enriching lives by mirza yawar baig
TRANSCRIPT
Enriching lives
Living the purpose of our lives
Two Questions1. If you woke up tomorrow and there
were no mobile phones, would you feel a loss?
2. Ask non-Muslims, ‘If you woke up tomorrow and there were no Muslims and no signs of Islam, would you feel a loss?’
Who are we benefiting?
اس 4خرجت للن 4مة أ 4م خير أ 4نت كوف وتنهون عن ون بالمعر4 تأم4ر4
4ون بالله 4ؤمن الم4نكر وتA’al imran 3: 110. You [Muslims] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al-Ma'ruf (all good)
and forbid al-Munkar (all evil), and you believe in Allah.
For the peopleTo benefit all people
Rasoolullahملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said1. “The best of people are those with the most
excellent character.” (Tabarani, Sahih)2. “The best of people are those that bring most
benefit to the rest of mankind.” (Daraqutni, Hasan)3. “The best of people are those who are best in
fulfilling (rights).” (Ibn majah, Sahih)
4وا أنفق4وا ذين آمن ها ال يا أي4م من قبل أن مما رزقناك
ة ل بيع فيه وال خ4 يأتي يوم الوال شفاعة
Baqara 2: 254. O you who believe! Spend of that with which we have provided for you, before a day comes when
there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession.
It is not a sign of health to be profoundly adjusted
to a sick society. ~ J. Krishnamurthy
Action defines us • Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree(RA) said: I heard Rasoolullahملسو هيلع هللا ىلص say, “Whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then hate it in his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.”[Muslim]
To do nothing is a sickness, not an option
Benefit the whole world• Abdullah ibn Mas'ud(RA) was once asked, “Who are the living dead?”•He replied, “Those who never enjoin something good and never forbid something bad.”
A Muslim is recognized by the goodness he creates
Enriching livesBy sharing
Born to share•We share air, water, food, knowledge, space and don’t run out of it as long as we don’t hoard or try to profiteer from it. • As long as we share, we all benefit.
Happiness is the product of sharing
What??1.Change our Teaching2.Change our Training3.Change our Thinking
Three critical changes
How??1. Integrated Teaching2. Vocational Education3. Entrepreneurship
Three Strategies
Change our TeachingFrom knowing to doing
Change our Teaching• From teaching stuff to teaching application• From testing memory to testing understanding• From enforcing compliance to encouraging creativity
Reward best question – not best answer
Integrated TeachingWhy do we need it?
Education today• Random information crammed without reason• Tested on random recall• No focus on showing relatedness of one to another• No focus on application in life
After 15 years of full-time study students graduate knowing little and
with no life skills
Bring the Qur’an aliveIntegrated teaching
ماوات واألرض إن في خلق الس4ولي هار آليات أل يل والن واختالف الل
األلبابون الله قياما وق4ع4ودا 4ر4 ذين يذك ال
ون في خلق ر4 4وبهم ويتفك ن وعلى ج4نا ما خلقت هذا ماوات واألرض رب الس
ار بحانك فقنا عذاب الن said هلالج لجAllahباطال س4 ويتفكرون
Qur’anic methodA’al Imraan 3:190. Verily! In the creation of the
heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for people of
understanding. 191. Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, AND think deeply about the
creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Rabb! You have not created (all) this without
purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation
from the punishment of the Fire.”Allahهلالج لج used AND
Why this method?• Islam recognizes that all knowledge is from Allahهلالج لج and that the purpose of knowledge is to recognize our Creator and fill our hearts with His awe and majesty (Khashiyatullah)
The natural result is to connect to Allahهلالج لج
Project: Oceans• Biology: Marine plants &
animals• Physics: Displacement floats
ships• Chemistry: Why is sea water
salty?• Geography: Navigation,
Orienteering, sailing, Qibla• History: Maritime history of
nations, colonial domination
• Trade: Routes, goods, cultural exchange
• Tafseer: Ayaat relating to Oceans• Fiqh: Mathaa’il related to sea
water, food, travel etc.• Hadith: Ahadith related to the sea• Seerah: Stories of Seerah and
Sahaba about the sea
Living knowledge to be applied in context
Two Oceansذي مرج البحرين هذا عذب وه4و ال4جاج وجعل بينه4ما ف4رات وهذا ملح أ
برزخا وحجرا محج4ورا
How does this happen and where is this?
Furqan 25: 53. And it is He Who has let free the two seas (kinds of water), one palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter, and He has set a barrier and a complete partition
between them.
Project: Mountains• Geology: Isostacy of
mountains: Stabilizing effect on tectonic plates minimizing earthquakes
• Geography: How mountains effect climate
• Biology: Mountain flora & fauna
• History: How mountains affected history of nations
• Mountaineering: Physics of balance, load, atmosphere
• Tafsir: Ayaat related to mountains
• Seerah: Mountain of Uhud
• Hadith: Ahadith related to mountains
Draw lessons from all of these to connect to Allahهلالج لج
Class Organization• Multiple teachers• Students of multiple
ages• Access to technology• Asking good questions
• Challenge conclusions• Encourage critical Analysis • Encourage healthy debate• Encourage solutions
Focus on understanding, application, innovation, creative
problem solving
Proactive contributionImpose creative constraints
Change our Training1. From pure academics to
practical skills2. Vocational training3. Social entrepreneurship
Empowerment, compassion, solution
Vocational Training1. Equip every school with Vocational Training
facilities2. Every child must be able to work with his
hands3. Provide employment to artisans, mechanics,
engineersTake pride in dignity of labor
Entrepreneurship 1. Interest free loan to set up a
business2. Sell the products they make3. Use proceeds to create problem
solving initiatives for the deprived
Practical training in entrepreneurship
At a National Level1. National Entrepreneurship University2. National Venture Capital Fund3. Annual Award for Best Social Project
Poverty eradication through entrepreneurship
Change our ThinkingFrom ‘good for me’ to ‘good for us’
Change our thinking1. From saving to creating wealth2. From finding a job to creating
jobs3. From buying to building
From hoarding to sharing
Possessions add cost – not value
‘Master’ or ‘victim’It’s your choice
Window of opportunity• In the life of every man and woman comes a time when they have a unique opportunity to make an impact and influence others. When it closes your life is over, even if you remain alive
Our window is open now
The Essential TruthLiving life is about making choices:
Choosing to be a “victim” Or choosing to be a “master”
Both stances are subject to the same givens of society, environment, organization etc.
But have very different implications in terms of your development and happiness
Who’re you?Victims• Complain about what
happened• Think of excuses• Blame others• Lose hope & give up• Perish
Masters• Say, “what can I do about it?”• Think of solutions• Own responsibility• Have courage to try new
ways• Win, even if they fail
Choose wisely because it is your life
Action stepsStart
Stop
Continue
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