The document provides guidance for activists on maintaining focus and balance in their work. It emphasizes guarding one's tongue for 40 days to remove negative speech. It also stresses being hard on oneself through self-accountability but easy on others. The document advises focusing on prayer, voluntary good deeds, and removing sins and distractions in stages. It highlights trusting in God despite weaknesses and continuing the work despite failures.

1. THE ACTIVIST’S DILEMMA
Mumin Builder Retreat – February 2015

2. WHY DID WE JOIN DAWANET?
 To make the world better
 Bring about change
 Continue the good work of others
 Stand before Allah proudly
And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise a people
whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they
[the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may
fear Him. (Quran 7:164)

3. VIRTUES OF SERVICE
Indirect
“For he who informs a ruler of the need of one who
cannot speak for themselves will have their feet
made firm by Allah on the Day of Resurrection”
(Hadith – Tirmidhi)
Direct
“The people who were close to him were the best of
people…and the greatest of them in his sight were
the ones who were most beneficent and helpful”
(Hadith – Tirmidhi)

4. NEGLECTING OWN SOUL + HELPING OTHERS = DISASTER
 Hypocrisy
‫النفاق‬
 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
 “Do you order righteousness of the people and forget
yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not
reason?” (Quran 2:44)

5. PRIVATE = PERSONAL
 Umm Salama – in relation to the Prophet
 “His private and personal life are identical”
 His character was the message
vs
 Majoring in international relations but have poor
family relationships

6. STAY RESPONSIBLE
No matter what level a worshipper reaches he is
never free from needing to worship his Lord, nor is
he excused from any of the responsibilities of the
religion as long as he is alive and of sound mind
“And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty
(death).” (Quran 15:99)

7. PROPHETIC METHODOLOGY
 Hard on yourself but easy on others
 Removal of negative traits
 Inculcation of positive traits

8. HARD ON YOURSELF VS. EASY ON OTHERS
Examples:
 Prophet prayed all night until feet swelled but
dissuaded Fatima from following
 Prophet returned loans by giving extra
 Continuous fasting
Imam Ghazali:
“When people err we punish them, then why do we not punish
ourselves when we err ourselves”

9. REMOVAL OF NEGATIVE TRAITS
 “What I have prohibited you from - avoid it, what I
have ordered you - do as much of it as you can”
(Hadith –Bukhari & Muslim)

10. NEGATIVE TRAITS
Remove in the following order:
 Major sins
 Minor sins
 Things that waste one’s time
 The lesser of two good options

11. POSITIVE TRAITS
 The better of two good options
 Voluntary actions
 Actions recommended by the Prophet
 Obligations

12. 8 INROADS INTO THE HEART
I. Eyes
II. Tongue
III. Hands
IV. Feet
V. Ears
VI. Stomach
VII. Genitals
VIII. Whole body

13. AREAS OF FOCUS
 Prayer (heart as a whole)
 Tongue
for 40 days
“The religion is accommodating, and no one attempts excessive
strictness in it without it overwhelming him” (Hadith – Bayhaqi)

14. WHY 40 DAYS?
Hadith:
 Ribat of the believer is for 40 days (Hadith –
Tabarani)
While there is no specific number indicated by
science, there is some cursory evidence for
between 20-55 ish days –- to break a habit

15. GUARDING THE PRAYER
 Central pillar of Islam
“Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out
of what We have provided for them” (Quran 2:3)
 Focus on ritual purity (wudhu)
 Try to pray in congregation
 Pray on time

16. GUARDING THE TONGUE
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me
into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hellfire.” He said, “You
have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom
Allah makes it easy:
Worship Allah alone; establish the prayer; pay the zakat; fast in
Ramadan; and make the pilgrimage to the House.”
“Shall I not guide you towards the doors of goodness? Fasting is a
shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the
praying of a man in the depths of the night.”
“Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its
peak?” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the
prayer and its peak is jihad.”
Then he said, “Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?” I
said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and
said, “Restrain this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allah, will we be taken to
account for what we say with it?” He said, “Is there anything that
throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces except the harvests of
their tongues?” (Hadith – Tirmidhi)

17. GUARDING THE TONGUE
 Lying
 Backbiting
 Argumentation
 Engaging in what does not concern us
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of
appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds
and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His
Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.” (Quran
33:70-71)

18. DAILY APPROACH
 Morning
 Set conditions (musharita)
 Day
 Vigilance (muraqaba)
 Night
 Accounting (muhasaba)
Self punishment (muaqaba)

