometimes they don't, and yes it hurts my feelings when
the other person doesn't value my gift; but eventually I get over it,
because the point is the actof giving. And maybe – Insha-Allah – I'll
have something to show Allah on Yawm Al-Qiyamah (the Day of
Resurrection), maybe I'll be able to say, "O Allah, I gave away
thesethings that I loved," and maybe that will earn me some
forgiveness, Allah knows.

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Diligence is the Mother ofGood Luck

"Diligence is the mother of good luck." – Arabic proverb
If you want something, work for it and do not stop. That's how you
create your own luck. Whether you were born into a rich family or a
poor one, whether you are innately talented or not, whether you have
charisma and charm or you are a tongue-tied nerd, it doesn't matter.
I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to be rich, talented, and
charismatic, but you can succeed without them, and you'll appreciate
it all the more. All you have to do is hang on even after others have
let go.
Don't bemoan your fate. No one is born into a perfect family. Don't
complain about lack of resources. Allah created this world and
everything in it, and laid it at your feet. If you're facing the right
direction, you can reach anywhere in the world if you keep on walking.
Find a Way
In 1997 I started a small web development consulting service. I really
wanted to work with Muslims and help to create Islamic websites. As a
small adjunct to my service, I started a Muslim matrimonialservice. I
thought of it as a hobby. That was the first incarnation of Zawaj.com
Muslim Matrimonials . It was one of the first three such services on
the internet. The problem was that I was not really a programmer (I
was more of a graphic designer), and in the beginning I was
hand-creating every page for every ad. The traffic climbed, until I
was getting many new ads every day. It quickly became impossible.
I contacted some large web development firms to get a price quote for
building a proper, automated matchmaking service. Their quotes were
too high for me. I contacted some firms in India, and found one that
would build the website first, and let me pay in monthly installments
of $500. The bill was many thousands of dollars, and that was at a
timewhen I could barely pay the bills. I agreed to the deal, not
knowing where the money would come from. Every month I had to come up
with$500 somehow. I eliminated all unnecessary expenses, I borrowed
from my parents and my wife, and somehow I made it, and paid it all
off.
More than ten years later, Zawaj.comis still my bread and butter. I
don't know whatI would have done without it. I feel that Allah guided
me to make that choice, and I was smart enough and determined enough
to seize the opportunity. For once in my life, ha ha!
Make your own luck. Make something happen. Find a way.
Diligence, diligence. Focus on your goal, work hard, don't give up… be
as persistent as the sun. Sometimes the sun is hidden behind clouds,
but it's there every day. It's okay to have days when you're tired,
when it seems hopeless, when you wish life would give you a break, but
just keep showing up every day and doing the work, and your break will
come.
Whoever said that opportunity knocks once mustnot have been paying
attention, because opportunities come along all the time. It's just
that you have to listen for them, and you must lay the groundwork so
that you are ready when the knock comes.
Faith and Diligence
I'll finish with a story from thelife of the Prophet Muhammad (sws):
Narrated Khabbab bin Al-Arat:
We complained to Allah's Apostle (of the persecution inflicted on us
by the disbelievers) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'ba,
leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him, "Would
you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allah for us?" He said, "Among
the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that
was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be
cut into two pieces;yet that (torture) would not make him give up his
religion.His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove
his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him
abandonhis religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail
till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will fear none
butAllah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty."
What type of persecution wasKhabbab referring to? Was it simple name
calling, or Muslim businesses being boycotted? No, it was torture and
murder. Bilal was laid in the desert with a huge stone on his chest.
Others were place in chains, burned, stabbed by spears… all because
they had adopted the religion of Allah. So it wasno small thing they
were complaining of. And yet all the Prophet had to say to them was
that they were hasty, and that a time would come when all of Arabia
would be united and safe. Someone standing beside himat the moment,
looking around at the weak circumstances in which the Muslims found
themselves, might have found such a statement hard to believe. But the
Messenger of Allah (sws) had faith, and he had diligence, and those
together can achieve anything.--
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