{bit.ly/GGnaie06} The recorded ZOOM lecture is available from http://bit.ly/YTnaie06 The PDF of the final slides for the lecture: http://bit.ly/SCnaie06 . All materials for this lecture are available from my Google Drive Folder L6 Drivers
Relevant Reference Materials to incorporate here is on Norm Change:
Norms and Beliefs: How Change Occurs
Norms in the Wild: How To Diagnose
Social Norms: Repeated Interactions
A detailed set of lecture notes, corresponding to the slides/video lecture is given below. The Transcript of the Lecture is also attached HERE.
Lecture 6 | A New Approach to Islamic Economics
Instructor: Dr. Asad Zaman
Drivers of Social Change
This lecture presents new and evolving ideas that have been under development for a long time. The lecturer has recently gained clarity on the direction and framework of these ideas.
Lecture format:
1 hour of presentation
30 minutes for Q&A
Materials for students:
Slides are available on SlideShare
Lecture recording, mailing list, and course resources are accessible through shared links:
Weekly Mailing List: http://bit.ly/AZIEML
Full course site: http://bit.ly/IslamicEcon2023
Lecture Writeup/Video: http://bit.ly/GGnaie06
Al-Nafi course access: http://bit.ly/IEalnafi
Important note:
Some students are not receiving the emails due to spam filters. Students should whitelist the email address to ensure delivery.
The goal of this lecture is to explore the drivers behind social change, from an Islamic perspective. It challenges dominant Western frameworks and encourages self-transformation as a key to societal transformation.
The lecture begins by grounding the discussion in two powerful Quranic verses:
“Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people have earned.”
(Qur’an 30:41)
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
(Qur’an 13:11)
These verses provide a central thesis:
→ Problems in the external world are a direct consequence of our own actions.
→ Self-change is the only route to real societal change.
This view contradicts common thinking:
We often blame external systems, governments, or societies for the problems we face.
The Quran shifts responsibility inward — the solution lies in transforming ourselves.
Modern approach:
When people find that the Quran contradicts their worldview, the standard method is to reinterpret the Quran to fit their thinking.
The correct (but more difficult) method is to change our thinking to align with the Quran.
This process is hard because:
Our thoughts are tied to our actions.
We use our thoughts to justify our actions.
So to change how we think, we must first change how we act.
Key Islamic principle:
The Quran is complete and perfect guidance.
→ Revelation began with the command to “Read”, indicating that Allah would teach knowledge not previously known.
Historical Evidence:
This divine knowledge transformed backward, tribal Arab society into world leaders.
It created a civilization that led the world in knowledge and culture for over a thousand years.
The Quran provided revolutionary knowledge that changed the world:
Transformed a small, backward group (early Arabs) into global leaders
Launched a civilization that led the world in science, ethics, and governance for over 1,000 years
Key questions raised:
What was this knowledge?
Do we still have it?
If yes, why is it not having the same transformative effect today?
The conclusion drawn:
“We do not possess this knowledge anymore — or we do not understand it in the same way.”
If we truly had it, it would once again teach us how to change the world.
So when Quranic truths conflict with our thinking or lived experience:
Don’t reinterpret the Quran to fit your worldview
Reform your worldview to align with the Quran
💡 Enrichment: Ghazali’s Perspective on Inner Transformation
Imam al-Ghazali teaches that before we can change the world, we must understand and transform ourselves. This includes:
Knowing your soul: its nature, tendencies, and weaknesses
Practicing Tawbah (repentance) and Tazkiyah (purification)
Developing good habits and breaking destructive ones
Cultivating sincerity, self-discipline, and spiritual insight
True knowledge, in Ghazali’s view, is not just intellectual but transformative.
A major reason Muslims have lost access to transformative Quranic knowledge is because we have internalized Western frameworks as superior.
📌 Hadith Warnings:
Prophetic warning: You will follow the Jews and Christians, step by step—even into a lizard’s hole.
This Hadith signals a gradual imitation of earlier communities who deviated from divine guidance.
⚠️ Intellectual Colonization:
Today, Muslims look to the West for solutions—even in areas where Islam already provides clear guidance (e.g., economics, education, development).
Instead of turning to the Quran or Islamic intellectual tradition, Muslims:
Quote Harvard professors and Western economists
Treat Western theories as neutral or superior knowledge
🔍 The Modern Mu'tazila
The speaker labels modern Muslim intellectuals who prioritize Western thought as a new form of Mu’tazila:
They rationalize and reinterpret Islam to fit secular, Western values.
This is seen as a direct result of Western-style education, which frames Islam as outdated or inferior.
