The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 2 - Necessity Achieves (2022-07-01) ​

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The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 2 - Necessity Achieves

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Summary of The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 2 - Necessity Achieves ​

This summary is AI generated - there may be inaccuracies. *

00:00:00 [00:10:00 ​

The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 2 - Necessity Achieves discusses the importance of developing a strategic focus in order to achieve one's vision. Sheikh Mansour provides the example of the prophet Muhammad's strategic focus of conveying Islam to the people of influence, and reminds viewers that allah has power over all things.

00:00:00 Sheikh Mansour discusses the benefits of developing a strategic focus, including that it makes decision making easier and that it achieves one's vision. He also reminds viewers that the means can change, but that allah has power over all things.

• 00:05:00 The Shepherd's Way: Ep. 2 - Necessity Achieves provides an example of a prophet's strategic focus, which was to convey Islam to the people of influence. He recommends that we have a strategic focus, too, and that this will inevitably lead to our success.
• 00:10:00 The Shepherd's Way is a YouTube channel that focuses on defending and sharing Islam academically and intellectually. The channel aims to empower others to do the same, and asks for donations in order to help achieve this.

Full transcript with timestamps: CLICK TO EXPAND

0:00:14 and sisters and friends and welcome to0:00:16 the second episode of our hija series0:00:20 the shepherd's way0:00:22 and now we're going to be talking about0:00:23 the second timeless leadership lesson0:00:26 which is necessity achieves in other0:00:29 words be strategic have a strategic0:00:32 focus0:00:34 brothers and sisters you have to realize0:00:36 that it's not just about having a goal0:00:38 you need to be able to achieve that goal0:00:41 in some way in other words you have to0:00:44 develop a strategy0:00:46 to ensure your vision becomes a reality0:00:49 now what is a strategy0:00:51 a strategy or a strategic focus0:00:54 is0:00:55 the key areas of work0:00:57 or domains of activity that would0:01:00 necessarily lead to your vision becoming0:01:01 a reality0:01:03 so ask yourself two key questions to0:01:05 develop a strategic focus number one0:01:08 what are the actions activities0:01:10 resources and relationships that you0:01:13 need to make your vision a reality0:01:15 number two can i demonstrate can you0:01:18 demonstrate that the actions that you0:01:21 have chosen0:01:23 the domains of activities that you have0:01:25 selected0:01:27 are necessarily going to lead to your0:01:29 vision0:01:30 if they don't they need to reevaluate0:01:33 because you have to select domains of0:01:34 activity or actions that would0:01:37 necessarily lead to your vision and0:01:39 remember brothers and sisters consult do0:01:42 sure0:01:44 brainstorm0:01:45 look at best practice0:01:47 consult0:01:48 experts0:01:49 see what has been achieved before and0:01:52 how it has been achieved0:01:54 all of this is going to help you to0:01:56 formulate your strategic focus0:01:58 and there are four main benefits0:02:00 brothers and sisters of a strategic0:02:02 focus number one0:02:04 focus itself yes that's one of its0:02:06 benefits you will have a focus and that0:02:09 means you will use your resources wisely0:02:12 and place them at the service of your0:02:14 vision number two0:02:16 it makes decision making easier0:02:18 because you know what needs to be done0:02:21 so you know how to say no to things that0:02:23 will not lead to the fulfillment of your0:02:25 vision number three it helps you plan0:02:28 since you know what needs to be done0:02:30 go and do it0:02:32 and finally number four0:02:34 it achieves your vision this is0:02:36 fundamental this is a fundamental0:02:37 benefit it actually achieves your vision0:02:40 now bear in mind you can always revise0:02:43 your strategy because as you continue on0:02:45 this path you'll gain more experience0:02:48 and knowledge and wisdom and you'll0:02:50 realize that you may have to do some0:02:52 strategic tweaks0:02:53 but remember with the strategy you're0:02:56 more likely to make an impact and you're0:02:59 more likely to ensure that your vision0:03:01 becomes a reality now please note0:03:04 brothers and sisters do not think your0:03:07 strategy has intrinsic value0:03:09 plan0:03:10 in pencil0:03:12 what do i mean by that because the plan0:03:14 of allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is always0:03:17 going to manifest itself0:03:19 and know and realize that it's only0:03:21 through allah's help0:03:23 and his mercy and his power that your0:03:26 vision will become a reality it's not0:03:28 your strategy itself there is no0:03:30 intrinsic value in your strategy0:03:32 remember0:03:35 there is no true power apart from the0:03:38 power of allah0:03:39 yes we must strategize we must plan we0:03:42 must seek the means but fundamentally at0:03:45 the end of the day it's not because of0:03:48 your strategy is because of the will and0:03:50 mercy and power of allah0:03:52 remember this0:03:53 remember this is very important because0:03:56 you don't want to give your strategy0:03:57 some kind of intrinsic power or ability0:04:00 because this is fundamentally not in0:04:02 line with our world view it's not in0:04:04 line with tawheed0:04:06 not in line with the oneness of allah0:04:08 subhanahu wa ta'ala so from this0:04:10 perspective0:04:11 rely on allah alone not your strategy0:04:14 yes0:04:14 we have to seek the means but remember0:04:16 the means can