You’re not alone.

I used to think confidence was a genetic trait imprinted on those destined to greatness. It was only after studying the lives of the accomplished- like prophets, business owners, athletes, change makers- that I came to a transformative realization: confidence must be built purposefully!

Musa is the most mentioned prophet in the Qur’an. He is known to have stood fearlessly in the face of the Pharaoh in an attempt to free the people from tyranny: the epitome of bravery.

His courage and confidence were not built by happenstance, but rather a consequence of a very purposeful dua (supplication to Allah ).

Remember, Musa started off pampered and privileged in the Pharaoh’s palace but an unfortunate accident led him to flee and become destitute. Years later, still with a guilty conscience, Musa is called upon by Allah [SWT]. He must go back to the Pharaoh and intercede on behalf of the oppressed Israelites. At this point, Musa makes his emotional dua:

“[Moses] said,
My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance]. 
And ease for me my task
And untie the knot from my tongue
That they may understand my speech 
And appoint for me a minister from my family -Aaron, my brother.
Increase through him my strength
That we may exalt You much 
And remember You much. 
Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing.”

[Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verses 25-35]

The Quranic description is vivid. What resonates in this account is the internal struggle between feelings of inadequacy, confidence, humility and self-awareness.

We experience similar feelings.

Know that Your Feelings are Not Uncommon

How often have we felt that despite our qualifications, the task ahead of us intimidates us?

Everything within us and around us says that this is the right next move, yet we hesitate. It may be the presentation to our colleagues, a career change, writing an article, enrolling in a course, or advocating for someone wronged. This sensation of fear, overwhelm, and self-doubt, often leads to unhealthy paralysis.

Fortunately, we can repurpose these feelings to our benefit.

Allah [SWT] shows us how to do that in describing Musa’s dua.

First, Musa begins with recognizing the status of Allah [SWT] as The Lord, and that all success comes from Him[SWT]. He asks Allah [SWT] to expand his mind/chest and ease the affair; he then acknowledges his impediment and asks for its removal; in the last part, he pleads for a supporter from his immediate family.

I’ll elucidate the intricacies and implications of each step.

1. Remember Allah & that You were Chosen to Do Your Own Best

Allah [SWT] called upon Musa,

“Indeed, I am your Lord…and I have chosen you…” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verses 12-13]

Imagine being spoken to by The Mightiest Lord. What an incredible boost of confidence; the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth has chosen you to fulfil a role.

Everything starts with Allah [SWT].

Allah [SWT] is our Creator, Provider, Sustainer, and life’s Controller. When facing a new opportunity, a scary venture, it often gives us butterflies in our stomach. We feel an anxious sentiment of excitement. This is definitely out of our comfort zone.

How can we proceed in a way pleasing to Allah [SWT]?

Ask yourself “what direction does your moral compass point you?” Do those you respect and those who respect you consider this opportunity good for your growth?

Do you think 5, 10, 20 years from now you would look back on this decision positively?

Ultimately, is this new gig pleasing to Allah?

If yes, then continue :)

2. Ask Allah [SWT] to Expand You

Allah [SWT] had tasked Musa ,

“Go to Pharoah. Indeed, he has transgressed.” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verse 24]

Pharaoh, the same ferocious tyrant who massacred baby boys and enslaved populations. Imagine how Musa must have felt being asked to face the leader of the wicked. Undoubtedly daunting. In humility, Musa pleads

“My lord, expand for me my chest” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verse 25]

– as if the calling has constricted his chest.

Sometimes we feel our responsibilities are overbearing.
I can’t stop eating and drinking for 18 hours.

I can’t wake up at 5 am to pray. I can’t speak up to criticize the new work policy.

I can’t be successful at work and have a loving relationship with my family.

“I can’t do that.”

Can you think of the last time an advisor or mentor asked you to do something and this was your immediate reaction?

These statements are classic examples of what psychologist Carol Dweck calls “fixed mindset.” It’s opposite, “the growth mindset” has been associated with greater success and accomplishment.

Expanding your chest is the Islamic growth mindset.

If you perceive your resources to be scarce, you will feel constricted and this will restrain your ability to see success. Allah [SWT] is The One who grants us our resources, and the abilities to utilize those resources.

By asking Allah [SWT] to expand your chest, you may see the abundance of opportunity and obtain a vision of what success may look like.

