QURANIC MODEL FOR GROUP DEVELOPMENT:Lessons from Saul, David, and Bani Israil

QURANIC MODELSEx 1: Pharaohnic modelEx 2: Wheel of FortuneEx 3: Group DevelopmentEtc…

PALESTINE DURING TIME OF PROPHET DAWUD (1000 B.C.)

GROUP DEVELOPMENT:SAUL, DAVID, AND BANI ISRAIL:

SURAH BAQARA 2:246

Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "?

He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?"

But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.

WILL Recognition of the fact that something needs

to change It takes a conscious decision to make the

effort to do something about it

HOPE VS WISHFUL THINKING Hope (رجاء)

People try to change their conditions as they have hope for a better future

Otherwise what is the point in change? Key: Requires EFFORT

“You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much” [33:21]

Wishful thinking (أمنية) Hoping things will change without making any effort for it

Shows lack of sincerity and/or laziness Satanic strategem:

“’And I will mislead them, and I will give them false hope, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah.’ And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss” [4:119]

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO?

Ibn Qayyim: “The difference between mere wishful thinking and true hope is that mere wishful thinking involves laziness wherein the person neither exerts himself, nor strives.  Hope and trust in God, however, entails striving, exertion, and beautiful reliance.  The first is like the one who wishes that the earth would plant and sow its own seeds for him. The second is like the one who tills the soil, plants the seeds and then hopes that crops will grow… Hope is not correct, except if accompanied by action.”

SURAH BAQARA 2:247

And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah hassent to you Saul as a king."

They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?"

He said, "Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing."

MATERIALISM Organizations decay from within when they

fail to recognize talent & promote only based on wealth/who you know Danger: nepotism, favouritism, prejudice

Saul was favoured due to: Knowledge Strength

LETTER FROM UMAR BIN KHATTAB TO SA’D IBN ABI

WAQQAS“I order you and all troops with you to be obedient to Allah in all circumstances as this is better than the weapons against the enemy and a strong stratagem of war.

I order you and the soldiers who are with you to be more cautious and afraid of your own sins than your enemy, as the sins of the soldiers are MORE DANGEROUS TO THEM THAN THEIR ENEMY.

The Muslims are victorious only because their enemies are disobedient to Allah, and had it not been so, we have no power over them, because neither our number is equal to their number, nor are our weapons like theirs.

If we commit crimes and sins as they do, then they will have superiority over us in power and we will not gain victory over them.…Perhaps some people who are worse than the others may overpower the others as the Magians overpowered the Children of Israel when they involved themselves with Allah's disobedience…

And ask Allah the assistance's over your own selves just as you ask Allah for the victory over your enemies, I ask Allah for that, both for you and us.”

SURAH BAQARA 2:248

And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."

ARK OF THE COVENANT

SURAH BAQARA 2:249

And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allah will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a few of them.

Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient."

DISCIPLINE Need to focus one’s energy to be productive Aristotle: virtue is a mean between extremes

Recklessness Inactivity

Involves taming one’s ego to follow rules to bring about the desired result Too much focus in society on ‘leadership’ and not

enough on being a good ‘follower’

SURAH BAQARA 2:250

And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."

PATIENCE 3 types:

Patience in obedience (ex: constancy in prayer) Patience against disobedience (ex: not gossiping) Patience in the faces of circumstances out of

one’s control (ex: acts of God)

Patience is an act of courage

“But if you remain patient and pious, not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do” [3:120]  

DUA TO REMEMBER

“… Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims” [7:126]

SURAH BAQARA 2:251

So they defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds.

LESSONS FROM DAWUD Creativity Doing what you know best Thinking outside the box

GROUP MEMBERSHIP OVER TIME:KEYS TO SUCCESS

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SUCCESS IN ISLAM “Whoever works righteousness — whether

male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer verily, to him We will give a good life and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” [16:97]

“He will indeed be successful who purifies his ownself, and he will indeed fail who corrupts his ownself.” [91:9-10]