The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 1 - Lofty Goals Lead to Success (2022-06-30) ​

0:00:16 brothers and sisters and friends and
0:00:18 welcome to the sapience institute
0:00:21 vulhija series the shepherd's way
0:00:25 timeless
0:00:26 leadership lessons for life
0:00:28 endower so what is this series all about
0:00:32 brothers and sisters
0:00:35 sapiens institute's vision is
0:00:38 a world that receives the message of
0:00:40 islam
0:00:41 and our strategic focus
0:00:44 is that we
0:00:46 as a team
0:00:47 defend and share islam academically and
0:00:50 intellectually
0:00:51 and we train
0:00:53 and empower and develop others to do so
0:00:56 the same
0:00:58 part of this
0:01:00 is creating leaders
0:01:03 and this is very significant
0:01:05 so we felt
0:01:07 it was of paramount importance
0:01:09 to
0:01:11 empower you
0:01:12 with timeless
0:01:14 leadership
0:01:15 lessons
0:01:16 in order to facilitate your journey to
0:01:19 go out there in the world in order for
0:01:22 the world to receive the message of
0:01:23 islam and for you to become
0:01:27 a leader so you can share and defend
0:01:29 islam academically and intellectually
0:01:34 and brothers and sisters
0:01:37 it is extremely important for us to have
0:01:41 these lessons not only
0:01:44 in our tower life in sharing and
0:01:46 defending islam academically and
0:01:48 intellectually but also in our private
0:01:51 lives too
0:01:53 if i were to summarize
0:01:54 the whole series
0:01:56 i will define it in the following way
0:02:00 be principled
0:02:02 if you had a choice
0:02:04 between power
0:02:06 authority and principles
0:02:09 and you chose power and authority over
0:02:12 principles
0:02:14 your power
0:02:16 will become your weakness
0:02:18 and if you chose principles
0:02:21 over power
0:02:23 your principles will become your
0:02:25 strength
0:02:26 allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala says in
0:02:28 chapter 11 verse 49
0:02:30 so be patient
0:02:32 surely the ultimate outcome belongs only
0:02:35 to the righteous
0:02:37 brothers and sisters
0:02:38 these timeless lessons
0:02:41 can be derived from my own experience
0:02:44 many of you may not know
0:02:46 but i was the ceo of i era from april
0:02:52 2017 to around february
0:02:55 2020
0:02:57 and alhamdulillah
0:02:58 by the will and mercy and grace of allah
0:03:01 subhanahu wa ta'ala we increased
0:03:06 international operations by over a
0:03:08 thousand percent
0:03:09 and we increased our funding by over 500
0:03:13 percent
0:03:14 in may 2020 i was given the mandate to
0:03:19 lead and set up sapience institute
0:03:22 and this involved developing its vision
0:03:25 and implementing its strategy
0:03:29 and i've realized brothers and sisters
0:03:32 that these lessons
0:03:34 and the principles that you can derive
0:03:36 from these lessons are timeless and much
0:03:39 needed so brothers and sisters in this
0:03:42 series we're going to be unpacking 10
0:03:45 timeless leadership lessons
0:03:48 and let me summarize them for you now
0:03:50 number one lofty goals lead to success
0:03:54 in other words
0:03:55 be visionary number two necessity
0:03:57 achieves in other words be strategic
0:04:01 number three a leader loved is a leader
0:04:04 followed
0:04:05 in other words be empathic be
0:04:07 compassionate
0:04:08 number four the servant leads the master
0:04:12 concedes in other words be a servant
0:04:16 number five when you become
0:04:18 you overcome in other words be
0:04:21 courageous
0:04:22 number six
0:04:23 relevance is excellence in other words
0:04:27 be wise
0:04:28 number seven the enemy is the enemy in
0:04:33 other words
0:04:34 be
0:04:35 egoless or
0:04:37 as egoless as you can be
0:04:39 number eight
0:04:40 enroll don't control
0:04:43 in other words be an example
0:04:46 number nine how you relate is what you
0:04:49 create
0:04:50 in other words be a mentor number ten
0:04:54 achievements
0:04:55 are divine gifts
0:04:57 in other words be grateful
0:05:00 now yes some of these statements are
0:05:02 ambiguous you may not know what they
0:05:04 mean but this is the whole point of the
0:05:06 series to unpack them and to give you
0:05:08 these timeless lessons
0:05:10 now the whole basis of this series
0:05:13 is based on a hadith from the prophet
0:05:15 sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:05:17 when he said
0:05:18 every one of you is a shepherd and is
0:05:21 responsible for his flock
0:05:24 so these timeless
0:05:26 leadership lessons
0:05:28 yes they can be applied and they should
0:05:30 be applied in a tower context when we're
0:05:32 sharing islam academically and
0:05:35 intellectually but they can also be
0:05:37 applied in every aspect of your life
0:05:40 including your personal life so the
0:05:42 first lesson brothers and sisters is
0:05:44 lofty goals lead to success what does
0:05:46 this mean
0:05:47 this means be visionary have a vision
0:05:50 now what is a vision now professor