💭 Deep Conflict:
Many Muslims today feel conflicted:
On one hand: Quranic teachings and Islamic ethics
On the other hand: Secular, materialistic views taught through schools, media, and global discourse
Often, people try to adjust Islam to match their thinking. But the Quran demands the opposite:
Change yourself to fit the guidance.
Einstein vs. Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj – A Mirror to Our Minds
The lecture contrasts two figures:
Albert Einstein – a globally celebrated physicist, seen as a symbol of genius.
Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj – a deeply pious, ascetic Islamic scholar, largely unknown to the modern Muslim public.
But the comparison is not just about these two men.
It is meant to confront how we — as Muslims — have been trained to think.
🪞 A Mirror to Our Conditioned Minds
Ask yourself: Why do most Muslims know Einstein’s name but not Shaykh Murabit’s?
Why is Einstein automatically viewed as wise and admirable, even though:
He failed to answer the most important questions of existence.
He did not recognize God or the message of Islam.
Meanwhile, a man who embodied the Quran, who lived for the Akhira, and who taught others to walk the path of salvation, is invisible, even among believers.
❝This is not just ignorance — it is the result of a deep, internal colonization.❞
We have absorbed Western definitions of intelligence, wisdom, and success:
Intelligence = abstract reasoning and scientific accomplishment
Success = recognition, power, discovery, innovation
These metrics are not neutral — they reflect a worldview where:
God is absent
Akhira is irrelevant
Dunya is everything
📖 Quranic Parallel
"In their own eyes, they think they are very clever — but truly, they are the ones who have no sense. Yet they do not realize it."
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:8–9, paraphrased meaning)
This is exactly the type of spiritual delusion the Quran warns about.
🧭 True Wisdom Is Seeing with the Light of the Quran
The real purpose of the example is to shake the audience awake:
To see how deeply we’ve internalized Western secular values
To question who we admire, and what “greatness” means to us
To begin the process of cleansing the heart and mind — not just from sin, but from false ideas that feel normal because they are widespread
This is not about Einstein — it is about you.
What kind of knowledge do you honor? What kind of life do you want to live?
In continuing the critique of Western epistemology, the lecture raises a crucial question:
What kind of knowledge should we be pursuing?
This question is central to the Islamic worldview and distinguishes between two radically different value systems:
🧭 The Islamic Definition of Useful Knowledge
In Islam, useful knowledge is that which:
Helps us succeed on the Day of Judgment
Teaches us how to live a righteous life
Guides us in doing the best deeds (ahsanu ‘amala)
Enables us to distinguish between:
Right and wrong
Halal and haram
Beneficial and harmful
This includes knowledge of:
Allah and His attributes
The Quran and Sunnah
The Shari'ah as a path to success, not just a legal code
Ethics, intention, and spiritual purification
💼 The Western (Secular) Concept of Useful Knowledge
In contrast, Western secular education defines “useful” knowledge as that which helps people:
Gain power, pleasure, and profit
Dominate markets, societies, and other nations
Invent, innovate, and engineer for material progress
Under this view:
The purpose of life is worldly success
There is no concept of Akhira
Moral boundaries are blurred or entirely absent
Success is measured by GDP, technological advancement, and social status
🧨 This is the knowledge that enabled colonization, conquest, and global exploitation — and it is still glorified.
🔁 The Collision of Two Epistemologies
Islam: Knowledge is a means to draw nearer to Allah
The West: Knowledge is a means to control the world
This conflict is not academic — it defines how we:
Raise our children
Design our schools and universities
Evaluate our own success
🧠 A Ghazalian Add-On (Light Integration)
Imam al-Ghazali distinguishes between ‘ilm al-nafi’ (beneficial knowledge) and ‘ilm al-ghayr nafi’ (non-beneficial knowledge):
“The pursuit of knowledge should illuminate the heart, not just the intellect. Any knowledge that does not bring you closer to Allah is a burden on the soul.”
(Paraphrased from Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din)
❓ The Common Concern:
“If we focus on success in the Akhira, won’t we fall behind in the Dunya?”
This question reflects Western conditioning — the belief that religion holds you back from worldly progress. But the Quran directly refutes this.
📖 The Quranic Reassurance:
“So do not lose heart nor grieve, for you will be superior if you are true believers.”
(Surah Aal Imran 3:139)
The promise is clear: Belief leads to strength and success — both spiritual and material.
🏛 The Proof in History
The early Muslims did not seek power — they sought obedience to Allah.
As a result, they were granted victory over:
Rome and Persia, the two dominant empires of the time
These civilizations were wealthy, advanced, and centuries old
🕌 Islam did not weaken them — it elevated them.
💬 But What About Today?
A common Muslim frustration:
“We are following Islam. So why are we humiliated and backward?”
