COMMITMENT BLOG

“Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it.” – Stephen Covey

A post goes out on social media..

Does anyone want to volunteer with us? Join us? Be part of the team?

And then countless people will comment or inbox the advertiser: “Me! ✋✋✋✋✋…”

This seems to have been the norm for a few years now. It could be a DAWAH org, a charity or any online project. Subsequently what then tends to happen is, tonnes of people will put themselves forward without any thought about:

How many hours/ days can they truly give to this?
What are the other 100 orgs you have signed up for? Are you up to date with the their work?
Are you able to do it? Do you have the skills?

The issue is that people rarely think about the above issues. They are driven more by enthusiasm and haven’t really given it deep thought. It’s either non thought out enthusiasm or insincerity. I say insincerity as I have noticed people volunteer just because they are bored of their current projects or maybe everyone else joining this new initiative or even… in this new project “ I’ll get a chance to speak and show the world my amazing talents!”

These are very weak foundations before commiting to a project. The foremost and only reason should be for the pleasure of Allah and changing the world. Anything else, career advancement, promoting your own content should come as a bonus. This is the foundation which will carry you and make you commit to a particular project.

Commitment in da’wah:

Some context.

At Dawah Motivation, which has been providing an online platform for training and networking, we have had many members joining us. Although at first they have lots of enthusiasm to be ‘active’ members of the group (WhatsApp/Facebook) this enthusiasm usually withers away within weeks of joining. We’ve always advocated that look upon DM as a test of your general life commitment. If you commit to this group and some of its very basic requirements, you’ll be able to commit to anything in life! Be it marriage, studies, career or family!

But that hasn’t been happening. Commitment to tasks has been weakening over time. I have noticed this same trend amongst other groups and organisations.

Joining a group is easy. But Being committed to it and playing an active role is sometime a lot of us are missing out on.

So maybe some of the tips below could help you gain much more commitment to the cause. Be it Dawah/ charity or a knowledge based project.

Why am I talking about commitment?

I am extremely grateful to my Lord, the most loving, that he placed within my heart an old school type of loyalty. Whatever project or industry i embark upon, i take as something personal. I own it and am passionate about it. I don’t commit half heartedly. For me its sometimes a matter of life and death. These thoughts and this particular mindset has helped me to commit to projects over the years be it at IERA, YC, writing blogs ( 9 years now) producing videos ( 7 years ) sticking to the dawah and Islam. Alhumdulillah.

I share this not to gain any praise or to let it be known that i am special but to inspire you, the reader. That a human being living in the 21st century, with all the gadgets that our world can offer and all the insincere, fickle personalities around us and all the distractions, can still hold on to these antique character traits such as loyalty and commitment to a cause.

Some tips to improve commitment to a project.

1. You need to have several motivational reasons not just one. One reason in this day and age is not enough. You may add this to your reminder App on your device or print out large copies and put on your room wall. To serve you as a reminder. Then keep referring back to these every time you begin to slip.
2. Before joining a project or volunteering think to yourself that I will give it my all to this project for 3/4 months, full intensity, day and night! If you give it all, you’ll see whether or not you’ll like it. If you are losing motivation to this task, then be brave, be honest & speak to the head. Call them and explain. It’s better that you are honest than keep giving fake promises: Eg Some personal problems right now, or exams or getting married etc! Just be honest and say you need a few months off or away.
3. Do not keep raising your hands or put yourself for every project that comes up. Stick to one or maximum two. If you keep becoming a ‘core member’ of every organisation then there will be clashes. Then you won’t be able to commit to any of these! They suffer and you suffer. So be very careful before putting your hand up and ask yourself deeply, can I handle all these? Or am I capable of just one?
4. Think about your reputation, if you keep jumping from one to another, then future employers will notice this. Additionally, people will think about you as the one who doesn’t stick to one project, always keeps changing their minds. They’ll think you are unreliable. You don’t want to create this reputation about yourself.
5. Before signing up to a project, an institute, organisation or a task, view and treat this as you would your paid job. A Paid job or even your university. At the work place or at an institute setting, there are rules. There are strict timings and repercussions if they are not adhered to. So the fear of losing an income or being expelled from your institute makes you commit and take it all very seriously. This is how you should treat dawah projects or any Islamic course that you’ve signed up for. Treat it as seriously as your career, that will push you to commit harder.
6. Give it everything, give it your heart! Lose some sleep, sacrifice an hour or even half an hour of sleep. Old school die hard loyalty and fiery passion is needed. Don’t give it your half, give it your life! Make it your life’s purpose!
7. Own it! Don’t treat yourself as a mere member, but look upon a project as if you founded it. Think that if i weaken my commitment, then this project will fail. Think how many people this will let down, think about our reputation. What then will you think about yourself?

On the authority of Abu ‘Amr, who said:
I said: “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I could not ask anyone about save you.” He answered: “Say: ‘I believe in Allah’, and then stand firm and steadfast.”
[Muslim]

Let this following Ayah be enough to make us more committed:

“And keep the covenant. Lo! of the covenant it will be asked.”
– Al-Israa’ 17:34

Nadeem Ashraf