Work in Silence

Work in Silence

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Peace be upon the final messenger.

One of the disadvantages of the internet is that we are all connected too much and pushed to share too much. As a result, too many people spend a lot of time online talking about their plans, goals, and ideas without actually making time to work on them. It is easy to come up with an idea, post about it on social media, and enjoy the dopamine hit that comes with people liking and praising your idea.

The real challenge is to sit down, and work hard over a long period of time to turn that idea into a reality. Many people today do not have the commitment, patience, and mindset needed to do this. As a result, our ideas remain as nothing more than social media posts that generated a few likes. The real work begins when we break away from the internet and carve out time to work on our ideas.

Avoid Distraction

Being constantly connected is a distraction. It means that we are always consuming, always engaging, and that we are bombarded with an information overload. This also means that we do not have time or space to think deeply, work deeper, and produce better results. A simple tip for a more effective and productive life; spend less time online and more time alone with your thoughts and ideas. It is during these periods of intense focus that you will produce your best work. Away from the noise of the internet, you can think, strategize, produce, and be your best.

Think Long-Term

Besides being a distraction, the internet also tricks us into seeking the fastest path to success. We ignore the long-term and necessary work needed to build powerful businesses, develop powerful habits, and produce amazing products. Instead, we seek out the quickest product, the shortest route to a few extra dollars, and the fastest route to fame and admiration. The results are scams, shoddy work, and businesses that cannot last or generate profits long-term. Greed, impatience, and instant gratification will destroy any chances of success, if we allow them to dictate the speed and quality of our work. Do not allow the speed of online production to trick you into compromising on quality and long-term results. Take your time, be deliberate and be persistent. A business built over a decade will generate much better results than something you pushed too early and too quickly due to online pressure.

Work Deeper

To produce your best results, you must get used to working deeper. This means carving out blocks of high concentration time free from distraction and noise. During these periods, you focus intensely on your primary projects and channel all your energy into your work. It is during these periods of intense deep work that you will produce your best results. Make it a habit to carve out time daily for deep work. Figure out your peak concentration hours, schedule your most important work for that time, block out all the noise, and focus intensely. Do this daily, and you will produce amazing work constantly.

Stay Private

The world does not need to know about your ideas, goals, and dreams. In fact, most people do not want to know about these things, and many people are malicious and will react negatively to your ideas. They do not need to know what you are focused on or why you are focused on. Only inform the few that you trust, that support you, and that can assist you in achieving your goals. Beware of the false sense of accomplishment that comes from talking too much about goals and dreams. Focus instead on the real sense of accomplishment that comes from accomplishing your goals.

I recall when I was a teenager, I told my classmates that I want to be an author. One of my classmates, for whatever reason, reacted very negatively to this. He would mock me constantly about my dream and would always mockingly ask me “where is your book?” Once I broke away from that friend circle, I was able to sit in peace and product my first book in my early twenties. Nearly two decades since breaking away from this group, I have produced over twenty books, Alhamdulillah. I learned an important lesson from this, not everybody needs to know about your goals. Keep most of your goals private and work on them in silence. When the product is ready, then let people know about it. Until then, stay private and work in silence.

Let your work speak for itself

If you work hard in silence, every day, you will eventually produce amazing work that benefits many people. You do not need to self-promote if you feel it affects your intentions. You do not need to talk about yourself, your accomplishments, or your goals. You simply need to show up, produce great work, and let your work speak for itself. At the end of the day, once you produce something great, it will reach who it needs to reach, and its impact will spread through word-of-mouth. Therefore, taking the time to produce quality work is the best move long-term.

Life in the modern world has become too noisy and cluttered. Too many people lack the attention span and skills to focus on long-term projects. We are constantly distracted and tricked into chasing short-term results. We need to break away from any damaging habits that are destroying our productivity. This means learning to spend less time online, more time focused on work, and more time deep in thought. Spend less time on social media, focus on accomplishing your goals, instead of talking about them, and think long-term.

Work in silence and you will unlock more skills, stronger concentration, better ideas, stronger results, more valuable products, and better long-term results. Learn to work in silence, and you will benefit more than anyone else, and your results will speak for you.

