“The true Muslim is one who strikes a balance between the needs of his body, mind, and soul.”

How can we achieve this balance?

Here are some excerpts from the book Ideal Muslim by Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi:

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His Body

1. He eats and drinks moderately.

–   He takes good care of his body, actively promoting his good health. So he is moderate in his intake of food and drink, avoiding greed and consuming only what he needs to maintain his well-being and energy.

2. He exercises regularly.

–   He sleeps early and wakes up early. He enjoys good physical health and makes a concerted effort to improve his bodily strength while accomplishing it in an organized and systematic fashion.

3. He cleans his body and clothes.

–   He has high standards of personal hygiene, bathing frequently, in accordance with the guidance of the Prophet (SAW) who encouraged people to wash themselves completely and wear perfume especially on Friday.

4. He has a good appearance.

–   He wears and takes good care of his clothes presenting a pleasant appearance without being extravagant. He always checks himself before he goes out to meet people making sure that he smells clean and fresh while urging others to do likewise.

His Mind

1. He continuously seeks knowledge.

–   He understands that true knowledge does not mean obtaining a degree or diploma after which one turns away from exploring the treasury of knowledge any further. True learning means that one continues to read and study, increasing one ‘s learning day by day in accordance with the words of the Qur’an “But say, O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge.” (20:114)

2. He strives to read the Qur’an.

–   He acquires as such knowledge in Tajweed, and to understand its meaning and learn something of the sciences of Hadith, the Seerah of the Prophet while ensuring that his worship and daily dealings are correct according to the basic principles of the Deen.

3. He is proficient in his specialty.

–   He gives all his energy and pays a great deal of attention to his field of specialization and spares no efforts to read whatever has been written about it, both in his own language and on others if he is able to. He keeps abreast of developments in his field through continual reading and study of all of its aspects.

4. He is proficient in a foreign language.

–   He does not forget to pay attention to foreign language as it is one of the important tasks required of the active Muslim to understand the contemporary Islamic life. So that from this, he may know what is going on around him and understand what has been written about his Ummah and its heritage in languages other than his own. Thus, he will be able to defend the Ummah and speak up for its well-being.

His Soul

1. He polishes his soul through worship.

–   He takes care of his soul and refines it through constant worship and awareness of Allah, night and day. He remembers Allah with humility and praying correctly with presence of mind and other kinds of spiritual exercises until it becomes second nature and he cannot do without them.

2. He keeps company with the righteous people.

–   He seeks to attain this high status by keeping company with righteous people who will teach him about truth, patience and constancy. He frequently attends gatherings where Allah’s name is mentioned often and where there is a discussion regarding education and development of the individual, the family, and the community. He chooses his friends carefully and only joins those gatherings that will increase his faith, taqwa, and knowledge.

3. He frequently repeats du’aa (supplications) described in ahadeeth.

–   He strengthens his soul by repeating the supplications which is reported what the Prophet used to say on various occasions such as leaving the house, saying farewell to a traveler, earning new clothes, lying down in bed, waking up from sleep, etc. In this way, his heart will remain in contact with Allah, and his soul will be cleansed and purified.

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How about you, Ummahpreneurs?

How do you strive to balance each aspect of your mind, body, and soul even during the busiest of times as Muslim enterpreneurs? Jumu’ah Mubarak! 😊