Part II: Some Tips on Leaderships Skills for a Study Group Coordinator
What does a Study Group Coordinator need to know and do?
Following is a list of few ideas and practices that we, as leaders of study groups or youth groups, may try to implement gradually to improve ourselves and our work for Allah’s sake.
ON PERSONAL BASIS:
- A Coordinator or any Muslim at leadership level should strengthen his/her relationship with Allah, through improving his/her personal Ibadah (worship) and regular reading of Quran. Establishing some Sunnah (practices of the Prophet (peace be upon him)) in daily life, really helps.
- Work with the awareness that Allah is watching all your actions, and therefore develop Taqwa (God-consciousness) in every sphere of your life. Remember that Allah will question you about those who were under your leadership and guidance. Therefore, you need extra help from Allah to carry out your responsibilities!
- Remember! This work of Allah’s Deen is not going to be easy! That’s why the Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us in a Hadith, “This world is like a prison for a believer,” filled with hardships. Shaytan will always try his best to distract us from this hard work. Our Iman (faith) will be tested! Therefore, our trust in Allah’s promises must be strong enough to repel all sorts of evil intentions from our hearts. If at some point in life, you realize that your Islamic work is not requiring that much sacrifice of your time, energy, or thinking, then
it means there is something wrong with the strength of your Iman or commitment to Islam. A great revolutionary leader of Islam, Syed Qutb, used to say, “There is no Islam, where there is no hardship.” He also once said, “In reality, Shaytan only attacks those who work and die for Islam.” - Thank Allah constantly at every milestone or success in your mission and for every bounty that Allah has blessed you with.
- You should try your best to at least do the following 5 things:
- Praying the Five daily Prayers (Salah) regularly, with full attention (Khushu)
- Reading the Tafseer (commentary) of the Quran preferably on a daily basis
- Reflecting upon the Akhira (Hereafter) and asking Allah’s forgiveness
- Helping someone in the family or community, with any task, for Allah’s sake
- Doing some collective physical activities, on regular basis, to maintain a good health and to strengthen the brotherhood/sisterhood with other Muslims
- Islam must be your first priority! Imam Abul Ala Maududi, a prolific leader and thinker of Islam, used to say, “You should worry about the Islamic work, in a manner similar to a father worrying about his severely ill child.” Thus, the way a father of a sick child would not like to leave him/her, in this condition, with someone else to take care of, similarly, we, the Islamic movement workers, who really love Islam, can never leave Islamic work in a stagnant state! All of this will require some serious worrying, thinking and sacrifice on our part.
- And at the same time, you must be able to strike a balance between your academic studies, family affairs, entertainment activities, Islamic knowledge, and Islamic activism.
- Your target should not be the structures/buildings, but the masses, for the sake of Allah. Ustadh Khurram Murad used to say, “Think of this land (i.e. the West) as your own land. And only by saving each and every Muslim youth in this land, will you actually be able to save the future of Islam in North America!” We need to think, plan, and work like the great intellectuals and revolutionaries of Islam. Our focus should be to work to share Islam with the people living in this part of the world, rather than developing hatred for this society in the hearts of Muslim youth and asking them to go back home to study or to establish Islam there. We should try to remove this ‘back-home’ approach toward the Islamic work, and should live as the ambassadors of Islam in this part of the world, spreading Allah’s message using any tools or media available.
- All the Islamic knowledge that we gain from study groups should be reinforced and complemented by Islamic activism in any field possible. This knowledge should move our hearts and bodies to action in the society. On the other hand, we shouldn’t exhaust ourselves with activism to the extent that it would make us neglect our obligation towards our own personal training and accountability (Ihtisab).
- Do as much personal reading of Islamic books, as possible, to clarify the concept of Islamic work. Reading makes you think!
- “Our problem, in the Muslim community of North America, is not necessarily that we have a lack of Islamic knowledge ………. But the real problem is that we have lost the real vision and understanding of the Mission of Islam!” says Imam Khalid Griggs, a N. American Muslim leader, activist, and a scholar. Therefore, we must be very clear about the priorities and demands of Islamic work in Canada or North America.
WITH OTHERS:
- Be as patient as possible with the participants of your Study Group. Do not be pushy or critical with any member, unless the member is not conforming to the Study Group policies. Allah tells us in the Quran, “Indeed, Allah is with those who are Patient (Sabireen).”
- Try to be as humble as possible, in your character. There was no one more humble than our own Prophet (peace be upon him), and yet there was no leader greater than him! At the same time you must be firm when it comes to following the concepts of leadership, Shura (making decision with consensus), or Ihtisab (accountability).
- Check personally when someone is not able to come to the Study Group gathering.
- Personally inform the brother/sister whose place the Study Group activity/meeting is taking place and make sure that they avoid preparing food, which gives the idea of a party. Refreshments must be casual and simple.
- Do not play ‘favorites’ with anyone or make any member feel left out.
- Encourage participation and call on everyone to contribute something to the discussion. Learn how to honor people’s feelings and contributions, the way our Prophet (peace be upon him) did!
- Observe & encourage their talents and potential for Islamic work!
- Learn how to delegate responsibilities. A good leader is not the one who knows how to do everything, but it is the one who knows how to manage the tasks delegated to other members, and who knows how to keep others busy with beneficial activities. So assign some little responsibilities and tasks to every member of your Study Group, to keep him/her motivated to work for Islam and to give him/her a sense of belonging.
- Make sure that each member tries to develop a personal plan of improving as Muslims.
- Be punctual and organized in everything you do. “Time is like a sword. So cut it (wisely) before it cuts you!” as Imam Ash-Shafiee used to say.
- Spend some personal time with your members outside of Study Group activities. Develop a bond of real friendship, love, and trust, to bring them closer to Islam, which is the real purpose of our work! You can only change people through these personal contacts and visits. Imam Ash-Shafiee also used say, “There is no pleasure greater than being together with the people and there is no sorrow greater than parting with them.”
- Try to be very approachable and considerate so that your Study Group members can share their secrets with you. They should come to you, without any hesitation, for counseling, for sharing their grief, and problems. You should try to solve their problems and correct their weaknesses, with love and wisdom. Do not forget that every person’s nature and background will be different. Therefore, you should be able to talk to people at the level of their psychology and their understanding/ practice of Islam. This is one of the most essential qualities of an Islamic leader.
- Do not consider your work “youth work” only. “Young Muslims is not youth work, but youth doing the real work!” as Imam Khalid Griggs once advised us. Our work should be linked with activities in the actual Muslim community and the society at large.
- “The Leader of a Nation, is its servant,” said the Prophet (pbuh) in a Hadith. This is the purpose of a Study Group and its leader, in a nutshell! Therefore, in order for you to be a real leader, you have to be an Islamic worker first!
