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Agenda to Change Our Condition

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First published in 1999, this expanded edition provides clear and effective guidance for rectifying our state as conscientious and productive Muslims. With an emphasis on Taqwa (God-consciousness) and Ikhlas (sincerity), Agenda To Change Our Condition is an indispensable handbook for all Muslims striving for excellence in character and self-refinement. Topics covered Its Definition and Its Benefits, The Heart and its Treatment, Practical Steps to Change Our Condition, a series of exercises for achieving Taqwa as well as three new appendices.

In this updated for 2008 new edition of "Agenda to Change Our Condition," Shaykh Hamza Yusuf chalks out a program for all Muslims who want to rectify their current state of apathy and heedlessness of Allah's commands. The book includes sections on Practical Steps to Change Our Condition, Its Definition and its Benefits, The Heart and its Treatment (by Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-`Arabi), culminating with a series of exercises on how to attain taqwa.

85 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

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1465 people want to read

About the author

Hamza Yusuf

59 books947 followers
Hamza Yusuf is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University’s Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell’s One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative that promotes pluralism and inclusion in America. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world. Recently, Hamza Yusuf was ranked as “the Western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” by The 500 Most Influential Muslims, edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin, (2009).

Hamza Yusuf is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam. He has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the “them versus us” problem is fundamentally flawed, as he considers himself one of “them” as well as one of “us.”

Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state. He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Afa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.

With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan. Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30pm on Dec. 31st 1999.

Hamza Yusuf has been a passionate and outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies. He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East. Ed Hussain has written that Hamza Yusuf’s teachings were instrumental to his abandoning extremism.

Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), Walking on Water (2010), and the Prayer of the Oppressed (2010).

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5 stars
273 (65%)
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110 (26%)
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23 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Tamara.
Author 5 books203 followers
September 9, 2013
In my attempt to read books abt Islam in English, I stumbled upon this one. It is really an excellent book and worth a read. The focus on taqwa related to the title is both appropriate and interesting. Indeed we will not change in any way without taqwa.
Profile Image for Amalina.
11 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2023
This book is the one I keep returning to over the years, especially when life feels out of hand.

For me, healing must come from the place of clarity — the clarity of our understanding of the nature of humans and the nature of the world around us. This clarity only can be obtained from the lens of faith. Without faith, our journey of healing would stand on rocky ground.

This book will be a good jumpstart if you want to re-align your life with faith.

It tells us how to move out of our shameful state to reclaim our dignity. It provides a manual to navigate our challenges as Muslims in this modern age.

The strength of this book lies in its simplicity; it distills the most important principles without overwhelming us with academic details. You're more likely able to finish this book in one day, yet you'll have clarity on how to rebuild your faith by following its step-by-step instruction.
Profile Image for Arzu A.
22 reviews9 followers
February 10, 2021
A good book, just as the title says, an agenda to change our condition. Small book, definitely something you can re-read from time to time, to remind yourself again.
1 review
June 25, 2023
The book is concise, and to the point, with no words wasted. It is some 80 pages, and a quick run through the table of contents will be more than enough to get an understanding of its discussions. It addresses inner and outer spiritual rectification with an emphasis on developing taqwa and practical suggestions in that regard, followed by a short but insightful few pages on civic service, and a few appendices from the works of Sidi Ahmad Zarruq and Imam Nawawi.

I believe this book, amongst a number of others, should be on the shelf of the Muslim American household, and should be read in family gatherings of ta'leem, as opposed to the monotonous repetitions of faza'il e a'maal, which should not be denied its turn as well. The English library has become quite rich in recent years, both in translations and original publications, and Muslims in the West should not deprive themselves of its benefit. Muslim creativity has always crossed the borders of language and culture, and we should appreciate and support this development, the fruits of which resonate more with the western Muslim then works written for the Eastern context.

