It's My Life

by Mirza Yawar Baig

On

‘Horse riding’ was a bit of a misnomer really and it should have been called character building.

Our actions are the only indicator of our worth.

possessions means nothing. Contribution means everything.

human who adds value to his possessions.

If you want something in life you need to take the call.

methodology is good only if it is leading to the achievement of the goal, and is not sacrosanct in itself.

“Cowardice asks the question—is it safe? Expediency asks the question—is it politic? Vanity asks the question—is it popular? But conscience asks the question—is it right?

fear lends wings to the feet.

do—if you want to succeed, you need to be passionate about what you do and want to be the best at it.

changing jobs too often was an indication of disloyalty

seriously.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.’’

CHSPM (Critical Human Skills for Project Managers).

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

I created a course called ‘At Home in America’ focused at helping Indians who had recently come to America, find their feet in the American corporate environment.

an ‘opposite’ course for Americans going to head Indian operations of their companies.

Life gives us problems to solve.

Problems are created with their solutions in the same package.

We only need to find them.

and the more eager to tell others

That all Rizq (sustenance) is preordained in terms of its quantity and that Allah has taken its responsibility unto Himself. That we have a choice only in terms of what sources we would like to choose to obtain it and where we would like to spend it. That Shaytaan will try to frighten us with poverty while Allah comforts us with His Power. The Shaytaan has no power over the one who believes and seeks the protection of Allah. Action to take in case of difficulties with respect to sustenance.

I would listen one day and then formulate questions to ask the next.

type. I learnt more by being in the company of scholars and elders, from observing them, listening to them, asking them and sharing with them, rather than from reading books. I

We lived in a very small village in North Kanara called Sirsi where at the time electricity was in short supply.

On special occasions we would go to listen to lectures by scholars.

Our father went and we were his sons, so we naturally accompanied him.

Many people talk about the struggle of being a Muslim. Frankly, I don’t understand that. For me, being a Muslim is a joy,

It frees you from the slavery of trends, fads, fashion, people’s opinions, seeking popularity, anxiety, and pleasing others.

that the only one you need to please is Allah

You see all the happiness that comes your way as a blessing,

thankful for it. You see difficulties as things that have been sent to promote you to a higher station with Allah

You see calamities and bereavement as things which are sent to test your S...

Islam means ‘Submission.’ Submission of your will, desires, wishes, aspirations and ambition to the Will of Allah

King Viceroy Makes the laws and is himself above the law Holds others to account Not answerable to anyone Good = Whatever pleases him Applies the law and is subject to the same law Gives account for his actions Answerable to the King Good = Whatever pleases the King

human beings think that they are the King and not the vicegerents of the Real King, Allah. It is this confusion that results in mankind behaving as if they own the earth to do with as they please. That mistaken belief is the root of all evil.

I believe that we were not sent into this world to dominate it or conquer it or to impose our will on

that they want to take Islam piecemeal. They want to take what they like and leave out things which they are not too happy with or which they choose to see as restrictive and curbing their ‘free spirits’.

So the first step is to consciously and completely accept Islam.

To be Muslim there are three primary conditions: In Arabic we say: Iqraarum bil lissan, wa tasdeequm bil qalb, wal a’amaal bil arkaan. {Declaring

The first thing you are asked to do is to present your credentials in the Court and to make your connection to the One who sent you—otherwise known as Salah.

Allah mentioned this as the sequence of accepting the job of vicegerent when He told us about the initiation of His Anbiya.

The Salah is the sign that you have accepted your job of vicegerent and that you have been accepted. It is your connection to the source of all power,

‘‘All that we can do is dua!’’ It is like saying to someone who needs financial help, ‘‘All that I can do is to give you the keys to the vault.’’ Or to say to someone who needs help against enemies, ‘‘All that I can do is to send the Sixth Fleet.’’

The condition of Hidaya (guidance) is Taqwa (being a Muttaqi) and the first sign of that is belief in the unseen (Al-Ghaib).

I am sharing this story so that you realize that when you stand up and say that you are ready, you will be tested. And if you stick to your principles of not displeasing Allah, then you will be helped from sources you could not imagine.

So when one accepts Islam, one accepts the reality of the laws of Allah just

One outcome of the intense nature of my American experience was that I didn’t do anything recreational while I lived there. Despite my great love for the wild, I didn’t go to any national parks or do anything in the wild.

people forget is that the Middle East is probably the only region in the world where the local people try to learn your language and work with you and don’t make it a condition of employment that you should learn Arabic.

Today it is the norm in the Indian subcontinent for students to memorize the Qur’an without learning Arabic. We teach the Qur’an in a way that doesn’t connect the student to his Rabb.