0:05:53 stanley ridgeley defines a vision as an
0:05:57 articulation of a powerful achievable
0:05:59 and motivating stretch goal
0:06:01 now i don't want to unpack all the
0:06:03 nuances behind this definition but i
0:06:05 think in our context
0:06:08 it's
0:06:09 more appropriate to define a vision as
0:06:12 where you want to see the world and
0:06:14 where you see yourself
0:06:16 in where you want to see the world
0:06:18 so those two things are going to be
0:06:19 connected let me give an example
0:06:22 here's
0:06:23 where i want to see the world a world
0:06:26 led by islam
0:06:27 okay that's the global vision what about
0:06:29 my individual personal vision that
0:06:32 connects to that well
0:06:34 in that context
0:06:37 my personal vision would be that i am
0:06:39 led by islam and can lead with islamic
0:06:42 principles so as you can see
0:06:44 the vision for the world the global
0:06:46 vision and my personal individual vision
0:06:49 are connected
0:06:51 now from an islamic perspective brothers
0:06:52 and sisters a vision should be based on
0:06:54 three main things the love of allah
0:06:57 certainty and islamic values okay what
0:07:00 does this mean
0:07:01 when we say the love of allah it means
0:07:03 it should be done for his sake and that
0:07:05 you should seek the best in this life
0:07:07 and the best in the life to come
0:07:10 when we say
0:07:11 it must be based on certainty it should
0:07:13 be based on core islamic principles
0:07:17 and
0:07:18 in the unwavering belief in allah and
0:07:21 his messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:07:24 and that would mean that we affirm
0:07:26 tawheed the oneness of allah and in this
0:07:29 context that we rely on him because
0:07:32 everything that happens in this cosmos
0:07:35 happens because of the irrada the will
0:07:37 and kudra power of allah subhanallah
0:07:40 so our vision brothers and sisters must
0:07:41 be based on islamic values this means it
0:07:44 should please allah let's unpack this a
0:07:46 little bit
0:07:48 it means brothers and sisters that we
0:07:50 should ask the following profound
0:07:52 question
0:07:53 what is
0:07:55 most pleasing to allah
0:07:57 in this context i repeat
0:08:01 what is most pleasing to allah in this
0:08:05 context this is extremely significant
0:08:07 brothers and sisters because it would
0:08:09 elevate our gain we'll have more barakah
0:08:12 in our work in our private life and our
0:08:14 public life
0:08:16 because we're not just going to say what
0:08:18 is permissible and what is impermissible
0:08:20 it's not just the halal and haram don't
0:08:22 get me wrong the halal
0:08:25 is pleasing to allah
0:08:27 but in islamic ethics there is a
0:08:29 hierarchy of values there is a hierarchy
0:08:33 of what is permissible meaning some
0:08:35 things that are permissible are less
0:08:37 pleasing
0:08:38 than others we should seek the higher
0:08:41 value and we will have barakah in our
0:08:44 private and public lives brothers and
0:08:47 sisters
0:08:49 now there are various benefits of having
0:08:50 a vision number one it provides focus
0:08:53 and direction why because you know where
0:08:55 you're going number two it gives you
0:08:57 clarity
0:08:58 because you know how to get there and
0:09:00 that's going to make more sense when we
0:09:04 address
0:09:04 the second lesson which is necessity
0:09:07 achieves in other words have a strategy
0:09:10 be strategic
0:09:12 number three it gives you life
0:09:15 especially if we connect our vision to
0:09:18 the pleasure of allah
0:09:20 as allah says in the quran all you who
0:09:23 have believed respond to the call of
0:09:25 allah and his messenger to that which
0:09:28 gives you life number four
0:09:30 it removes doubt
0:09:32 why because your vision is based on
0:09:35 certainty and interestingly the 14th
0:09:37 century theologian ibn kaiyum al-jawshi
0:09:40 said
0:09:41 regarding the fitna of shubohat
0:09:44 regarding the trial or tribulation of
0:09:46 destructive doubts
0:09:48 this is due to having a weak vision and
0:09:51 a lack of knowledge so he linked having
0:09:54 a weak vision to shubhat destructive
0:09:57 doubts number five it saves time because
0:10:00 you know what needs to be done number
0:10:02 six it helps shape your environment and
0:10:05 your social circles because your vision
0:10:07 defines you therefore the way you relate
0:10:10 to other people will be based in that
0:10:12 context
0:10:13 number seven
0:10:15 it provides motivation and keeps you
0:10:17 going why
0:10:18 because you have a vision now you see
0:10:20 the end goal number eight
0:10:22 it helps you transcend petty issues and
0:10:24 life's obstacles because your vision is
0:10:27 the bigger picture and it's linked to
0:10:29 allah's pleasure therefore you will
0:10:30 always ask what is most pleasing to
0:10:33 allah it won't be just about yourself
0:10:36 number nine it gives you a framework for
