13th Dhul-Qa'dah 1447H |
Assalamu'alaikum, |
When I was at university, I was thrust into "teaching" positions I never asked for. |
First came a request to prepare content for a student halaqah. Then I was asked to give Friday khutbahs. Then, to lead a weekly seerah class. |
Each time, my internal reaction was the same: I'm not ready. Who am I? I'm just a student. |
But circumstances kept pushing me forward, and by my fourth year, I became comfortable teaching and actually enjoyed the process. |
Over time, I realized how Allah ﷻ sometimes puts you in certain circumstances so He can grow you into specific positions. |
I reflect on the story of Musa (peace be upon him). After Allah ﷻ describes His favors upon Musa in Surat Taha, Allah says: |
وَٱصْطَنَعْتُكَ لِنَفْسِى |
"And I produced you for Myself." (Quran 20:41) |
Your life circumstances and challenges are all part of Allah’s tarbiyah (nurturing) of your soul because He’s Your Rabb. And if you're a parent or a teacher, you know that the best way to grow your children or your students is to put them through uncomfortable growth challenges, and not to wait until they feel ready. |
When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ first received revelation in the cave of Hira, his response was, "I am not a reader." He went home trembling, asking his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) to cover him. The Prophet ﷺ did not feel ready on day one. |
So if you're sitting today with one of these "uncomfortable challenges" to step up in your personal or professional life and feel not ready, remember 3 things: |
Your inadequacy is not a sign that you shouldn't do it. It's often a sign Allah is about to teach you something, and you should lean into the challenge. The moment you feel "I'm not ready" is usually the exact moment growth becomes possible. Break the challenge into small steps and prepare for it. When I was asked to teach a seerah class, I spent hours each week listening to lectures, reading books, and preparing notes. I also focused on the next class only and didn’t get overwhelmed with the whole seerah journey. So ask yourself, ‘What's the first thing you need to do to tackle your challenge?’ Make the dua of Musa (peace be upon him). When Musa (peace be upon him) was sent to face the tyrant Pharaoh, he made the famous dua: "Rabbi-ishrah li sadri wa yas-sir li amri wahlul uqdatan min lisaani yafqahu qawli." "My Lord! Uplift my heart for me, and make my task easy, and remove the impediment from my tongue, so people may understand my speech." (Quran 20:25-28). He asked Allah to expand his capacity so he could take on the mission. Make this dua before every challenge you’re about to tackle.
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A Practical Application |
One specific area where I see this principle play out is in our certification program. A number of our students join our program because they feel called to teach, train, or coach others, but they feel unqualified and not ready. I usually spend the first 2 sessions reassuring them that they can do this! |
That's why I ran the Faith-Based Trainer Challenge a couple of weeks ago to share practical insights on what it takes to be a trainer. I recorded the whole thing, and you can watch the replay here. We covered the following topics: |
Why faith-based training is one of the biggest "blue ocean" opportunities for our Ummah today The 7 qualities that set faith-based training apart from secular professional development How to develop training content for your audience Practical facilitation tips I've gathered from 15 years and hundreds of workshops
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May Allah ﷻ use us for His sake and expand our capacity to serve Him in the best possible way. Ameen. |
Sincerely, |
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P.S. If the replay leaves you thinking "I want to be a trainer, but I don't know what to teach", you should check out the Productive Muslim Certification Program. We'll teach you a proven curriculum, train you to deliver it with confidence, and induct you into a global community of certified trainers carrying Barakah Culture to corners of the Ummah. Only 22 seats. Cohort starts Monday, 24 Dhul-Qa'da 1447H (11 May 2026). Apply here → |
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