7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Muslim Edition

1. Be Proactive

In is Islam it is important to move with intention and live on purpose. Try your best to beat the autopilot nature of your bad habits, in order to gain and create good ones.

“Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah)” [Sūrat al-Ra’d 13:11] So take the first step to improve yourself so Allah can help you with the rest.

There are 4 way to be proactive:

Self-knowledge: reflecting on thoughts and feelings - acknowledging Allah is the turner of hearts.

Anas (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would often say, “O Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion!” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2140)

Imagination - Being able to look beyond present reality there are verses about the heart being blind.

"Surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts that are in the chests." (Sūrat al-Hajj, 22:46)

Consciousness - Being able to distinguish between good vs evil. Doing good brings more good and keeps you surrounded by angels “Good and evil cannot be equal. Repel evil with what is better, and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend.” (Sūratul Fussilat 41:34)

Free will - change emotions and thoughts "There is no compulsion in religion, the right direction is clearly distinguished from the wrong." (Sūrat al-Baqara 2:256)

2. Begin with the end in mind

"Effectiveness is not just reaching a goal, it is much more than that; efficiency is achieving a goal without having to pay a big price for it." It's important to have meaning behind ideas- what bigger purpose do your actions serve? For us Muslims, Jannah is the end goal, therefore that is the bigger picture. Building a personal relationship with Allah is most important to achieve this.

3. Put first things first

When you can understand your purpose then it is easy to prioritise things that are important and delegate the rest.

A relationship with Allah is most important as well as Kinship and blood ties. Our purpose has been made clear by Allah "I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship.” (Sūratul Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

. Think win/win

Creating win-win situations means to act in a way that is beneficial for everyone. It is important to treat others how you would like to be treated, have sabr when misfortune befalls you and be grateful for whatever good is available to you. Suhaib (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.”

5. Seek to understand, then be understood

Listen to what people have to say with the intention of listening to understand, not to reply. Be open minded and non-judgemental towards people because Allah is the only one who knows what is in their hearts, and is the only one who can judge them. Understanding builds trust and therefore active listening builds understanding.

“If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves.” [Imam Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 7.522]

Among them are those who torment the Prophet, and say, ‘He is (all) ear.’ Say, ‘An ear that is good for you. (Sūrat al-Tawba, 9:61)

6. Synergize

'The whole is more than the sum of its parts' working together serves us better than working alone. Islam places a huge emphasis on community cohesion and the reminder that we are all the son of Adam and are one Ummah. “The believers are nothing else but brothers…” (Sūrat al-Hujraat 49:10). It is important to collaborate with people and work in a team. It is important for us to stick by each other and help one another in whatever capacity we are able to. “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of God, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember God’s favour on you, for you were enemies and He joined your hearts together, so that by His grace, you became brethren and you were on a brink of a Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus God makes clear His signs to you, that you may be guided.” (Sūrat al-E-Imran 3:103)

7. Sharpen the saw

Being able to understand how to take care of needs:

Physical - " ....Verily, your own self has rights over you, so fast and break your fast, pray and sleep.” Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1369. Our bodies allow us to perform our acts of worship to Allah so it is important that we look after them by providing them with the correct nutrients, good amount of exercise and rest when rest is needed.

Spiritual - ‘Allah will raise to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge.’ (Sūrat al-Mujadila 58:11). It is to renew commitment to values and turn to Allah as many times as necessary. Keeping prayer in order to soften the heart consistently, you can say Shahadah as many times as you like to regain closeness to Allah and reaffirm your faith.

Mental - Keep your mind sharp by reading, writing and planning. The first thing Muhammad (SAW) was commanded was "Iqra" (read). The believer must know Allah before calling themselves Muslim. “Learn your religion, do not inherit it” Ali ibn Abi Tali

Social/emotional - Talking good of others is important and staying away from gossip. Remember to socialise in moderation to give yourself time to do what is important to you and not get carried away. Muhammad (SAW) said, “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent. And whoever believes in God and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbour. And whoever believes in God and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest." Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim

Written by Olaitan

Click here to read VM7

Click here to view Olaitan's Instagram