Defeatist Ideas that are holding you (& the Ummah) back 🛑

Assalamu'alaikum,

I was having lunch with a friend, and he said something surprising: "I believe we are one or two generations away from victory as an Ummah."

His words surprised me, especially looking at the state of the Ummah today: wars and genocides in Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, and many parts of the world.

As we watch the news and scroll through social media, it's easy to succumb to cynicism and despair and have little hope for the Ummah's future.

Yet, if history has taught us anything, the lowest point of this Ummah is usually the beginning of the road to victory.

During the battle of the trenches, while the companions were frantically digging a 5.5km trench on the northern border of Madinah to protect the city from an oncoming 10,000-strong army, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) promised them the keys to Levant, Persia, and Yemen. He (peace be upon him) didn't let the fear, hunger, and gravity of their situation make them lose hope in an inspiring future.

From the battle of the trenches with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the Ridda Wars under Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq (RA), the Mongol Invasion of Baghdad, and the Crusades, each of these flashpoints marked a low point in the Ummah—yet each of them was followed by victory - by Allah's permission.

As we go through our low point as an Ummah, we must resist succumbing to a defeatist mentality. We must stop thinking of ourselves as victims of external forces and start thinking of ourselves as changemakers who try their best to change the situation, even with small efforts.

We must stop nostalgically longing for our glorified past. Instead, we need to learn from it (the good and the bad) while building an inspiring future for our children.

We need to stop blaming politicians and lobby groups and start developing a generation of spiritually intelligent leaders from all walks of life who will do the groundwork to lead us to victory.

We live in unprecedented times, where the tools to make change and impact are at the fingertips of each one of us. You could write books, start an online newsletter, share ideas on a podcast, develop a product, launch courses, and more.

I always think about our kids and how blessed they are to live in a world where we have so many Islamically-inspired platforms, books, podcasts, and products that we didn't have growing up. These sincere efforts by entrepreneurs, thinkers, doers, and changemakers are laying the groundwork for what my friend said would ultimately happen: "We are one or two generations away from victory as an Ummah."

The question is not when the Ummah will become victorious—the question is, what part will you play in that victory?

Will you join the naysayers, critics, and cynics who don't see any hope in any effort and, if anything, try to put others down? Or will you support and encourage others to be part of the solution with words, actions, and duas?

Let each one of us do our part to make a difference today. No matter how small.

We are almost there as an Ummah - let's not give up.

Sincerely,

P.S. At The Productive Muslim Company, we're committed to nurturing a generation of spiritually-intelligent leaders who will shape the future of our Ummah. Currently, we have a special focus on empowering Muslim entrepreneurs. If you're running or planning to start a faith-based training or coaching business, we've got something special for you. Watch our video on "9 Steps to Build a Meaningful Business that Impacts the Ummah: https://productivemuslim.com/tieyourcamel. Let's turn your passion into a force for positive change!