3. Own Your Obstacles

Musa [Alayhis] pleaded:

“Make easy for me this task and untie the knot from my tongue,” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verses 26-27]

He took his greatest concerns and impediments to success directly to Allah [SWT].

How often do we choose to ignore our obstacles instead of acknowledging their presence?

A toxic manager, an early deadline, inadequate experience, a limited budget…etc. Obstacles not only impede our progress, they often present very real harm. This harm is magnified when compounded with an unhealthy level of anxiety and fear.

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad , taught us “If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts them with trials.” [Bukhari]

In this lens, we see that obstacles by themselves are not evil. But rather, our obstacles, can be a means for us to draw closer to Allah and that which Allah deems good for us.

We learn from Musa to not ignore the obstacles in our way, but rather — as Author Ryan Holiday described — “The obstacle is the way.”

Every new endeavour comes with territorial unfamiliarity that stems from our own inexperience.

First, acknowledge this inexperience. “I have never done anything of this scope. I have never launched a product in this industry. I have never interviewed for this type of position.”

Once we characterize the nature of our inexperience can we humbly pray for the courage to overcome it?

If we ignore our fears and downplay our obstacles, we hinder our growth- our ability to be greater tomorrow than who we are today.

4. Build a Support Network- Starting with Your Family

Musa knew the critical nature of good company:

“and grant for me a helper from my family.” [Qur’an: Chapter 20, verse 29]

As a chubby high school freshman, I joined the wrestling team thinking that with enough training I could win at this individualized sport.

For the next three years, failure became my friend. My senior year was different; both in my success and in my approach. I swallowed my ego and solicited the help of my older, much more athletic brother in improving my stamina and technique.

His help led to my triumph. The sport became a family affair. In that season, Allah [SWT] showed me a lesson I continue to learn: those around you can either ground you or drown you.

Every success requires rock solid intentions and an unwavering vision of the destination. A friend may join you for the ride, but the family was placed by Allah to always be by your side.

Family comes first. I have often reflected on the beautiful dua in the Quran :

Our lord, grant us spouses and children who are coolness to our eyes and make us leaders of the pious! [Qur’an: Chapter 25: Verse 74].

If your spouse, family, and loved ones are not in support of your aspirations, kiss your dreams goodbye. Although there is value in garnering help from friends, I say first find support in your family by giving them support. Build their dreams, desires, and goals. Value their counsel. Appreciate their encouragement. And thank them when they critique you for straying. Let their presence be the twinkle in your eye.
—

With these steps in mind, apply the lessons of this dua to your own struggles; use the dua to not only acknowledge your fears and feelings but also embrace them to empower you.

As with other Quranic duas, this one carries weight not only because they are the words of Allah but also because they were used by the greatest people of the past when facing fierce tribulations. During our own tough times, internal feelings of inadequacy, fear, and self-doubt can bring out the worst in us. Honesty with ourselves, humility in making dua, and a family-centred support network help transform these feelings into the confidence and courage needed to succeed.

The post Are You Good Enough? How Musa (AS) Tackled Self-Doubt appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

I grew up a very average Muslim American kid: middle-class family, the middle child, chubby cheeks. In grade school, I realized how much food meant to me. I was one of the few kids who would go for second and third servings. Butter and cheese became staples in my diet. They were my finger foods, appetizers, and entrees. I would transform my bland American school lunch to a more savoury meal by adding them on as condiments.

It’s true; butter makes everything better. I think my Hyderabadi genetics has something to do with it, but I digress. Over the years I have battled obesity, chronic fatigue, and excessive sleepiness. I have also been in college sports, engineering school, corporate consulting, medical school, and am now balancing a professional life with fatherhood.

Health extends beyond dietary habits to encompass comprehensive preparedness for emergencies, which includes having a well-equipped medical first aid kit readily available. This readiness is crucial, especially for someone like me, juggling various demanding roles from college sports to professional life and fatherhood. In such dynamic circumstances, unexpected injuries or health issues can arise, necessitating immediate attention.

Utilizing resources from this online store ensures that I am equipped to handle minor mishaps or more serious medical emergencies effectively. It provides peace of mind knowing that I can promptly address health concerns, allowing me to focus on my diverse responsibilities without undue worry about unforeseen medical challenges. Thus, maintaining holistic health involves not only managing diet and fitness but also ensuring preparedness with essential medical supplies for any situation life may present.

