This document summarizes lessons from the Quran about group development based on the story of Saul, David, and Bani Israil. It discusses how Saul was chosen as king due to his knowledge and stature rather than wealth, and how David later defeated Goliath through creativity and doing what he did best. The key lessons highlighted include having hope that requires effort rather than mere wishful thinking, avoiding nepotism, following discipline and rules, relying on patience during challenges, and focusing on purifying oneself for success in Islam.

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

2. QURANIC MODELS
Ex 1: Pharaohnic model
Ex 2: Wheel of Fortune
Ex 3: Group Development
Etc…

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

4. GROUP DEVELOPMENT:
SAUL, DAVID, AND BANI ISRAIL:
SURAH BAQARA 2:246

5.  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.

6. WILL
 Recognition of the fact that something needs to
change
 It takes a conscious decision to make the effort to
do something about it

7. 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]

8. 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.”

9. SURAH BAQARA 2:247

10.  And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah has
sent 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."

11. 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

12. 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.”

13. SURAH BAQARA 2:248

14.  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."

15. ARK OF THE COVENANT

17. SURAH BAQARA 2:249

18.  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."

19. 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’

20. SURAH BAQARA 2:250

21.  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."

22. 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]

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

24. SURAH BAQARA 2:251

25.  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.

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

27. GROUP MEMBERSHIP OVER TIME:
KEYS TO SUCCESS
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Time
Number of People

28. 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]