Finally, scholars in recent times have begun to emphasize the importance of educating a tier of working professionals and educated youth as a sort of bridge between the scholar and leyman. This is undoubtedly a worthy goal for any scholar. Practically, it would produce the likes of chaplains, youth coordinators, community leaders, and the like. Training these people would lesson the burden on scholars, and allow them to spread their knowledge and influence to a much wider and diverse audience. This book and others like it, should be read in circles of learning for or by the leyman, under the guidance of a member of that second tier.
Profile Image for Najwa Farhana.
55 reviews1 follower
Read
October 11, 2022
Rasulullah s.a.w. once said something to this effect:

It is written in the scrolls of Abraham a.s. that, "An intelligent person should know the age in which he lives; he should hold his tongue and mind his own business. An intelligent person should have four portions to his day, each portion as follows: a portion to take his soul to account, a portion to converse with his Lord, a portion to spend time with his brothers - meaning those who help him to see clearly his faults and direct him to his Lord - and a portion to indulge in his own personal recreation from the permissible appetites of man."
335 reviews15 followers
January 13, 2021
I read this book during a reading session almost every morning for half an hour at 7 am through FB live of Dr Yusri Mohamed. It took us around 2 months from 26 November 2020 until 13 January 2021. The book is rather classic in its presentation and its language flair. Generally, changing our conditions requires changing our heart through practical steps. What is the purpose of our change? The utmost purpose is to attain taqwa. Changing our heart requires sincerity in taking the rightful action and efforts. The book suggests practical steps to change of our conditions which are detailed in Chapter 3 followed by exercises in Chapter 4. A good reference with practical suggestions.
Profile Image for Najihah.
50 reviews46 followers
August 4, 2025
Ramadan 1446H, aku membaca Agenda to Change Our Condition oleh Sh. Hamza Yusuf dan Sh. Zaid Shakir. Buku ini amatlah bermanfaat untuk ditelaah sementelahan isinya menerangkan perihal amalan taqwa dan ikhlas. Apa jua perintah dari Allah - patuhilah dan berbuatlah keranaNya. Apa jua larangan dari Allah - jauhilah dan tinggalkanlah keranaNya.

Kita disarankan agar berlatih bermujahadah selama 40 hari berturut-turut menjaga solat 5 waktu; menjaga lidah/kata-kata; menjaga pendengaran telinga; menjaga pandangan mata; menjaga kemaluan/maruah diri; menjaga anggota tangan; menjaga kaki; serta menjaga perut drpd perkara yang haram dan sia-sia.
Profile Image for kanzash.
70 reviews5 followers
June 26, 2020
Excellent. To the point, eloquent, practical and filled with wisdom. I only wished I had read this earlier. My friend lent me a copy, but God Willing, I’ll be buying a copy of my own to keep, reference and read regularly.
Profile Image for Ajeng Permata.
44 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2021
4.5! ⭐️

A concise guide to practical actions that we can do to ‘change our condition’. This classic book elucidates a simple yet effective means to transform our inner world through spiritual struggle with the soul. It’s like a manual book that we have to refer to from time to time to remind ourselves ✨🤍

Dalam buku ini dijelaskan kalau kita mau berubah kita mulai dari 40 hari berturut-turut. Ya emang susah sih ya karna pasti ada aja godaannya. Tapi, insyaAllah kalau konsisten, setelah lewat dari 40 hari itu akan jadi semacam rutinitas untuk kita 🕊

A man once came to sage and said, “I think your path is a wonderful path, but it is too arduous for me to follow. “ The sage responded, “Most people attempt something before they give it up, but you have already defined your limits before testing them.”
Profile Image for Hamza.
178 reviews57 followers
April 10, 2016
This is a great book that should probably be revisited constantly and put into practice. God willing, I want to try to implement some of the exercises listed and also continually read the appendices from various classical scholars at the end of the book. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you're a Muslim living in the West who doesn't have much more than a rudimentary understanding of traditional Islamic methodology.
Profile Image for Faiz • فائز.
358 reviews3 followers
March 24, 2025
Ditulis oleh dua orang ulama besar Amerika Syarikat iaitu Syeikh Hamza Yusuf dan Imam Zaid Shakir—berkenaan tasawuf amali. Buku yang berada dalam pemilikan saya ini ialah terjemahan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia yang diusahakan oleh Siratan iaitu penerbit Indonesia daripada buku asal yang berjudul "Agenda to Change Our Condition".

