MadinahArabic.com teaches Arabic in the style of the Madinah Book Series, used to teach Arabic at Al-Medina university. The series style caters to English-speakers. The website follows a similar teaching paradigm. The course walks you through the process step by step. They seperate the material into two sections: Arabic Reading Course, which teaches letters, and Arabic Language Course, which teaches grammar and vocabulary. The course offers a self-paced and comprehensive approach.

Consultation, or shura, is a fundamental leadership technique in Islam. You consult with the experts, and you implement it, and you close the issue. Shura means consultation. It also means the consulted group. Shura is a fundamental technique in leadership. The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), the best and most knowledable and noble of people, practiced shura with his companions–and who knew better than he? How can the rest of us believe we don’t need shura?

The dedication of sahaba is no joke. They strove beyond the physical limtations of their bodies. When they couldn’t stand, or open their eyes, they continued. Their dedication to Allah transcended their bodies. In the battle of Yamamah, when Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) lay in the nursing docks after one battle, he heard a shout from outside–ya ahlil ansar, “o people of the Ansar”. He spotted an ansari nearby–a man critically injured, couldn’t walk, incapacitated, being nursed.

The illustrious sahaba (companions of the Prophet), may Allah be pleased with all of them, competed in righteousness. They did not compete for the largest house or the biggest family. They competed, among other things, for the honour of guard ingthe Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) in battle. They divided into tribes and competed with other tribes. The amirs, too, competed with each other. For example, in the campaign in Ash-Sham, the two armies competed–who could be the fastest to fight their way to the key city?

Happiness lies in rememberence of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His blessings. It keeps you happy. One guy performed Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) once, and complained about the crush of the crowd. But would you be happy if you were the only Muslim there? No way. You’d hate it. So remember the blessings even when Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tests you with difficult tests. Tip: When you say Al-Hamdullilah, mean it. Think about a specific blessing Allah blessed you with.

After the death of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), many tribes apostated from Islam. Some stopped paying zakaah (poor-due), and some tribe leaders claimed prophethood. Many of the common people at that time lacked education. The emotional charge of the situation swept up many of the Muslims. Protect yourself. If you allow the river of emotion to sweep you up, in a lot of cases, it will misguide you towards the wrong direction.

One of the fundamental war techniques of Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu ‘anh) is that he never wasted time. He might make mistakes from it, but he moved the entire army at the speed of a single rider. Most armies crawl at a slow pace, but his army moved quickly. The Muslims were all very well disciplined. If you were in his army, you moved fast. He moved so quickly that after one battle took place at one village, before the defenders regrouped, he arrived at the next village and attacked.

If you possess some skill you can utilize to the benefit of the people everywhere, never hold back. Don’t hold it to yourself. Forget about what other people are thinking. Focus on how they can benefit from it. This applies especially if a) you have relatively rare talents, or b) nobody knows about your skills. Wallahu ‘alim.

As Islamic workers, we never lower our standers. Not as volunteers, not as professionals, and not as Muslims. Always strive to the best of your abilities. And inshaAllah this way, your skills and talent grow faster than if you barely use them. Never fall into the trap of so many people who produce second-rate material “just because” it’s for Islamic work, and not for their own (percieved/worldly) benefit. And remember: ihsaan means excellence, not perfection.

Good teachers need good students, and good students need good teachers. When either teachers or students are not up to par, knowledge wastes. Either the teacher fails to teach at their best capability, or the students learn nothing. The same concept can apply to leadership–good leaders require good followers, and good followers require good leaders. Wallahu ‘alim. Are YOU a good teacher and a good student? Something to think about inshaAllah.