The best advice I can give you is what I remind myself – Fear nobody except Allahﷻ. Try to please nobody except Allahﷻ. Follow the Sunnah of Rasoolullahﷺ because that is simply the best way of doing anything. Remember that people will not remember what you did or said. They will remember how they felt.
Remember that everything you say or do has an effect, in this life and in the Hereafter. You can say ‘Sorry’. People may forgive you but they will not forget and that will affect your interactions with them and your reputation for years to come. For your part, forgive others but remember the lesson. Learn from history – your own – because those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it. To make a mistake is human. Not to learn from it, is a choice.
Remember that reputation can be an asset or liability and you are the only one who gets to decide what you want it to be. Reputation is not what you did, but what people experienced. Reputation is built, word by word, action by action, day by day. But it can be destroyed in one stroke, by one wrong word or action. Seek feedback. Listen carefully. Thank the person. Act on what is relevant. Be brutally honest with yourself. Because only you can deceive yourself. And only you will pay the price.
Reputation or rather Positive Reputation is another term for Trust. Trust is another word for success. So it is important to think before you speak because the words are momentary but their effect lasts for a very long time.
Remember that it is only Allahﷻ who truly forgives. So seek his Forgiveness. People don’t forgive, so try never to do anything that is likely to require you to seek their forgiveness. Remember never to do anything where the one you did it to, can raise his hands and ask Allahﷻ for justice because the dua of the oppressed one always reaches Allahﷻ, no matter who he/she is.
Look at that picture. I took it in Pune, India at a traffic light. What story does that picture tell you? In that story is the key to your success, no matter who you are, what you do, or where you live. Write the story the picture told you, in the comments section of this blog.
Remember that only action counts. Only action yields results. Only action can leave behind a legacy. You can’t act when your face is buried in a phone. Take your face out of your phone. Meet real people. Talk to them face to face. Make real friends. Eat food without taking photographs of it. What do you say about the world of the future where machines will enslave people and they will do whatever the machine wants them to do?
Lo and behold! That future is here and now. The machine is called, ‘Smart phone’. Smart phones and stupid people are a deadly combination. Break free.
Always do what benefits others. Always give more than you receive. Be merciful and forgiving. Don’t be stupid. And always smile a lot. It is Sadaqa (charity).
Say, ‘Please’, because it is not your birthright that someone should pay attention to you. And say, ‘Thank you’, because it keeps that door open for you, the next time you need it. An attitude of gratitude enhances your enjoyment of life. It is about us. Not about them.
Finally, always build bridges. Not walls. Build a bridge after you have crossed the chasm. Let that be your legacy as someone who made it easier for another to overcome.
Remember that in the end we will not be asked, “What happened?”
We will be asked, “What did you do?”
First, I’m going to put down my phone. It can so easily consume us. Before I do, my advice is help someone. Unlock the key to their heart and you will find it unlocks yours too. God loves us so completely and there is nothing we can do to make him love us less or love us more. But He smiles upon us when we remember to first love him and then love our neighbor as ourselves. So go show love, but do so by doing something more than posting on social media.
Now I’m putting down my phone!
“Reputation is not what you did but what people experienced” – Pearls of wisdom.
Now about the picture: The kid is certainly smart. He knows how to advertise and the way he displays his tools shows he is a good craftsman. But the picture also depicts the sad part of the unorganized sectors and the plight of the small-time entrepreneurs who do not have the power to attract angel investors. Finally, the kid should be studying and not earning for the family at this tender age.
The eminent Imam is a font of wisdom as always and a source of inspiration for so many of us across religious divides. And one can not argue with his dictum that “action counts” and that we need to be building bridges. But here’s a question. Is it possible that many of us who might wish to take such action find it difficult to do so because of the mental health crisis enveloping our society? I’m not talking about psychiatric wards. I’m not talking about the debilitating absence of confidence, of self-worth, our inability to build the trusted relationships which… Read more »
I have enjoyed reading all the above Pearls of wisdom ,
Sheikh Yawar ,, and Rabbi Levinson , Thank you for starting this stimulating and very inspiring conversation .
Sameer teaches us to forget about the end result and just start doing. Most of us are guilty of not even starting because we have already told ourselves what’s the point – at the end it’ll fail.. Sameer said I don’t care what means I have, I’ll use a tree as a bill board, sidewalk as my shop, and put myself out there. I can see that Sameer has a better opinion of God than most religious people who are too scared to start a business (myself included).
Interesting picture, if I look at it from a marketing perspective then it is clear what his product is, his place is very well chosen and looking at the impressive billboard his promotion is also clear and convincing. I can’t say anything about price, but I think that his positioning will be based on quality as opposed to price. The reason for that assumption is the way he organized his tools, not just a heap but neatly put on display. The simple tools might also be a sign of his confidence, which is in line with the big billboard. The… Read more »
Thank you Sheikh Yawar for the best advice, it is the best indeed jazakAllah Khairan. It is through a lifelong pursuit of perfecting relationships with Allah SWT that Rasoolullahﷺ and the Prophets (AS) gained an advantage over their detractors. They leveraged their access to Him, His miracles, His forgiveness and His guidance. For us, it is a great mercy that every human being has direct, unencumbered access to Allah (SWT) and the lessons of the Prophets (AS). Thank you for your advice. By developing excellence in character, deeds and worship, we can also gain seemingly “unfair” advantages as we navigate… Read more »
A powerful message. I could not have read it at a better time. Looking at the picture of Sameer, I am reminded that success is the feeling in the heart and the passion for the craft. It is not the writing on the advertisement but the work that makes it worthy to advertise. I look at Sameer as a boss. Yes, his own boss and his own success story. The message of the article for me is that no one can teach you who you are. I am left with so much food for thought because, in a world full… Read more »
In today’s age where a bad reputation is worn as a badge of honour, and corruption, deceit, lying and cheating is a way of life, it’s good to be reminded of what is really important in life. A person needs to leave the world a better place than he found it. Honesty, kindness, generosity, love and care for the environment and all creatures are what is important. Simply and excellently explained in the article. As for the picture, I presume this boy has to earn a living because he has a family that depends on him. Probably younger siblings and… Read more »