The journey has been difficult and I couldn’t have done it without a few Islamic principles to guide my way.

1. You are WHEN you eat, so stop grazing

Before starting medical school I decided I would memorize Qur’an. I would wake up, have a bite to eat, pray, read Qur’an, eat breakfast, feel tired, take a nap, read some more Qur’an, eat lunch, read Qur’an, go to the Masjid, hang out with friends, sleep and repeat. Needless to say, I didn’t get very far in my Qur’an studies. I did come across an ayah that would take me another two years of medical school to understand.

“Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” [Qur’an: Chapter 47, Verse 12]

The highlighted aspect in this ayah is the method by which cattle consume food. Cattle are constantly eating throughout the day. They are shuffled from one field to the next to seek out more grass to feed on. Their bodies can handle this because their digestive system consists of multiple extra stomachs to process this food.

Humans on the other hand only have one stomach. I was living my life constantly grazing on snacks. As I grazed I would think about when and where I would be eating my next meal, only to feast and repeat the process once again.

The human body was not meant to graze on food. The human stomach, intestines, pancreas, and other digestive organs are uniquely created to secrete digestive enzymes. These enzymes help break down our food. Like an assembly line in a factory, the food makes its way through each stage of the gastrointestinal system being catalyzed and absorbed to varying degrees. By continuously grazing on food, we never let the assembly line rest, repair and recover from the process. The system becomes more prone to backlog and breakdown. That’s why we see now an increased prevalence of chronic constipation, pancreatic burnout – a form of diabetes, and other metabolic conditions. Herein you start to appreciate some of the health benefits of restraining our food consumption through fasting.

Given our fast-paced lifestyles and the often poor nutritional quality of modern diets, dietary supplements can play a significant role in providing the nutrients needed to sustain kidney health. The kidneys, much like the rest of our digestive system, require specific vitamins and minerals to function optimally. This is where supplements in Hong Kong come into play, offering a wide range of options that can support kidney function by ensuring adequate intake of essential nutrients. When combined with the practice of intermittent fasting, these supplements can help maintain a balanced nutrient profile, allowing the kidneys to efficiently filter and eliminate waste products without the additional strain of continuous digestion.

Fasting was a practice of Muslims not just during Ramadan but a lifestyle choice throughout the year. Many different variations have been mentioned in our tradition: Mondays and Thursdays, every other day, three days a month. So when I learned about intermittent fasting, it felt innately Islamic. Intermittent fasting as a modern construct consists of restricting the number of hours one eats during the week. It comes in many forms. E.g. going for two ’24 hours’ days in a week without food/caloric intake; restricting the number of hours of caloric consumption to 6 during the day, etc.

When I first started intermittent fasting, I was visiting rural West Africa to provide specialized neurological training to their medical professionals. There was a stark contrast between ‘those with access to monetary wealth’ and ‘those without’ in their eating habits. Those who had would have eating habits similar to mine. They also suffered from obesity and diabetes just like the rest of the developing world. Those who didn’t have ate fewer meals in the day and more out of necessity. They generally seemed more energetic and happy. I knew I had to make a change.

I decided to do an 18:6 version of intermittent fasting because of its similarity to Ramadan fasting. Eat only in 6 hours during the day drink only water for the remainder. The first couple of weeks were hard, but I was in it in the long run. It also helped that I didn’t have easy access to food in West Africa. I lost a lot of weight in those months and continued to cycle on and off intermittent fasting even when I returned to the US. 12 months later, I was ecstatic about the progress I had made. Friends who hadn’t seen me in years, couldn’t recognize me. But there was still one thing I didn’t notice much of a difference in which is my energy level.

2. You are WHAT you eat, so eat the right things

I have chronic fatigue and daytime sleepiness. I can pretty much fall asleep anywhere. My resting heart rate stays below 60. It’s not because I am athletic, it’s just a feature of my incredibly slow metabolism. Bear with me a moment as I will get a little scientific describing energy and metabolism.

