Monday 26th December 2022

as Salaamu Alaykum

Weekly Newsletter bringing together some (hopefully) beneficial content on all things self-development from a Muslim's perspective.

Podcast Update: Next 3 episodes: Coach Zubair on Dawah and advice for new Muslims; Sh Mu'Aawiyah Tucker on changes in the cryptocurrency space and what AI means for Muslims, and; ustadh Daniel Haqiqatjou on debating, emotional resilience, and dealing with arguments.

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Qur'an

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌۭ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٨٥

Do you, then, believe in some parts of the Book, and disbelieve in others? So, what can be the punishment of those among you who do that, except disgrace in the present life? And, on the Day of Judgement, they shall be turned to the most severe punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do [2:85]

Hadith

One of the most widely transmitted hadith in the Islamic tradition is the Prophet’s saying, “Whoever defrauds us is not one of us.” Sacred law forbids selling something without pointing out its defects.

Something I was thinking about: Hard work & Talent

Current focus: "hard work" and not "talent". It's easy to start listening to multi-millionaire gurus who will make content about delegating everything and working 3 hours a week. You have to understand the stage you are at and act accordingly.

Growing up, I would say I coasted a lot and relied on "talent". Then, once I started working, I was living alone and did a deep dive into self-development and asceticism. It was a great time for my development. I definitely developed certain beneficial character traits and skills alhamdulillah. Now, I acknowledge that the biggest "unfair advantage" from a trait perspective someone can have at this age is the ability to work hard consistently. Nuance nuance yes - take the main point 😂

The virtue of a growth Mindset by Sh Yahya Rhodus🧠

It's always great to hear concepts such as these covered by scholars.

“Our Deen does not allow you to lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. And our hope is real hope. It’s hope in Allah.”

Islam teaches us to see everything that we experience as coming from Allah the Exalted, such that even difficult challenges become opportunities to improve and become closer to Him.

In this reflection, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus explains what it means to have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset and how the former is closer to the Sunna, and why, for the true lovers of Allah, it is very easy to have a growth mindset."

Another interesting parallel the Sheikh mentioned is how people with a growth mindset view criticism as a way of learning and improving their faults. Imam Al Ghazali mentioned that one can learn from his "enemies" as they will highlight his faults even if exaggerated.

Link to video

"Easy" Good Deeds to race towards: 🏇

Wake up 20-30 minutes before Fajr time and try to pray some Tahajjud. Viewing it this way significantly lowers the perceived difficulty behind the task Hence the recommendation.

Some Interesting Links & recommended content 🤔:

Alhamdulillah I've got some good links for you this week:



•  Can Artificial Intelligence Undermine Religion? With Hamza Andreas Tzortzis Link to video lecture

• Muslim Academic Uthman Badar dismantles Stephen Fry's famous argument against God, otherwise known as "the problem of suffering" or "the problem of evil". He responds by means of engaging Islamic Creed, Quran and Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him).(5 minutes) Link to video

• One of the most powerful Khutbahs I've heard in a long time: The Coming Imposter Messiah (Anti-Christ Dajjal) | Dr. Ali Ataie - the video has been made unlisted for some illuminati reason lol😱 Link to video

• Interesting article on Muslim Mental Models by Faisal Amjad: Link to article:

One question to ask ourselves

What is obligatory for me to know form an Islamic perspective, but I do not know?

Some quotes from my readings:

"Someone who is rational works for his permanent abode, not for the stages of his journey."

- Infamies of the Soul and Their Treatments by Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, Musa Furber

“Robbers, perverts, killers, and tyrants—gather for your inspection their so-called pleasures!” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS...

 I want to hear from like-minded people, please feel free to reply.

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