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Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Business, Goal Setting, Life Hacks, Productivity
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Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Books, Business
Lessons Learned from the trials of life

Lessons Learned from the trials of life

I do not talk about the difficulties in my life publicly. Life is a test, and I am sure everyone reading this has their own trials and difficulties. The past five years, especially, have seen us all afflicted with global trials that have hit the world one after another, and sometimes multiple at the same time. While we all collectively deal with these trials, many of us have been dealing with personal trials as well. I will not mention specifically what I have been through over the past few years, but want to reflect on some important life lessons I learned through all this.

The period of 1440 to 1446 Hijri, (coinciding with 2019-2024 CE) has been a time of intense difficulty for me. There were times during this period in which I felt hopeless, fearful, depressed, cowardly, and even close to death. Living through the pandemic/lockdown, while dealing with the riots in South Africa in 2021, and the floods here over the next few years, as well as the deaths of multiple relatives, was difficult enough. But at the same time, I had to deal with two major personal trials that shaped and defined this period of my life.

Miraculously, one trial ended this past Friday and another on Saturday, like a season finale in which multiple long-term plots were resolved in almost miraculous fashion. Today is my first work day free from these trials, and I sit alone at 5am in peace and gratitude typing this and reflecting over this intense and difficult period of my life. The strange thing is that even though the past six years were extremely difficult and I prayed for ease many times, I am also grateful for this period of my life because it has shaped me and changed me positively in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.

Finding My Courage

Perhaps the one thing I am most grateful for during this period is finding my courage and evolving into a braver version of myself. In 2021, I faced a trial that required courage and I remember feeling a deep sense of fear and cowardice overwhelm me. I recall my neighbors arming themselves to defend our neighborhood, and I felt a deep sense of cowardice and did the bare minimum to keep my family safe. I felt terrible after that for years and determined to never allow fear or cowardice to hold me back from doing the right thing ever again. I spent a lot of time over the next few years working on building my courage and ability to face scary and difficult situations without fear.

In 2024, multiple scenarios forced me to level up. I did things this year that I did not know I was capable of. I found myself facing my trials head-on and even facing danger head-on. I realized a few weeks ago that I am no longer the same person who was so fearful just three years ago. As I stood guard over a van in a dangerous street giving a man my word that I will protect his workers while they were making a delivery there I felt alive, and I felt at peace that I had finally overcome my cowardice in the face of danger and evolved into a better version of myself.

Learning to Work Under Intense Pressure

I never complained publicly about my trials, as this is not the Islamic way. As Prophet Yaqub (AS) teaches us, “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah” (Qur’an 12:86) Despite my trials, I continued to focus on my work and during these past few years I was able to produce some of my most important work including the History of Islam online course, and 25 Keys to a Happy Life. I learned during this period that no matter what is going on in the world, I must remain focused on serving Allah, building my Afterlife, and producing work that benefits the ummah.

I recall a strange and terrifying afternoon during 2021. It was the middle of the covid lockdown, multiple relatives of mine had just passed away, and I could hear helicopters, gunshots and screaming as riots raged near my neighborhood. Unable to do anything about any of the above, I sat down to homeschool my children, teach my history classes, and write my books. It was in that moment I realized that no matter how crazy the world gets, life goes on and we must remain focused on what is in our control.

Channeling My Patience into Productivity

Ramadan 1444 (early 2023) was one of the most difficult periods of my life. I recall starting that Ramadan in survival mode, barely able to concentrate or think. I told myself this Ramadan I will just focus on personal worship and getting through my trials. Despite this, with Allah’s Help and Guidance, on the 27th of Ramadan 1444 I completed the first draft of 25 Keys to a Happy Life which I started writing on the first of Ramadan that year.

In 25 days I had completed writing one of the most important books I ever wrote to myself. This book started as notes to myself to fix my mindset and elevate my thinking during this difficult period of my life. Alhamdulillah, it is now available to the public and I pray that it will help others to experience happiness and inner peace no matter how difficult life gets. I learned to channel my resolve into productively producing works that benefit myself and the ummah, and I am grateful to Allah for the opportunity to do this.