Susunan buku ini begitu kemas sekali. Dimulakan dengan renungan terhadap keadaan umat Islam di seluruh dunia kini, daripada perkara-perkara kecil seperti berpakaian, “gaya busana kaum muslimin berubah: kain hijab terlucuti dari kepala kaum muslimah dan sunnah berjanggut ditinggalkan dari wajah kaum muslimin. Jubah dan busana sederhana telah digantikan pertama kali dengan topi brim, jas, dasi, dan akhirnya celana jeans dan kaos oblong” (h. 6) dan pemakanan, “makanan segar telah digantikan dengan makanan siap saji yang dibuat dengan sikap tergesa-gesa dan mubazir, dua sifat setan yang disebutkan oleh al-Qur'an” (h. 7) hingga kepada perkara yang lebih mendasar yakni peranan keluarga dalam pembentukan nilai keagamaan.

Di Amerika Syarikat (seterusnya A.S.), telah terbukti akan keruntuhan institusi kekeluargaan. Di mana-mana ceruk negara itu, telah tersebar luasnya akan hubungan tanpa nikah, anak membesar tanpa figura seorang bapa, wanita menjual dirinya dalam talian, hubungan anak dan ibu bapa digantikan dengan berpacaran, pedofilia, penceraian, pornografi, seks dan cinta adalah dua perkara yang berbeza dan banyak lagi kerosakan-kerosakan yang berlaku berakar daripada institusi kekeluargaan yang tidak dibina dengan utuh. Kerosakan nilai dan etika pula semakin bercambah dan hanya menunggu untuk ranap seluruhnya. Maka, dalam lima muka surat sahaja, penulis menyuntik kesedaran akan keperluan untuk memperkukuhkan dan menitikberatkan peranan keluarga untuk melahirkan manusia yang sejahtera.

Lantas, apakah punca berlakunya segala kerosakan yang menimpa kaum Muslimin kini? Perkara ini dinyatakan oleh penulis bahawa sekiranya kita benar-benar memahami akan hakikat Islam dan berjalan (melaksanakannya) di atasnya, maka, kerosakan ini tidak akan berlaku! (h. 8). Justeru, yang diperlukan untuk memperbaiki keadaan ini ialah perubahan lahir dan batin.

Memandangkan batin ialah perkara yang lebih utama dalam kehidupan seseorang manusia (ruh lebih mulia dan tinggi berbanding jasad), maka, penulis berusaha menanamkan sifat taqwa ke dalam diri kaum Muslimin terlebih dahulu. Ketaqwaan ini tidak lain tidak bukan mestilah bersangkut-paut dengan hati. Maka, disenaraikanlah penyakit-penyakit hati dan dosa yang bakal lahir daripada anggota badan sendiri sekiranya taqwa (hati) ini tidak dipelihara. Yang penulis nyatakan di sini barangkali sudah mangli kita dengar dan baca di mana-mana, namun saya merasakan semacam kelunakan ketika membacanya. Bukankah peringatan itu bermanfaat bagi orang mukmin?
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Berteori berkenaan taqwa sahaja tidak memadai, maka, penulis turut memberikan langkah-langkah menuju ke arah itu. Inilah yang saya sebutkan sebagai tasawuf amali pada permulaan ulasan. Dengan berdalilkan ayat al-Quran dan hadis berkenaan 40 hari (dalil yang sama digunakan oleh jemaah tabligh untuk khuruj selama 40 hari), penulis turut menyenaraikan beberapa latihan untuk menuju puncak ketaqwaan. Bahkan, di akhir buku, turut disertakan jadual 40 hari untuk para pembaca menyemak diri sendiri terhadap latihan-latihan ketaqwaan yang dinyatakan di dalam buku ini. Buku yang sangat baik dan akan diulang baca di kemudian hari, إنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ.
Profile Image for Aiysha.
89 reviews18 followers
April 8, 2022
Loved the practical steps included in this text to allow one to gain true taqwa ('conscious awareness of our Lord'), as that only comes when one admits to ones faults and actively tries to rectify them. One should ideally read this with a friend and both should be aware of eachothers habit changes/ the process/ progress, etc. to achieve maximum benefit of this practical guide.

