You feel it. Right?

That feeling of powerlessness when you see the ummah suffering. The rage that simmers inside when Islam is mocked or maligned. The sadness when our own Muslim brothers and sisters perpetrate evil, tarnishing our name.

It sucks. And it's easy to succumb to despair and victimhood.

We've gotten so used to being acted upon that we forget our power to act. So, we wallow in misery and complaints rather than taking ownership.

But what if all this victim mentality is just holding us back from real change?

Think about it. When you believe you're powerless, you become powerless. A self-fulfilling prophecy. But the reverse is true, too.

Our deen didn't spread through the world by accident. It took believers' fierce compassion, strategic action, and unwavering conviction to share Islam far and wide.

Against all odds, with far fewer resources, our predecessors transformed hearts and societies. They were unapologetic torchbearers of the truth.

That spirit lies dormant within us, too. We just have to reignite it.

Don't get me wrong. The challenges we face today are very real.

Islamophobia, apathy, disunity, materialism—this stuff plagues our communities. It's easier to feel dejected than hopeful.

But this ain't about what's easy. It's about what's right. The stakes are too high for pity parties.

Victimhood is a dead-end road. It leads only to more powerlessness. But leadership and ownership are roads that lead to real change.

So what can we do practically, starting today, to become leaders and change-makers again?

How can we move from complaints to action plans? From frustration to trailblazing? From weakness to courageous compassion?

That's exactly what we'll explore together here.

Each weekly letter will give you pragmatic frameworks, mindset shifts, and hands-on tools drawn from Islam, social entrepreneurship, and the modern social sciences. I'll share the best of what I've learned over the decade as a dawah worker, mentor, and trainer.

This isn't theoretical stuff. It’s battle-tested teachings, focused on application, so you can immediately start improving yourself and your community.

No more wallowing in victimhood, my friend. The time for excuses and pity parties is over. Victim is not an identity; it's a useless mindset.

Reclaim your power. The Ummah of the past was given knowledge, wisdom, and influence, and so are you. It's time to rise up again as leaders and change-makers.

The task ahead is monumental, but real change never comes easy. With sincere effort, smart strategies, and Allah's help, we can restore the Ummah as torchbearers again.

So, what do you say?

Are you ready to step up and architect our future?

I invite you to read the Dawah Design Thinking weekly newsletter at dawahdesignthinking.substack.com for free weekly education on how to improve yourself as a Muslim with responsibility to the Ummah.

That is where all my articles will be publicly available for now.

I have just published the first article of a series of articles on The Muslim Operating System: A 5-Step Framework to Success in Life and the Hereafter.

Enjoy the read.

Talk to you soon, in sha Allah.

Teslim

The Muslimchangemaker.