This leads some to wrongly conclude:
“Islam has failed us.”
✒️ Enter Allama Iqbal: Shikwa & Jawab-e-Shikwa
In Shikwa (The Complaint), Iqbal poetically expresses the voice of the Muslim Ummah:
“We pray, we fast, we remember You — and still we suffer.”
“We carried Your message across the world — and now we are forgotten.”
But in Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer), Allah responds:
“You talk of your prayers, but where is your submission?”
“You boast of your past, but where is your present action?”
“You have changed — not Islam. You have forgotten the spirit of the Deen.”
🧠 The Deeper Truth:
Muslims are not failing because of Islam.
Muslims are failing because they are not truly following Islam.
We have:
Adopted Western goals (status, power, wealth)
Reduced Islam to rituals without spirit
Turned away from the inner transformation the Quran demands
🧭 Summary
The idea that Islam is holding us back is a trap — a post-colonial inferiority complex
Our decline is not because we followed Islam — it’s because we abandoned it, while pretending we had not
As Iqbal put it:
“Tum ho keh Muhammad ﷺ se wafa tum ne na ki —
Hum hain keh maira sab kuch hai Muhammad ﷺ ka!”
(“You claim to follow the Prophet ﷺ — yet your life is empty of his example. Whereas all that I have belongs to him.”)
🌍 The Problem Is Not Out There — It’s Inside
The Quran is clear:
“Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
(Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11)
This verse is the foundation of Islamic social change:
Most people look outward — blaming governments, leaders, systems
The Quran redirects the lens inward — start with your own heart
🔁 Misplaced Activism
Today, much of our effort goes into:
Criticizing political leaders
Protesting Western foreign policy
Demanding others change their behavior
But the Quranic message is:
Stop saying “They should do something” — and start asking “What must I do?”
❝I am the only person I can change. And I am the world.❞
🧠 Colonized Minds: A Hidden Obstacle
The root issue is mental colonization — our minds and desires have been shaped by Western ideals
Proof? Most Muslims know Einstein, but not Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj
→ This shows what we've been taught to value, admire, and desire
We measure ourselves with secular yardsticks, not Quranic ones
📖 The Quran’s Revolutionary Perspective
The Quran says:
Corruption appears due to our own deeds
To change the world, we must change ourselves
True transformation comes not from external activism alone, but from:
Internal purification
Spiritual realignment
Moral and ethical reform
🧘 Ghazali’s Insights on Inner Change (Enrichment)
Imam al-Ghazali outlines how real change must begin with Ikhlas (sincerity), Tawbah (repentance), and Tazkiyah (purification).
His model emphasizes:
Deep self-awareness
Identifying and breaking bad habits
Cultivating good character
Regular muhasaba (self-accountability)
True social revolution begins with a spiritual revolution inside the heart.
🔄 From Self to Society
The shift is this:
Don't retreat into isolation — but don't only look outward either
Work on the world, but with the intention of transforming yourself
This paradox is explained through:
Isometric exercise: Pushing a wall doesn’t move the wall — but it builds your strength
Jogging: You don’t jog to get somewhere — you jog to become someone
Similarly, we struggle with the world not just to change it, but to refine our souls in the process
Dr. Zaman introduces a three-part framework to move from the current social order toward an Islamic society. These three dimensions are:
1️⃣ Descriptive – Where are we now?
We must begin by honestly assessing the current condition of our society.
Today’s world is a:
Market society, driven by capitalism
Built on values of competition, greed, individualism, and materialism
Capitalist society treats human beings as:
Laborers, consumers, and producers
Not as souls striving for ethical excellence or spiritual growth
This worldview is completely at odds with Islamic ideals
2️⃣ Prescriptive – Where do we want to go?
Islam offers an entirely different vision of society:
Based on:
Generosity, cooperation, social responsibility, and justice
Spiritual and moral excellence rather than material accumulation
An Islamic society prioritizes:
Akhira over Dunya
Service over selfishness
Ihsan (excellence in conduct) over efficiency or profit
3️⃣ Transformative – How do we get there?
This is the key question:
What path takes us from a market society to an Islamic society?
This transformation is not:
A top-down political revolution
A sudden system overhaul
Instead, it starts with:
Rebuilding individual character
Restructuring local relationships
Re-imagining institutions with Islamic values at their core
The transformation must be organic, gradual, and bottom-up — rooted in people, not imposed by power.
🧠 Why This Framework Matters
Without this structure:
Activism becomes scattered
Energy is wasted on the wrong fronts
Goals are vague, and failure feels inevitable
With this structure:
We identify where we are
Clarify where we want to go
Design a realistic path between the two
🧭 It's like planning a journey — you need a starting point, a destination, and a route.