"Islam is submission to what is real. It is recognition and an acceptance of the way things really are, and not as they appear... Struggle with the self is the means by which we purify our hearts of false deities."

Chapter One: Taqwa
Chapter Two: The Heart and It's Treatment
Chapter Three: Practical Steps to Change our Condition
Chapter Four: Exercises
Profile Image for Hamaad .
61 reviews1 follower
July 15, 2025
"We must also work on changing ourselves while changing the world. If we do not embody the change we wish to see in the world, We have little moral authority in demanding of others what we ourselves fail to practice. We should focus on those areas of neglect in our own selves and commit to constant personal improvement while working on changing our external environment. Internal and external struggles are not mutually exclusive; rather, they complement each other. The deeper and more refined our spiritual state, the greater will be our capacity to deal with the tribulations involved in any worldly endeavor."

- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf & Imam Zaid Shakir
Profile Image for Bahaa | بهاء.
23 reviews4 followers
February 6, 2021
Very compact.. Needs to be read more than once to digest.

I liked the practical exercises that help in acquiring the essential habits for people adhering to the way of the truth.

Guarding the prayer
Guarding the tongue
Guarding the stomach
Guarding the private parts
Guarding the hands
Guarding the feet
Profile Image for Ehdaa.
2 reviews
July 14, 2025
A good book for everyone seeking to be a better Muslim for themselves and the people around them. I love the guide on protecting ourselves, which is detailed in specific steps and the little score sheet at the end of the book.
Profile Image for Laila.
57 reviews12 followers
May 6, 2018
Concise and offers solutions that are backed up by the religion which is an amazing intertwine of faith

الله يوفقك و يسعدك و يجعلها ثقيلة في ميزان حسناتك
Profile Image for Khajol.
41 reviews3 followers
September 16, 2019
A short clear cut read and easy to digest. Provides strategies on self improvement. Highly recommend!👍
Profile Image for Tahmina.
170 reviews36 followers
December 31, 2019
A life changing kinda book. Will be something I return to inshallah. So succinct and inspiring.
Profile Image for Ummu Hafizah.
14 reviews
Read
September 29, 2023
I must to reread again anytime because it has many instructions on how to repair my spiritual. If i want to success going through the path of Allah, I have to fulfill many conditions.
112 reviews
September 9, 2024
بداية الكتاب جيدة
الباقي نصائح ووعظ بطريقة معاصرة
61 reviews
April 15, 2025
Very basic and simple material recommended for beginners who are seeking the right path
Profile Image for Diyanah.
14 reviews3 followers
April 12, 2007
This book definitely serves as a motivational device to correct the condition of our worship. I learned to be more aware of what constitutes an enormity in my deeds, and how to rid myself of it. It was a good read. al-hamdu lillah.
Profile Image for Umm Layth.
46 reviews38 followers
February 28, 2008
This book is great for anyone seeking betterment of their soul. It provides realistic ways of defeating certain ill characteristics, with plenty of encouraging words. It comes with small little sheets that help one keep track of progress.

A must read for any Muslim man or woman who seeks Allah.
29 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2008
a very helpful book encouraging us to to change and become better people by citing improvements we can make to our social life and lifestyle; it is nicely-written and very intellectual. it is a must-read.
10 reviews
February 9, 2020
"Schools once meant to nourish and enhance the intellects, bodies, and souls of our youth, now dumb them down and prepare them for a life of mediocrity and servility - in many instances to perform meaningless jobs that neither benefit humanity nor help the individual grow morally and spiritually."
13 reviews3 followers
April 14, 2007
MashaAllah really good book. And not b/c it's written by Shaykh Hamza and Imam Zaid, but just b/c it's a good practical book we can apply to our lives.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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