To understand human energy at the cellular level you must understand the basics of anabolism, catabolism, and how they compete. Anabolism, put simply, is the process of building and regenerating. Catabolism is the process of breaking down. Typically the body uses glucose for metabolism and energy. Without glucose, the cells shut down. (There are exceptions to this if you learn about ketones). It’s like having a power outage in your home. No power to the home, no air conditioning, and no wifi. Anabolism requires proteins and to a lesser extent carbohydrates. When the body is in a fasted state, it doesn’t have the sugars needed to be happy so it starts breaking down fats and proteins. This is an exhausting process. So when fasting, not only is it really hard to build muscle (because your body is busy breaking it down), you feel exhausted all the time.

If you’re not eating the right foods– the foods that are good for you– the fatigue and exhaustion will compound over time. It will make fasting and intermittent fasting a painstaking effort. To help with this, you can find rebates for vegan food, ensuring you get the necessary nutrients without breaking the bank.

“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 168]

In this ayah (verse), Allah commands us to not just eat food that is ‘Halal’ (lawful) but also food that is ‘Tayyib’ (good). Food being ‘Tayyib’ means a lot of different things to different people. The source of the food should be ethical. The processing of the food should be natural. To me, the macronutrient composition of the food should also be ‘good’ for you.

This requires familiarity with your own dietary goals, your eating habits, food preferences, cultural tendencies, and -if you want to get real fancy- analyzing your gut microbiome. This is also where the dietary fads come into the picture: Juice only, Whole 30, Adkins, Modified Adkins, Gluten-free, Ketogenic, etc.

As a neurologist, while caring for children with neuropsychiatric conditions, I sometimes prescribe these for my patients. Each child and their family respond differently and require a uniquely tailored nutrition plan. Nothing fits perfectly for everyone at all times. What I do recommend though is to find an approach which is sustainable for you. When I started monitoring and regulating my own macronutrient intake and eating ‘Tayyib’ food I started to notice a new found energy. I had a renewed level of mental control and clarity.

3. You are HOW you eat, so avoid ‘israaf’ (excessiveness)

I love food. I’ve spent hours researching the menus on local restaurants to plan out my week. When I travel, where I eat and what I eat become my most memorable excursions. When getting cheeseburgers, I’ve ordered the double or triple patty. And that takes second to the joy of succulent all-you-can-eat buffets. All of this makes this third principle the most difficult for me to practice. It is also the most important to my longevity.

“O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” [Qur’an: Chapter 7, Verse 31]

Simple enough. Principle 3 is don’t be excessive in what you eat. Israaf in food means to overdo it, to eat excessively.

Slowing down is the best way to avoid Israaf. The reason why it’s so easy to overeat is that your body takes around 20 minutes to register that it’s full. But when you finish your food in 5 minutes and you think you have space for more, by the time you finish your seconds and thirds, you feel lethargic and about to explode. By slowing down and being conscious of what you’re eating, you can give your body a chance to catch up to your brain and hear the signals to eat the right amount.

This is how the Prophet implemented it: Miqdam bin Madikarib said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.’” [Ibn Majah]

For someone who is a true connoisseur of food like myself, this hadith becomes really challenging. Both the ayah and this hadith I have read and been taught as a child. But I can honestly say I never really learned to implement them. Understanding the harm I have been doing to my body by overeating started to help.

Let’s review a little more science to elucidate- last time I promise. When you consume food- your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin tells your cells to grab onto the glucose in your bloodstream (the glucose that came from food) and uptake it. So your brain, muscles, and liver, all uptake glucose when insulin is around. Cells like to use sugar for energy but they don’t like to swim in it. If you eat too much, your insulin levels will spike to keep your blood sugar level from getting too high. When your insulin level spikes, your liver takes up more glucose; so now your brain has less glucose. That’s one of the main reasons people experience food coma if they eat too much.

Eating too much food at any one time can make us more exhausted and lazy. When this happens we may then seek out more food or ‘energy drinks’ to give us another energy boost. The process of overconsumption triggers a desire for even more consumption. This cycle is antithetical to productivity. Over time, chronic overconsumption causes pancreatic burnout, insulin resistance syndrome, an excessive fatigue. All of this prevents us from fulfilling the purpose of our spiritual existence and reduces our productivity.