Having identified that we live in a capitalist, market-driven society, the next step is to understand its mechanisms and contradictions.
🧩 Why Start Here?
One of the key insights of this lecture is:
🛑 We must start from where we are, not from where we want to be.
Many Islamic revivalists start with the goal: Khilafah, implementation of Shari’ah, Islamic economics, etc.
But the question is:
❓ What step can we take right now that moves us one step toward that goal?
This demands an honest diagnosis of the present.
🏙 What Is a Market Society?
A society is a network of people connected by shared norms, roles, and relationships.
A market society is one where:
Relationships are increasingly commercial and transactional
Identity is shaped by economic function:
Producer, consumer, employee, entrepreneur
Human life revolves around buying, selling, and earning
🛒 The Key Feature: Massive Overproduction
Capitalist economies produce far more than what people need to live dignified lives
Goods are split into two categories:
N = Needs (including necessities, comforts, and tasteful beautification)
W = Wants — often excessive, wasteful, unnecessary
In market societies, W far exceeds N — and becomes the engine of growth
This overproduction creates:
Wasteful consumption
Environmental degradation
Spiritual emptiness
📖 Islamic Framework on Consumption
The Quran provides a clear boundary:
“Eat and drink, but do not commit excess (Israf). Indeed, Allah does not love those who are excessive.”
(Surah Al-A‘raf 7:31)
Imam al-Ghazali offers four categories of consumption:
Necessities – essential for survival
Comforts – improve daily life
Embellishments – add beauty
Excess – beyond need, often driven by vanity or ego
Islamic teachings allow beauty and comfort, but draw the line at:
Israf – overindulgence in permissible things
Tabdhir – spending on forbidden or pointless things
🔄 The Trap of “Desire Manufacturing”
Capitalism runs into a dilemma:
It needs labor to produce W-goods
But nobody actually needs these goods
🎯 Solution: Marketing — the art of converting wants into needs
Status symbols are created to generate demand
Social pressure and advertising turn luxury into necessity
This creates a cycle:
Laborers work to earn wages
Wages are spent on W-goods
W-goods must keep being produced — and desired
The system sustains itself by inflating artificial needs
💥 Capitalism vs. Islam – A Collision
Capitalism
Islam
Pursue desires
Restrain desires
Create wants
Discern needs
Consume more
Be content
Maximize profits
Maximize reward from Allah
📌 Islam challenges the foundation of capitalist economics:
The idea that the goal of life is to maximize pleasure through consumption.
Islam calls this worship of the nafs, and condemns it as a spiritual disease.
🧠 Strategic Reminder
If our end goal is Khilafah or a just Islamic system, we must ask: 💡 What small, achievable step can we take right now to reduce our reliance on wasteful systems and build the habits of a healthy Islamic society?
Without grounding our activism in current reality, we risk building castles in the sky.
🔁 The Self-Reinforcing Loop
Capitalism creates a vicious cycle that traps individuals:
Labor produces W-goods (wasteful, excessive items)
Workers earn wages in exchange
Wages are then spent to buy W-goods
The demand cycle continues → profits rise → more W-goods are produced
🧨 Capitalism doesn’t just produce goods — it manufactures desires to keep the machine running.
Even the desire for these goods is an engineered product — designed to keep people busy, earning, consuming, and repeating.
🛑 How Do We Break Out?
The first step: Reduce the desire for W-goods
✔ Practical Strategy:
Spend less on your own wants
Spend more on the needs of others
Cultivate contentment (qana’ah) and gratitude (shukr)
💡 Spiritual Tools for Economic Liberation
Contentment (Qana’ah):
Learn to be satisfied with less
Reduces dependence on wage labor
Frees time and mental space for deeper pursuits
Gratitude (Shukr):
Acknowledge Allah’s blessings
Opens the heart to satisfaction and barakah
Trust in Allah (Tawakkul):
Capitalism feeds on fear of poverty
The Quran assures:
“Shaytan threatens you with poverty, but Allah promises you forgiveness and bounty.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:268)
🧠 Mindset Shift:
“I don’t need to earn more to buy more. I need to want less so I can live more.”
By reducing attachment to dunya:
We buy less
Therefore, we work less
And that saved time, energy, and focus can be reinvested in building an Islamic life
💬 Hadeeth Reminder
“You shall not attain righteousness until you give from what you love.”
(Surah Aal Imran 3:92)
Even a small act of generosity — a smile, a kind word, a shared meal — can be a break in the capitalist script.