19. TIPS
 Every time you slip up start from the beginning
 Get someone to help you
ْ‫ا‬‫و‬ُ‫ن‬ َ‫او‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ى‬ َ‫و‬ْ‫ق‬َّ‫ت‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ ِّ‫بر‬ْ‫ال‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫ا‬‫و‬ُ‫ن‬ َ‫او‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ِِّ‫ا‬ َ‫و‬ُْْ‫ع‬ْ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ ِِِّّْْ‫اِإ‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬
“And help one another in righteousness and piety, and help
not one another in sin and aggression” (Quran 5:2)

20. STAY STRONG WHEN YOU SLIP
َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬ ، ‫ا‬ً‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ٌْْ‫ب‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬:‫بي‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ي‬ِّ‫ل‬ ْ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬‫ا‬ َُِّ‫ه‬َّ‫الل‬.َ‫ت‬ َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬‫الى‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ك‬ َ‫ار‬َ‫ب‬:َ‫ع‬َ‫ف‬ ، ‫ا‬ً‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ِّي‬ْْ‫ب‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ َِّ‫أ‬ َِِّ‫ل‬
ِّ‫ه‬ِّ‫ب‬ ُ‫ذ‬ُ‫خ‬ْ‫أ‬َ‫ي‬ َ‫و‬ ، َ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َّ‫ذ‬‫ال‬ ُ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ي‬ ، ً‫ا‬‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬.َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬ ، َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ َ‫د‬‫ا‬َ‫ع‬ ََُِّْ‫ل‬‫ا‬:َ‫ار‬َ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬ ، ‫ي‬ِّ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ي‬ِّ‫ل‬ ْ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬‫ا‬ ، ِّ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ك‬
‫الى‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬‫و‬:ً‫ا‬‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ِّي‬ْْ‫ب‬َ‫ع‬.‫ال‬ ُ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ي‬ ً‫ا‬‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ََِّ‫أ‬ َِِّ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ف‬ِّ‫ه‬ِّ‫ب‬ ُ‫ذ‬ُ‫خ‬ْ‫أ‬َ‫ي‬‫و‬ ، َ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َّ‫ذ‬.َ‫ف‬ ، َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ َ‫د‬‫ا‬َ‫ع‬ ََُِّْ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬:‫ي‬َ‫أ‬
‫ي‬ِّ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ي‬ِّ‫ل‬ ْ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬‫ا‬ ، ِّ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬:‫ى‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ك‬ َ‫ار‬َ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬:ْ‫ب‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫َب‬‫ن‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫أ‬ُ‫ر‬ِّ‫ف‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ي‬ ، ً‫ا‬‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ََِّ‫أ‬ َِِّ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ف‬ ، ً‫ا‬‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ِّي‬ْ، َ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َّ‫ذ‬‫ال‬
ِّ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬َّ‫ذ‬‫بال‬ ُ‫ذ‬ُ‫خ‬ْ‫أ‬َ‫ي‬‫و‬.َ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬ ُ‫ت‬ ْ‫ر‬َ‫ف‬َ‫غ‬ َْْ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬ ، َ‫ت‬ْ‫ئ‬ِّ‫ش‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ْ‫ل‬َ‫م‬ْ‫ع‬‫ا‬
A servant committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin.
And He said: My servant has committed a sin and has known
that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them.
Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And
He said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he
has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he
sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He said:
My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a
Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish,
for I have forgiven you. (Hadith – Bukhari & Muslim)

21. TRUST IN GOD NOT OURSELVES
We are weak but God is All-Mighty
ِّ‫ل‬َ‫م‬َ‫ع‬ْ‫ال‬ َ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ِّ‫د‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬ِّ‫ت‬ْ‫ع‬ ْ‫اال‬ ِّ‫ة‬َ‫م‬ َ‫َل‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫ن‬ِّ‫م‬–َّ‫ر‬ْ‫ال‬ ُِ‫ا‬َ‫ص‬ْ‫ق‬ُ‫ن‬ِّ‫ل‬َ‫ل‬ََّّْ‫ال‬ ِّ‫د‬ ْ‫و‬ُ‫َج‬ ُ‫و‬ َْْ‫ن‬ِّ‫ع‬ ِِّ‫ا‬َ‫َج‬
“A sign of dependence on deeds is the lack of hope
when you slip into an error.” (Hikam of ibn Ata’llah)

22. We can do it!