change0:04:18 but allah has power over all things0:04:21 remember allah is in control and this is0:04:25 beautifully articulated in the quran in0:04:27 chapter 11 verses 87 and 88.0:04:31 they asked sarcastically0:04:34 does your prayer command you that we0:04:36 should abandon what our forefathers0:04:38 worshipped or give up managing our0:04:40 wealth as we please indeed0:04:42 you are such a tolerant sensible man0:04:45 he said0:04:47 o my people consider if i stand on a0:04:50 clear proof from my lord0:04:53 and he has blessed me with a good0:04:54 provision from him0:04:56 i do not want to do0:04:58 what i am forbidding you from0:05:00 i only intend reform to the best of my0:05:03 ability and this is the key point0:05:05 my success comes only through allah in0:05:09 him i trust and to him0:05:12 i turn so brothers and sisters we should0:05:14 be like0:05:16 that we understand and affirm and0:05:19 internalize and actualize0:05:22 that success0:05:23 is only through allah and we must rely0:05:26 and trust in allah alone so brothers and0:05:29 sisters let me tie all of this together0:05:32 with an example as you're aware our0:05:34 vision at sapience institute is a world0:05:36 that receives the message of islam and0:05:39 our strategic focus is that us as a team0:05:41 we as a team defend and share islam0:05:44 academically and intellectually and0:05:47 significantly we develop create and0:05:49 empower others to do so the same0:05:53 now this will involve0:05:54 downward training0:05:56 down to influentials debates and0:05:58 dialogues videos essays books and0:06:02 research and much more so as you can see0:06:05 these actions are derived from our0:06:07 strategic focus and we are focused on0:06:09 these actions because we believe they0:06:11 will necessarily lead to the fulfillment0:06:14 of our vision0:06:16 now let me give you a prophetic example0:06:19 and once again brothers and sisters we0:06:21 are inspired by the prophet muhammed0:06:25 because when you read his history you0:06:27 will understand that he had a strategic0:06:30 focus he had a focus and what was that0:06:34 focus0:06:35 generally speaking his main focus was to0:06:38 convey islam in other words that there0:06:40 is no deity worthy of worship except0:06:42 allah0:06:44 and that conveying of islam was0:06:46 particularly being conveyed to the0:06:49 people of influence in other words the0:06:51 tribal leaders and and this is very0:06:53 significant he developed the sahaba the0:06:56 companions to lead and spread islam0:07:00 now0:07:02 in his book leadership lessons from the0:07:04 life of rasulallah0:07:08 summarizes0:07:09 a key part of the prophets sallallahu0:07:12 alaihi wasallam's0:07:14 strategic focus which is developing the0:07:16 sahaba0:07:17 he writes0:07:19 no goal can be achieved by anyone alone0:07:22 no matter how talented or powerful or0:07:24 wealthy that person may be0:07:26 the biggest challenge for any leader0:07:28 indeed the single factor which can mean0:07:30 success or failure of his mission0:07:33 is his ability to inspire others to0:07:35 follow him and commit time energy wealth0:07:39 and talent for the achievement of his0:07:42 goal0:07:43 the key to achieving this attention and0:07:45 commitment of people does not lie in0:07:47 paying money or granting favors or0:07:49 making inspiring speeches by ensuring0:07:52 how much you really love and care for0:07:54 your followers and then he continues0:07:57 a combination of picking the right0:07:58 people0:07:59 setting a high personal example and0:08:02 intensive hands-on training0:08:06 created not one but a set of leaders who0:08:09 were able to take his message forward0:08:11 long after he passed away0:08:14 and this is so true brothers and sisters0:08:17 and think about this it's so inspiring0:08:20 eighty years0:08:21 after the death of the prophet salallahu0:08:23 alaihi wasallam where were the muslims0:08:26 where were we we were in multan in0:08:28 pakistan and we were in spain spreading0:08:31 the peace justice and mercy of islam0:08:34 across the world and what's very0:08:35 inspiring brothers and sisters is how0:08:38 this played out in history0:08:40 eighty years after the death of the0:08:42 prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam0:08:45 where were the muslims where were we we0:08:47 were in multan in pakistan and we were0:08:50 in spain spreading the peace justice and0:08:52 mess of islam all around the world0:08:54 but it was 82 years after the death of0:08:57 the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam0:09:00 that the muslims decided to fix the0:09:03 mosque of the prophet sallallahu alaihi0:09:06 wasallam because it was leaking water0:09:10 so to conclude brothers and sisters0:09:13 have a strategic focus necessity0:09:16 achieves0:09:17 have a set of actions or domains of0:09:20 activity that would necessarily lead to0:09:23 the fulfillment of your vision it's not0:09:25 just good having a vision having a goal0:09:28 you need to have a plan of action how to0:09:31 achieve your goal0:09:33 follow the prophetic way of having a0:09:36 strategic focused brothers and sisters0:09:39 so to end brothers and sisters i would0:09:41 like to remind you again that we're0:09:42 experiencing the blessed days of0:09:44 dulhidja0:09:45 and remember remember0:09:48 the deeds performed during these days0:09:52 are more rewardable than the deeds0:09:54 performed during the days of ramadan0:09:58 so we ask you to support our strategic0:10:00 focus which is0:10:03 defending and sharing islam academically0:10:05 and intellectually and developing0:10:07 empowering and creating others to be0:10:09 able to do so as well0:10:12 please brothers and sisters donate0:10:14 generously click the button or the link0:10:17 below and donate now