🧘 Ghazalian Angle (Spiritual Enrichment)
Ghazali frames this break from dunya as:
A gradual process of taming the nafs
Learning self-control, delayed gratification, and reorientation toward Akhira
Not renouncing the world, but reordering one’s relationship to it
“Do not try to defeat the entire world. Begin by defeating the urge to buy what you do not need.”
🧭 Where Does This Lead?
Once we free ourselves from the cycle of labor-consume-repeat, we can ask:
“Now that I have more time, energy, and intention — how can I build a better world?”
And that opens the door to the next stage in the lecture:
How to rewire social networks and build the foundations of an Islamic society from the ground up.
🔄 The Shift: From “Roles” to “Relationships”
In capitalist society, people are defined by economic functions:
Laborer, consumer, producer, manager, employee
These roles reduce individuals to:
Tools in a production system
Numbers on a spreadsheet
Objects in a transaction
Islam rejects this dehumanization. Instead, it emphasizes human dignity, social bonds, and spiritual purpose.
🧭 What Happens When We Exit the Capitalist Cycle?
When we begin to:
Work less
Consume less
Desire less
…we create space in our lives:
Time
Mental energy
Emotional capacity
The key question becomes:
What should we do with this liberated space?
🧱 Rebuilding on Islamic Foundations
1️⃣ Rebuild Yourself
Start with your character (akhlaq)
Follow the Prophetic model:
“Verily, I was sent to perfect good character.” (Hadith)
2️⃣ Rebuild Your Family
Islam views family as the primary social unit
Invest time and energy in:
Parents
Spouse
Children
Extended kin
🏠 Strong families are the foundation of strong Islamic societies.
3️⃣ Rebuild Your Neighborhood
Serve your neighbors
Create bonds of trust and care
Shift from being an economic agent to a community member
4️⃣ Rebuild Your Social Identity
Detach from capitalist roles (“I am a consumer”)
Embrace Islamic roles (“I am a servant of Allah, a caregiver, a neighbor, a brother or sister in faith”)
🧘 Ghazalian Insight (Spiritual Frame)
Imam al-Ghazali emphasizes:
Every human soul has the potential of a tree within a seed
Just as a tree yields fruit and shade, a soul can transform the world — if it develops its potential
But potential is only realized through:
Struggle
Discipline
Service to others
True transformation doesn’t come from seclusion — it comes from engaged struggle, with the intention of purifying the self.
🧠 A Powerful Reframe
“I don’t exist to earn and consume. I exist to serve, grow, and connect — for the sake of Allah.”
This is the reorientation:
From transactional life to relational life
From material goals to spiritual realities
From market networks to Islamic community networks
🌱 One Life = Infinite Potential
The lecture brings a powerful Quranic principle into focus:
“Whoever saves a single life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.”
(Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32)
On the surface, this seems symbolic — but its deeper meaning is profound:
Every human being has the potential to change the world
The impact of a single transformed life can ripple outward across generations, communities, even civilizations
🌳 The Seed Metaphor
A seed seems small and insignificant.
But if nurtured, it becomes a tree…
A tree produces fruit…
And from that fruit, more seeds…
And from those seeds — a forest.
Likewise:
One sincere believer who purifies themselves and commits to living for Allah can transform their family
Their family can shape a community
That community can become the foundation for an Islamic revival
⚒️ Small Actions = Big Rewards
“Don’t underestimate any good deed — even a smile.” (Hadith)
We often think:
“I’m just one person. What difference can I make?”
But Allah teaches:
A single good deed can weigh heavily on the scale
A single moment of sincerity can change the course of a soul — or a society
💬 Hadith and Quranic Support
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear — but He also does not waste any sincere effort.”
“If you take one step toward Allah, He will come to you at speed.” (Hadith Qudsi)
The path to spiritual and social revolution begins with small steps, done with sincerity.
🧘 Ghazalian Reflection
Imam al-Ghazali’s model of transformation emphasizes:
Ikhlas (sincerity) – Root your actions in pure intention
Tawbah (repentance) – Recognize your faults, seek Allah’s forgiveness
Tazkiyah (purification) – Slowly cleanse the heart through good deeds
Istiqamah (steadfastness) – Persist, even when results are not visible
The change you see in yourself from morning to evening is more important than what happens in the world.
🧠 Internal vs. External Metrics
“Don’t measure your impact by whether the wall moved — measure it by whether you grew stronger while pushing it.”
This is the key insight:
You may struggle to change the world and see no external result
But that struggle is building your soul, polishing your heart, strengthening your patience, and refining your sincerity
That is the revolution — everything else follows from it.