Similarly, in early 1445, I realized that all I could do about my trials at that point was be patient and await the help of Allah. Instead of wasting my time in sorrow and self-pity, I channeled my patience into producing more work to benefit the ummah. It was during this period that I produced my online course on the Shariah which has benefited hundreds of students. Looking back, I am grateful to Allah for giving me this period of time to focus on these works, and guiding me to produce them. I ask Allah to make these beneficial for the ummah.

Bonding with my family

Perhaps the greatest blessing that came out of this trial is that it has been a source of bonding for my family. My relationships with my family members, both close and extended, are stronger than ever, Alhamdulillah. I realized that hardships come either tear families apart or bring them together, depending on how we face them and deal with them. I learned an important lesson in facing the trials of life as a united front and growing closer together through every trial.

During these past few years, a lot of my research has focused on reviving the Islamic family structure and helping others find strength, love, and unity in family too. During these years, I launched Izzah Academy, and through it a marriage and parenting course. My work in my community has become heavily focused on teaching people the importance of traditional living, having large united families, and developing a strong family culture.

The family is the primary power base and source of support of any individual. We must resist the modern trends of individualism in which family is disappearing and losing its value. Prophet Lut (AS) refers to families and tribes as strong supports, and wished to have one. “If only I had the strength ˹to resist you˺ or could rely on a strong support.” (Qur’an 11:80) As we face a new generation of the same evil he faced, we must protect ourselves through developing this strong support.

Realizing my true potential

Alhamdulillah, I am a very different person today than I was six years ago. Gone is the cowardice, self-doubt, fear, awkwardness, anxiety and self-consciousness. I may have lost my youth and gained some grey hairs during this period of life, but I also levelled up and am capable of a lot more today than I was a few years ago. Through these trials, I learned to face my fears, take action, trust Allah’s plan, be patient, resilient, strong, brave, and focused. I found my courage and let go of my fear of death. I am a different person today, I feel it in every aspect of my life, and I am grateful to Allah for everything that helped me grow into a better version of myself.

As Muslims, we should never pray for trials and hardship. We should ask Allah for ease and pray for good things. But trials are a necessary part of life and we all will face periods of trial, some more intense than others. The trials of life serve many purposes, one of the most important is to help us dig deep, discover our true potential, and grow into better versions of ourselves. We may struggle and make mistakes along the way, but as long as we remain focused on obeying Allah, doing the right things, and doing what is within our control, our trials will be a source of blessings for us in the long run.

We ask Allah to accept our efforts, utilize us to serve the religion, and to grant us the best of both worlds. Ameen.

Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Inner Peace, Islam
Excelling at Dunya and Deen

Excelling at Dunya and Deen

Among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” yet he has no share in the Hereafter. And among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us goodness in this world, and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:200-201)

When it comes to the topic of balance, the question we get asked the most if how do we balance deen and dunya. This is an interesting question because it means different things to different people. Some people think that balance means making equal time for work and worship, so if they work 8 hours a day, they assume that they need to do 8 hours of worship to achieve balance. Others think balance means figuring out the bare minimum worship to do while focusing on Dunya, while some think the opposite. The try to figure out the bare minimum worldly efforts to focus on while prioritizing worship. Some even have a strange idea that balance means having some kind of halal/haram ratio, where their good deeds need to equal or slightly overpower their bad deeds. This last idea is especially incorrect and problematic.

Looking back at the early Muslims and the Quranic message, it is interesting to note that Islam does not push any of the above definitions of balance between Din and Dunya. Instead, there seems to be a constant theme of excelling in both worlds. The Quran calls on us to seek out the best of both worlds. In the famous dua mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah, we are told to ask Allah for the best of both worlds. The scholars differ over what the best of this world means but they all agree we should seek out goodness in this world. Our religion does not encourage us to live like Monks, abandoning this world and focusing only on worship. Instead, we are supposed to lead the world in a way that is pleasing to Allah.

The early Muslims did not excel at Deen but at Dunya as well. Look back at the example of Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf, not only was he one of the blessed ten promised Paradise but he was a millionaire who built his wealth through hard work and excellent. Khalid Ibn Walid was the sword of Allah, and through his sword he excelled at both deen and dunya. The Sahaba excelled so well in both fields that within a few decades they rose up and became a powerful civilization. This is the way of the early Muslims, their hearts were focused on pleasing Allah and earning Paradise but they did so in a way that they still excelled in their worldly goals and aspirations.

