ARE WE TRULY PROFESSIONALS ..... AS MUSLIMS?
By Obaidullah NewJoy
new_joy@hotmail.com
Many of us work hard at being professionals in whatever we do - in our careers and business dealings. We want to be considered as such by our bosses, colleagues and clients. But, are we "professionals" as Muslims?
What follows is a discussion that takes place with a career-minded well-intentioned Muslim brother. How much of the learning, realization and hidaayah applies to you and I?
"I have read books on the work lives, management styles, philosophies and decisions of great corporate icons such as Jack Welch, Lee Iacocca and Bill Gates. And I regularly read the Harvard Business Reviews."
Sure. We believe that in your school days you would have also read about the lives and achievements of Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller, the Mughal Emperors, Shivaji Maharaj, and the Rani of Jhansi and of several others. We hope that you have also read "The Life of Prophet Muhammad", and with that also familiarized yourselves with his life-style, his philosophy, his sayings and decisions. If you have yet not, then, why not? We thought you loved the Prophet (s.a.w.) and said that you wished to be his Ummati? Or is this a mere wish or a dream, with no action?
Our company has a Business Excellence Model on the lines of the criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige Award for Quality. All employees go through an awareness programme and make efforts towards continuous improvement of quality in all aspects of our activities.
We also hope that you regularly undertake the Tazkiya of your Nafs (purification of soul) for the purpose of continuously improving yourself as a Muslim. Have you undertaken an awareness exercise to familiarize yourself with the ‘Excellence in Character’ model as exhibited by Prophet Muhammad in his lifetime? Have you studied the ‘Islamic Way of Life’ which if practiced, will help you achieve moral excellence, social excellence and spiritual excellence?
In our company we have a code of conduct to be followed to practise 'ethics at work'.
Have you studied the complete code of life that Islam prescribes for all walks of life? And this code was prescribed over 1400 years back and is still as relevant.
Our company has a compelling vision and an inspiring mission. All of us employees have been explained the vision and mission. We have to make efforts to help our company achieve its vision and succeed in its mission.
Sounds great. Brother, are you aware of your mission as a Muslim? Are you aware about the purpose of your creation? Read the translation of the Glorious Qur'an and discover and understand your reason for existence and your mission as a Muslim. What all are you doing to help the Muslim Ummah succeed in its mission?
"I want to be a true professional in my career and as a member of my organisation."
Yes, all Muslims should strive to be – truly committed to whatever they undertake. Have you ever asked yourself, "Am I professional in my approach of being a Muslim? Do I make efforts in gaining knowledge of the Glorious Qur'an and of Islam? Do I make efforts to develop my skills of being a good practising Muslim? Are we truly professionals as members of the Ummat of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)?
"I want to ensure my employability. To do so I have taken up the three years part-time MBA course which I will pursue along with my work".
Alhamdulillah, excellent. Brother, we want Muslims to succeed and excel in whatever halaal activity that they take up. And you have our best wishes for such pursuits. But dear brother, please let's also ensure our admissibility to Jannah. And for this are you also willing to later undertake a six months part-time Da'wah training course in the near future? Or a Deeni Knowledge Course? Or do you find this option tiring, or one for which your reply is "how will I find time"?
Though I am not of an engineering or technical background, I am crazy about computers – so I am a 'techie', a ‘geek’ and I am tech-savvy.
Superb. Would you not want to be 'Deen-savvy' and be fond and passionate about your Deen as well?
"I have cracked that test paper".
"I am busy slogging it out day and night preparing for GMAT / GRE, or for the Common Admission Test (CAT) for premier management institutes and business schools such as the IIM's in India, or for the Common Entrance Test (CET) for premier engineering colleges such as the IIT's".
Wonderful. Dear brother, we also want you and I to do well in the main examination – the test of our life on earth, the test for our Aakhirah. We hope that you are working as hard, if not harder, for this too.
"I am preparing for group discussions and interviews".
Please also prepare for your interview with your Creator – this interview is scheduled to be held on the Day of Judgement and will neither be cancelled nor postponed. And it is mandatory.
"I have joined a two-year full-time residential MBA course and the rules of the institute are such that it is a rigorous grind. We are given only seven days as holidays in the entire year, with no evenings or day-outs, and two hours everyday are for compulsory reading in the library".
You are truly committed, brother. We are sure that you will have the same commitment for your eternal life. Why not later be willing to take a two-year course on Islamic Studies at the Islamic University of Madeenah? And put in similar sacrifices and show a similar commitment?
"I have, at my own initiative and cost, joined public speaking classes so that I improve my presentation skills".