🏠 The Family as the Foundation
Islam teaches that society is not built in the streets — it's built in the home
The strongest ummah is made up of strong families
Yet today, the family is under severe attack from both external forces and internal neglect
⚠️ Crisis: The Breakdown of the Family
In the West:
More than 50% of children are born outside marriage
Divorce, loneliness, and generational disconnection are widespread
The same forces (individualism, consumerism, careerism) are rapidly infecting the Muslim world
But instead of addressing this, many Muslims focus their energy on:
Political change
Global events
Foreign policy
Meanwhile, their own homes are breaking down
🧭 Strategic Priority: Start with the Family
“If you take nothing else from this lecture,” Dr. Zaman says,
“take this: Work on building your family.”
This means:
Prioritizing your spouse, children, and parents
Investing time, attention, service, and emotional presence
Choosing family over career, not the other way around
🔁 In capitalist society, you sacrifice your family for your job
In Islamic society, you sacrifice your job for your family
💞 Healing Relationships with Love
The Quran and Hadith emphasize:
Love, mercy, and compassion in the home
“The believer loves and is loved.”
“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another.”
Love is not just sentiment — it is active concern, forgiveness, and emotional generosity
🔄 Break the Cycle of Resentment
“Families fall apart not because of evil — but because people stop doing good in response to harm.”
Islam teaches:
When someone wrongs you, respond with good:
This transforms the heart
This repairs the bond
Real silat-ur-rahm (family connection) is:
“Not returning good for good, but returning good even when you are wronged.”
🧱 Rebuilding the Ummah from the Inside Out
If we want to:
Build an Islamic society
Create a revival
Challenge the systems of oppression
…we must begin at ground zero: our homes.
❝You can’t build the Khilafah if you can’t build your marriage.❞
❝You can’t reform society if your children don’t feel seen, heard, and loved.❞
🧘 Ghazalian Echo
Imam al-Ghazali repeatedly emphasizes adab (etiquette) in the home:
Be a servant to your parents
Be a source of tranquility to your spouse
Be a mentor and nurturer to your children
🌐 Why Community Matters
The Prophet ﷺ began his mission not by founding a government, but by building a small community:
Rooted in trust, brotherhood, and service
Centered around the unity of hearts, not political power
The true driver of social change is community, not control.
🧱 Community Is Built on Relationships
An Islamic community is not made of:
Systems
Structures
Political parties
It is made of:
Strong, sincere human bonds
Mutual care
Shared values
🧭 You don’t need a constitution to start a community — you need compassion, time, and presence
❤️ How to Build Community — Step by Step
1️⃣ Begin with Yourself
Be the kind of person you’d want as a neighbor or friend
Practice kindness, forgiveness, generosity, service
2️⃣ Deepen Family Ties
Extend your circle outward:
Spouse → children → siblings → extended relatives
3️⃣ Engage Neighbors and Colleagues
Offer help
Share meals
Check in regularly
4️⃣ Create Small Gatherings
Weekly tea circles
Quran discussion groups
Family dinners with reflection
Community is built in person, in small consistent acts — not through WhatsApp groups or YouTube lectures alone
💬 Prophetic Vision of Community
“The believers are like one body. If one part is in pain, the whole body feels it.”
“You will not believe until you love one another.”
And: “Spread salaam among yourselves.”
But this isn’t just a verbal greeting — real salam means:
Wishing peace for others from the heart
And being ready to help restore it if they are struggling
⚒️ Building Through Service
Replace the question: “What do I want to do?”
With: “What does someone else need — and how can I help?”
Islamic community grows through service:
Helping someone find a job
Supporting someone through illness
Teaching someone a skill
Listening to someone who’s struggling
Service creates love, and love is the glue of the ummah
🎈 The Balloon Experiment (from the lecture)
1,000 people each write their name on a balloon
The balloons are mixed, and everyone is told to find theirs — chaos!
Then they’re told: Pick up any balloon, read the name, and give it to that person
In 5 minutes — everyone has their balloon
Moral:
When we look for our own happiness, we all suffer.
When we look for others’ happiness, we all find our own.
🧘 Ghazali’s Reminder
True love for others is rooted in:
Ikhlas (sincerity) — not self-interest
Tawadhu (humility) — seeing yourself as a servant
Service as a path to spiritual elevation
🎯 Avoiding Burnout: Focus Your Energy
Many Muslims today are:
Overwhelmed by the scale of the problems
Distracted by global issues they cannot affect
Trying to fight too many battles at once
Dr. Zaman’s advice:
Don’t try to win 1,000 battles. Choose one — and win it.