Al-Mawardi’s Adab al-Dunya Wa Din

To learn more about what Islam teaches about this topic, I was reading through a classical work Adab al-Dunya Wa Din (Ethics of Dunya and Din) by the classical scholar Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi. This book was written a thousand years ago during the Abbasid Golden Age by one of its leading political scholars. Al-Mawardi is more commonly known for his masterpiece Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah which focuses on Islamic Political Theory and is perhaps the most important book produced on that topic. Adab al-Dunya Wa Din is one of his lesser-known works, which has recently been translated into English and it focuses on how to achieve balance, happiness, and excellence in both Dunya and Din. This book is full of brilliant timeless principles for pursuing excellence. Today, I just want to share with you the first three principles from the book which I believe are essential today for achieving balance and excellence in both worlds.

Principle #1: Take Care of Your Mind

The first principle is the importance of developing one’s intellect. Al-Mawardi argues that the greatest gift that Allah has given us is our brains. It is through correct usage and development of our intellect that we succeed in both worlds. It is through developing and using our minds that we reflect on the Signs of Allah, learn the Quran and Sunnah, recognize God’s blessings and make good decisions. Good decisions benefit us in both worlds. An intelligent person will succeed in religion because their intellect leads them to recognize Allah’s Blessings and to live a goodly life that is pleasing to Allah.

But it will also benefit him in this world because he will use his mind to make good decisions about family, community, work, and business. This is one of the reasons why the preservation of intellect is one of the five main goals of the Shariah. Losing one’s intellect through not using it or substance abuse leads to bad decisions and ruining one’s life in both worlds. Therefore, all success depends on being sound of mind and using your mind wisely.

Principle #2: Control Your Desires

Linked to this, he mentions in the same chapter the second principle, which is to above following one’s desires. Everyone has moments in their life in which their desires are pulling them in one direction and their brains in the opposite direction. If we develop our minds and control our desires, we will make good decisions in such moments. For example, when a married person is tempted to cheat on their spouse. At that moment, if one’s desires are dominant, a person will make a foolish choice that can ruin their life in this world and the next. Intelligent people know and understand the repercussions of zina and this helps them to make good decisions and stay away from such sins. So he dedicates the entire first chapter of his book to these two principles: nurture and grow and use your intellect while keeping your desires under control is key to success in both Din and Dunya.

Principle #3: Seek Knowledge

The third principle mentioned in this book is the importance of knowledge. Note that in Islam, there is no distinction between religious and secular knowledge. This is a modern division of knowledge that is alien to the Islamic worldview. The early Muslims were polymaths who succeeded in both worlds because they sought and acquired all beneficial knowledge. In Islam, we can divide knowledge into beneficial, trivial and harmful. We must avoid harmful knowledge like learning how to manipulate and con people because such knowledge leads to temptation and sin, and we should avoid trivial knowledge like memorizing the names and lives of western celebrities because such information is useless. However, we must seek beneficial knowledge.

Al-Mawardi argues that to succeed in both Dunya and Din, you need to be a student for life. He says that knowledge is more important than wealth because wealth is a matter of Qadar but knowledge is something you can actively acquire. Furthermore, he says real social status and dignity comes from knowledge and wisdom, not just wealth. So he encourages a life-long pursuit of all beneficial knowledge. Al-Mawardi says that success in Din is dependent on knowledge because we need knowledge to know right from wrong and to know our responsibilities and duties. Likewise success in Dunya is also dependent on knowledge because knowledge opens new doors and helps us excel at every aspect of life.

Principle #4: Prioritize Worship

Finally, a fourth principle he mentions in the book is prioritizing daily ibadah starting with the five daily prayers. A Muslim must prioritize the worship of Allah and build the rest of his life around this. It is through these principles, cultivating the mind, controlling desires, seeking beneficial knowledge, and prioritizing the worship of Allah that we can develop the right mindset and lifestyle to excel at both worlds.

I am currently teaching an in-depth course based on this book, sign up for it here.

Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Islam, Leadership
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