Wise decision. You are already on your journey in "self-managed development" and in “self-paced learning”. Are you willing to read and study more of Islamic books and the various Tafaasir of the Qur'an, and the Books of Saheeh Hadeeth, so as to improve your own behaviour, actions and character as a Muslim and also to improve your skills in presenting Islam by words and deeds? Are you willing also to enroll into the various Islamic and Da’wah training programmes conducted by Islamic Centres in your city?
"I have read voluminous management books as assignments in my management course and have given book reviews to my class".
Knowledge is important and reading is beneficial. We are sure that you must have read several academic books and volumes to reach the level of post-graduate studies. We also hope that you have read the translation of the Qur'an at least once. Have you ever thought of giving reviews and presentations on the themes and teachings of the various Suraahs in the Qur'an?
"I'd better do this and I'd better do that, and in a prompt manner, with accuracy and good quality, or else my boss will be angry with me, or else I may not get my increments, my rewards or a promotion".
This is fear of the boss and of senior management of the company. We hope you have a greater fear of Allah. It is not the thought or the desire, but actions speak louder than words and show whether we truly fear Allah, and if we do, do we fear Allah more than we fear our boss.
In our company each of us is given a clear job description. Expectations of performance and deliverables are made very clear to us. The company then demands performance.
Have you studied your "job description" as a Muslim? Do you know the expectations that your Creator has from you? It is explained in the Qur'an – do read its translation. Have you completely understood all the duties for which Allah (s.w.t.) will hold each of us responsible on the Day of Judgment?
We have a process of annual appraisals and our performance is assessed once a year.
Are you ready for the appraisal discussion (performance dialogue) with your Creator on the Day of Judgement during which your performance in terms of speech, actions and intentions during this life on earth will be assessed?
Our company undertakes a ‘Forced Ranking’ exercise of all managers and I try to be in the top 10% of the managers in my organisation.
We hope that we also make efforts at being amongst what Allah (s.w.t.) considers to be the best of Muslims.
"I have enrolled for career planning and career counselling".
A good decision. Please also plan for your ever-lasting life in a similar manner.
I consider physical fitness to be very important. I take care of my health through conscious eating habits and I do workouts for 45 minutes each day. I take brisk walks and I go the gym too.
Your body is important and we should take care of our physical well-being. But we also have to take care of our moral and spiritual fitness and build up our "spiritual stamina, spiritual strength and spiritual endurance". So how many minutes each day do you invest in building your 'spiritual fitness' and what all do you do for this?
Due to poor posture and constant sitting before the desktop and in meetings, and due to a sedentary life-style, most of us have developed chronic backache and neck-ache. Moreover dryness of the eyes is another problem that has gradually crept in due to a lot of time being spent looking at the computer screen.
Dear brother, had we offered our salaah regularly five times a day at the specified time, in not so ‘rushed’ a manner and not only the obligatory ‘fard’ salaah but also the ‘sunnah’, some voluntary nawaafil and tahajjud, the various postures in salaah would have helped us in the prevention of these back and neck related problems. Brother, how often has it happened that you were moved into tears spontaneously on reciting the Qur’an and reading the translation of the ayahs (the signs) of Allah swt? How often have you cried by reminding yourself of the impending Day of Judgement and the Aakhirah? How often have you cried while wishing to sincerely repent and while seeking the forgiveness of Allah (swt) for the various sins committed by you? For if you had cried often, your tears would have prevented the ailment of dryness of eyes.
Our company encourages employees to volunteer their time, money and talent for social causes, as a part of its overall 'Corporate Social Responsibility'.
Islam has prescribed obligatory / compulsory charity (zakaah) on all Muslims. It also encourages Muslims to give regular charity and also to help the needy be they orphans, widows, destitute or wayfarers. How often have you, dear brother, volunteered your time and talent for the sake of the Deen of Islam?
"I want to be a true professional in my career and as a member of my organisation."
Yes, all Muslims should strive to be – truly committed to whatever they undertake. Have you ever asked yourself, "Am I professional in my approach of being a Muslim? Do I make efforts in gaining knowledge of the Qur'an and of Islam? Do I make efforts to develop my skills of being a good practising Muslim? Are we truly professionals as members of the Ummat of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)?
So dear 'myself' and my dear Muslim brothers and sisters, "Let Us Be Muslims".
All of what has been stated applies to me more than to anyone else. May Allah guide me along the True Path and give me the strength and courage to be a true Muslim. Aameen.
Obaidullah NewJoy
new_joy@hotmail.com
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