1. Causes you to be organized
“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) walked
briskly, literally leaning forward as if going downhill” [Abu Dawud].
Like the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), the
serious volunteer is someone who has little time to waste. They want to
be able to fit in as much time as possible doing work for the sake of
Allah, whether it be raising money for the orphans and needy children or
helping at their local mosque. They realise that the more organised and
efficient they are, the more time they can spend raising money and not
just concentrating on themselves. They can’t afford to leave things to
the last minute. They need to have things planned, schedules in place,
deadlines met so that they can maximize the number of those precious
hours for the sake of Allah.
2. Encourages self-assessment
“Verily, by Allah, we think that every believer blames himself. He
says (questioning himself), `What did I intend by my statement? What did
I intend by my eating? What did I intend in what I said to myself?’
However, the sinner proceeds ahead and he does not blame himself”
[Hassan Al-Basri in reference to the interpretation of Surah Al-Qiyamah,
verse 2].
It is only when you open the doors to constructive criticism, that
you are able to make changes that allow you to be the best volunteer you
can possibly be and make changes that benefit others. For instance,
Charity Week publishes a detailed warts-and-all Annual Report that
includes what percentage of the money donated was banked and where every
penny was spent. Keeping detailed accounts – for any organization – is
not just a commitment to transparency that encourage us, but a
realisation that true self-improvement can only take place after
self-assessment. We aim to be our own harshest critic and strongest
competitor.
3. Promotes competition in the good
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was asked whether the verse in the Quran,
“And those who give whatever they (have to) give while their hearts
are trembling” referred to people who committed sins, he replied: “No.
They are those who fast, pray, and give charity whilst fearing that
(these deeds) may not be accepted (by Allah). They are those who compete
with one another in good deeds”[Bukhari].
There’s nothing like friendly competition to encourage people. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) knew this and
utilised it himself to great effect in the battle of Hunain and during
other occasions throughout his life. We should encourage Muslims to
compete with each other in a way that encourages excellence whilst still
fostering brotherhood. Each institution and each person must be
motivated to do better, work harder, and sleep less so that they can be
at the forefront of helping others.
4. Is the best motivation
“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said,‘I and
an orphan’s guardian, whether he is a relative or a non-relative, will
be like these two in the Garden,’ and then the transmitter indicated the
index and middle fingers”[Sahih Muslim].
Even the best of us can find our desire to gain more productive
habits is hard to maintain 24/7. This is because, although we understand
the benefits that accrue from being productive, they are essentially
centred around ourselves. If the motivation was centred around other
people then suddenly the effort intensifies. A father will be able to
tolerate much hardship but cannot bear to see his son do so for even a
second. For example, which of these scenarios would you be more
motivated for: 1) If I ask you to lose 5kg of weight so that you can be
more healthy, or 2) If I ask you to lose 5kg of weight because if you
don’t, you cannot provide bone marrow for your unwell younger brother?
In the former you will find a hundred excuses, but in the second you
would do within two weeks. Similarly, volunteer work shifts the focus
from us as individuals to us as an Ummah. Each second of being
unproductive means that someone out there is suffering when we could
have helped.
5. Provides a vision
“Ali said,’Judge as you used to judge, for I hate differences (and I
do my best) till the people unite as one group, or I die as my
companions have died’”[Bukhari].
Productivity is pointless unless it is pointed in the right direction
and there is a vision to your actions. Whilst being productive and
organised is important, the ultimate importance is given to the vision,
or end goal. At Charity Week for example, the vision is uniting the
Muslim youth upon Islam; and strengthening the ummah is noble goal for
any organisation. Your own vision should be pushed relentlessly at every
level, every meeting, and every minute. We must continually remind
ourselves that we have a goal, and that goal is achievable and a
necessity if the Ummah is going to become united once more. It is the
vision that keeps us awake when others sleep, that keeps us going when
others stop and that keeps us together when others fall apart. To be
truly productive, we must make our every movement, decision and step in
accordance with achieving the vision. And when we get this right, the
barakah of Allah pours forth like the heavy rain on a barren plain.
In conclusion, the best way to become a truly productive Muslim is to
work continually for the creation of a productive (and united) Muslim
Ummah. May Allah grant us this and His pleasure. Ameen.
Charity Week is a volunteer-led project that aims to promote Muslim
unity upon Islam amongst young Muslims. It is open to all (including
non-Muslims) and aims to be the benchmark for Muslim student work in all
aspects. For 365 days a year, a team of dedicated brothers and sisters
organise to help set up a week long fundraising competition. Those who
get involved get a crash course in being productive that is unique and
life-changing. It currently takes place in the UK, however, aims to
expand abroad. If you are inter