🔥 The Trap of “Two-Step Thinking”
A common (and dangerous) mindset:
“First we’ll establish the Islamic government…”
“Then we’ll fix the education system…”
“Then we’ll revive Islamic values…”
This thinking paralyzes action, because:
The first step (e.g. Khilafah, Shari’ah, revolution) is unrealistic in the short term
So we end up doing nothing, waiting for some large-scale event to change everything
❌ Don’t wait for Step 1 to happen before you start Step 2
✅ Start right now, from exactly where you are
🪜 The Principle: One Step at a Time
You don’t need to climb a mountain in one leap.
You just need to take the next step — today.
📌 Action Plan:
Identify a long-term goal (e.g. build community, revive Islamic ethics)
Break it into small, realistic tasks
Do one thing — every day
Thank Allah for the ability to take even that one step
📖 Quranic Psychology: Small Deeds Count
“If you are grateful, I will increase you.” (Surah Ibrahim 14:7)
“Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.” (Surah Al-Zalzalah 99:7)
Gratitude for small accomplishments brings barakah, motivation, and growth.
🧠 The Growth Zone
Don’t pick tasks that are too easy (no growth)
Don’t pick tasks that are too hard (you’ll give up)
Instead:
Choose tasks that are challenging but doable
This is how physical training works — and spiritual training is no different
Examples:
Too easy: Reading a quote and doing nothing
Too hard: “I’m going to fix the entire school system”
Just right: “I will organize one weekly session with my friends to reflect on the Quran”
💪 Win One Battle, Then Another
Success builds momentum:
One relationship restored
One child taught well
One neighbor helped
One family strengthened
These are not distractions from the revival of Islam — they ARE the revival.
❝Every small, consistent victory over your nafs, your environment, or your circumstances is a brick in the foundation of the ummah.❞
🧱 Real Change Starts with Real People
“You don’t need a movement. You don’t need a platform. You just need two or three sincere people and a task worth doing.”
This is the central philosophy of the lecture’s model for transformation:
Start with what you have
Start where you are
Start with others, not alone
🔄 Don’t Wait for the Ideal Conditions
A common trap:
“Let’s first build a community… and then we’ll start meaningful work.”
Wrong order.
Instead:
“Start working on something meaningful — and that work will build your community.”
🛠 How to Build a Community Through Action
Find 1–3 Like-Minded People
Those who share your values
Those you trust and enjoy working with
Choose a Real Problem
Hunger in your area
Lack of education
Family breakdown
Loneliness and isolation
Take a Small Step Together
Feed one person
Teach one child
Host one halaqah
Visit one neighbor in need
🧠 It’s not about scaling up fast — it’s about showing up consistently
🧪 Action Creates Bonding
Shared service builds:
Trust
Brotherhood/sisterhood
Collective purpose
❝The job creates the team. And the team becomes the community.❞
💬 Common Excuses — And Their Answers
Excuse
Reality
“I’ll do something once the government changes.”
Change won’t come from above. It starts with you.
“Let me fix myself fully first.”
You grow through action, not in isolation.
“Let’s first unify the Ummah, then act.”
You unify hearts by doing something together, not just talking unity.
Stop waiting. Start working.
🧠 Strategic Rule of Thumb
If it’s too big — shrink it. If it’s still too big — shrink it again. Then do it.
Examples:
Want to build a school? → Start by tutoring one child.
Want to build a food program? → Start by feeding one person this Friday.
Want to change culture? → Start by inviting two families over for a dinner-and-discussion.
🧘 Ghazalian Perspective
Imam al-Ghazali teaches that barakah flows through intention, action, and constancy — not scale or noise.
“The deeds most beloved to Allah are those done consistently, even if small.” (Hadith)
And through these deeds, Allah opens the hearts and binds them in love.
🧭 Start With What You Have
“You don’t need a massive plan. You need a clear look at your surroundings.”
To build a meaningful community, don’t start with:
Idealistic visions
Imported models
Political slogans
Start with:
Who’s around you
What they need
What you (and they) can offer
🧰 Community Mapping: Three Simple Questions
Who is in my circle?
Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, masjid-goers
What do they need?
Is someone lonely? Sick? Overwhelmed? Looking for a purpose?
What can I offer — today?
Time, a ride, food, a listening ear, a skill, a shared project
📌 Real community isn’t abstract — it’s personal and responsive.
🔎 Observe. Listen. Serve.
Most people skip these three steps:
They want to lead without listening
They want to act without understanding
They want to help without knowing the need
But the Prophetic model starts with:
“I saw. I listened. I served.”
🧠 Every Person Has Strengths
Many revival efforts fail because they ignore what people are good at, and focus only on what they lack.
Instead:
Identify the skills already in the community
Leverage what’s working, no matter how small
Examples:
A sister who organizes iftar meals → could lead hospitality
A brother good at explaining concepts → can teach or mentor
A teenager who designs posters → can support outreach
Use the assets already present, not the ones you wish you had.