0:10:38 decision making why because your life
0:10:41 will be aligned to your vision
0:10:44 so here are some key questions to help
0:10:46 build your
0:10:47 world vision your global vision and your
0:10:50 personal individual vision that would
0:10:52 link to your world vision
0:10:54 the first question is where do you want
0:10:56 to see the world
0:10:58 the second question is where do you see
0:11:01 yourself
0:11:02 in where you want to see the world so
0:11:04 here are some further questions to help
0:11:06 you develop your world and personal
0:11:10 vision
0:11:11 what are you passionate about
0:11:13 what are you competent in what drives
0:11:15 you what do you desire
0:11:17 what do you think and talk about the
0:11:18 most what is important to you how do
0:11:21 your close friends and family describe
0:11:23 you
0:11:25 now brothers and sisters before you even
0:11:27 answer these questions it's very
0:11:29 important to think big
0:11:32 thinking big means think akira think the
0:11:36 hereafter link your vision to the
0:11:38 hereafter
0:11:40 the hereafter is eternal this dunya this
0:11:42 world is finite
0:11:44 and allah tells us to think big and
0:11:47 thinking big means you want the best in
0:11:49 this world and the best in the hereafter
0:11:51 but if you just want a portion of this
0:11:53 world then you will not be successful
0:11:55 what does allah say in the second
0:11:57 chapter verses 200 and 201
0:12:01 there are those among mankind who say
0:12:03 our lord give us good of this world
0:12:07 and they have no portion of the
0:12:09 hereafter
0:12:10 and there are those who say our lord
0:12:12 give us good of this world and the
0:12:14 hereafter so allah is indicating that
0:12:17 our success
0:12:19 lies in thinking big which means wanting
0:12:21 the best in this life and the hereafter
0:12:24 if you just want the best in this life
0:12:26 you will get no portion in the hereafter
0:12:29 and thinking big is part of the son of
0:12:30 the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:12:32 for example
0:12:34 in hadith that is narrated by ibn maja
0:12:36 and you could find it in muslin ahmed
0:12:38 the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:12:40 said if you ask allah for jannah for
0:12:43 paradise
0:12:44 specifically ask him for al-firdous the
0:12:48 highest level of paradise for it is the
0:12:51 highest level of jannah and think big
0:12:53 brothers and sisters because allahu
0:12:56 akbar allah is greater allah is greater
0:12:59 than any of our perceived limitations
0:13:02 our limited experiences and what we
0:13:04 consider to be obstacles remember
0:13:07 everything happens because of the will
0:13:09 and power of allah
0:13:11 nothing escapes his
0:13:13 nothing escapes his kudra
0:13:15 do not be bounded by our negative
0:13:18 self-talk and negative limited
0:13:21 experiences and perceptions rely on
0:13:23 allah who is boundless free of
0:13:27 limitation now brothers and sisters to
0:13:29 help us think big
0:13:31 we should look into the sunnah of the
0:13:32 prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam look
0:13:35 at the prophet muhammad
0:13:39 to see
0:13:40 how to think big
0:13:43 the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:13:45 said and this is narrated by
0:13:47 imam ahmed and it's an authentic hadith
0:13:50 he said this matter in other words islam
0:13:54 will certainly reach every place touched
0:13:56 by the night and day allah will not
0:13:58 leave a house or residence but that
0:14:01 allah will cause his religion to enter
0:14:03 it
0:14:04 by which the honourable will be honored
0:14:06 and the disgraceful will be disgraced
0:14:09 allah will honor the honorable with
0:14:10 islam and he would disgrace the
0:14:13 disgraceful with unbelief
0:14:16 look at the vision of the prophet
0:14:17 sallallahu alaihi wasallam
0:14:20 basically his vision was
0:14:22 islam will enter every home in the world
0:14:26 so to conclude brothers and sisters our
0:14:28 first episode of our hija series
0:14:31 remember that lofty goals
0:14:34 lead to success
0:14:36 and think big because allahu akbar allah
0:14:40 is greater and make sure your vision is
0:14:43 linked to the love of allah
0:14:46 certainty
0:14:47 in allah and his messenger sallallahu
0:14:50 alaihi wasallam and it's based on the
0:14:52 timeless islamic values now to end
0:14:55 brothers and sisters i like to remind
0:14:57 you that we are experiencing the very
0:14:58 special days of bulhija and remember and
0:15:01 as you know
0:15:02 the deeds performed during these days
0:15:06 are more rewardable than the deeds
0:15:09 performed during the days of ramadan
0:15:11 so we ask you brothers and sisters for
0:15:14 you to support
0:15:15 our vision the vision of sapience
0:15:19 institute which is a world that receives
0:15:22 the message of islam
0:15:25 so please support us brothers and
0:15:26 sisters
0:15:27 click the button or the link below and
0:15:30 donate now