⚒️ Build Projects That Match Your Capacity
A common mistake:
“We need to start a school.”
Better:
“Let’s gather three kids and teach them Quran once a week.”
Start with:
Real needs
Real people
Real skills
Real time availability
Build sustainably, not sensationally.
🪴 Grow from the Ground Up
Think like a gardener:
Plant seeds (small, focused efforts)
Water them consistently (relationships, regular meetings, service)
Wait patiently for growth
Prune when needed (refocus, recalibrate)
Don’t try to build a tree — nurture a seed and let Allah grow it.
🧘 Ghazali’s Echo
Imam al-Ghazali emphasizes:
Knowing your own limits
Being present with your time and energy
Serving those in your immediate circle before seeking grand outcomes
“You are not accountable for fixing the world — but you are accountable for those Allah placed in your reach.”
🕌 The Masjid: Our Forgotten Anchor
In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the masjid was more than a prayer space:
It was the center of community life
A place for teaching, healing, judgment, and social care
A hub for planning, gathering, and personal growth
Today, many masajid are:
Underused
Bureaucratized
Reduced to just ritual space
Disconnected from the real struggles of the people
✅ The masjid must be reclaimed as a living heart of the community
🧰 Reviving the Masjid’s Functionality
What can you do?
Use the masjid for:
Regular study circles
Service projects (food drives, charity coordination)
Support groups (parenting, marriage, youth mentorship)
Social healing (conflict resolution, counseling)
Encourage inclusive leadership
Women, youth, and minorities must feel welcome and valued
🧠 The Rule: Function Over Formality
“Don’t wait for perfect permission or funding.
If you have space, people, and sincerity — start something small.”
The goal isn’t to reform the masjid from above
→ The goal is to revive its purpose from within
🌍 Online Spaces: A Modern Opportunity — and a Risk
✅ Potential:
Connect people across distance
Share beneficial knowledge
Organize and inspire
❌ Risk:
Passive consumption of Islamic content
Addiction to information without transformation
Fragmented, shallow relationships
The internet is a tool. It should support real-world change — not replace it.
🔌 Connecting the Dots
Use online platforms to:
Find like-minded people in your area
Create consistent small groups for action and reflection
Share success stories to encourage others
Schedule real-world meetups
But avoid:
Endless scrolling
Debates that produce no results
Replacing action with podcasts and videos
❝A million views won’t save a soul — but one real act of care might.❞
🧘 Ghazalian Reminder
Ghazali teaches that ‘ilm (knowledge) becomes a hujjah against you if not followed by ‘amal (action).
“The tongue may speak truths that the heart does not follow.”
Online Islamic discourse must lead to:
Transformation, not just information
Community, not just commentary
Real-life impact, not just virtual applause
💞 The Foundation of All Change: Love
“We must build our society on love — not fear, power, or ideology.”
This isn’t sentimentalism. Love in the Islamic sense means:
Wanting good for others
Sacrificing without being asked
Forgiving when wronged
Serving without ego
The Prophet ﷺ was not a general, economist, or politician first — he was a rahmah (mercy) to the worlds.
💡 Why Sincerity (Ikhlas) Is Everything
Without sincerity:
Knowledge becomes ego
Worship becomes routine
Activism becomes self-promotion
With sincerity:
Even small actions shine in the sight of Allah
Hidden efforts bring barakah
The unseen work of the heart becomes the seed of a new world
“Actions are judged by intentions.” (Hadith)
But Ghazali adds: “Intentions are judged by the condition of the heart.”
🛤 The Long Road Is the Only Road
The work ahead is:
Slow
Unnoticed
Often unrewarded
But that is precisely the path the Prophets walked.
Nuh (AS) called his people for 950 years
The early Muslims faced rejection, exile, and torture
The Prophet ﷺ built a civilization starting with a handful of believers in a hostile society
So if your path is hard — you are in good company.
🧘 What Does Success Look Like?
Success is not:
Mass movements
Media popularity
Institutional control
Success is:
A heart softened by remembrance
A family united by mercy
A community bonded in sincerity
A soul that meets Allah clean
🧠 One Final Principle
❝Don’t try to build an Islamic State — try to build a state of Islam within yourself, your home, and your circle.❞
❝And if enough people do that, the Islamic society will build itself.❞
📿 Du‘a and Hope
May Allah:
Purify our hearts
Correct our intentions
Make us builders of love, justice, and sincerity
Accept our tiny, flawed efforts and turn them into something lasting
O Allah, allows us the see the Truth, and to follow it, and to see the Falsehood, and avoid it. Guide us to path of those beloved to you, and let us be sources of guidance to our communities.