Food is a blessing and pleasure. The purpose of food is to keep our backs straight, to enhance our productivity. We must learn to moderate our portions by controlling how much we eat, what we eat, and when we eat. Through the mastery of our diet, we will be able to master our bodies and our minds. Seek out foods which are not just Halal for you, but also Tayyib for you. Drink as much water as you eat. And lastly, I encourage you to practice fasting.

Can you relate to this story? Tell us what have been your biggest dietary challenges and how you are working on solving them.

The post 3 Life-Changing Dietary Tips to Live Your Best Self Mentally and Physically appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

On the 4th day of Ramadan 2016, thousands of Muslims descended on Louisville, Kentucky. Some got flights to nearby cities then drove hours in rented cars. Other communities rented charter buses shuttling fasting Muslims from nearby cities after the pre-dawn suhoor (pre-fasting meal). One man even flew more than 8000 miles from Bangladesh to commemorate his namesake. All to attend the janazah of the champ. It wasn’t just Muslims who came to pay their respects – Buddhist monks, preachers, rabbis, Mormons, retired boxing opponents, a senator, movie stars, heads of states, and even former US president Bill Clinton. Muhammad Ali’s janazah, procession, burial, and  eulogy was a spectacle!

His memorial service was filled with tens of thousands of supporters and was aired live and uninterrupted on ESPN. After all, he was the champ. Their champ. The people’s champ. Our champ.

How did a man who was so physical, brash and counter-culture, yet so suddenly frail in his old age, become so loved? Why did so many people from so many walks of life come to honor his memory?

His funeral procession – planned before his death – commenced by his childhood home in the poor part of west Louisville. As if the champ wanted to tell its residents that, despite small homes and humble beginnings, they  too can become ‘the champ’. The question is, how?

What can young men, young Muslims and activists learn from his life? In an age where Islam is portrayed on such a massively negative scale, the legacy of Muhammad Ali shines through. Here are some lessons learned in the thousands of stories shared from his living history.

1. Work Hard, BE GREAT

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was among the greatest of all time. He was a great minister of Islam, a great comedian, a great family man and the greatest Sportsman of the Century. But before he was all these, he was a great boxer.

Boxing is a sport often romanticized in Hollywood: 60 seconds of bag punching, 60 seconds of rope jumping and 60 seconds running down a street and the on-screen hero is ready for the ring. It’s not quite that easy. Competitive boxing requires lots of training and years of hard work to develop the skill. You start off learning to walk like a boxer, baby steps, short steps, don’t cross your feet, protect your chin. You learn to feign, to dodge, to block and to punch with speed, accuracy, and power. All of this while your opponent knocks the senses out of you and the sweat and blood clouds your hearing, vision and balance. By the time Muhammad Ali had gotten to the world stage he was a master. His prowess in the ring was world class. In the heavy-weight division, known for its sluggish movements and hard hits, his training especially payed off. He would dance around his opponents taunting them before their fight, “I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”

It takes hard work and dedication to become an expert in your field. It requires extreme focus and an unwavering desire to get to the top. You don’t have to be the best to be considered one of the greatest. Muhammad Ali had his share of losses but he competed at the world stage. It’s a matter of developing your craft and honing it to get to that world stage.

2. Use your voice

“I told him you gotta talk. Stars have gotta talk. Because if you don’t talk, nobody gonna know who the heck you are.” – Angelo Dundee (cornerman and friend of Muhammad Ali)

Still a young Louisvillian boxer named Cassius Clay, he shouted “I am the greatest.” His loud mouth quickly earned him the title “Louisville lip.” Often misinterpreted as arrogance, his wit was more an expression of purposeful showmanship. Muhammad Ali bloomed at a time when colored skin meant lower class. Segregated bathrooms, drinking fountains, and public facilities implied white superiority and black impurity. So Muhammad Ali didn’t just talk loud, he talked a truth that shattered his racial circumstance.

“I am pretty!” he would say with a charming smile to national media. The idea that a black man would claim beauty in a white world at the advent of colored TV was culture-shattering. He gave voice to all colored people, especially young black men. A black man need not be quiet, subservient, and “ugly” when next to a white man.

The Creator said He created all people beautiful and in the perfect form:

” It is Allah who made for you the earth a place of settlement and the sky a ceiling and formed you and perfected your forms and provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord; then blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.” [Qur’an: Chapter 40: Verse 64]

Muhammad Ali showed the world that colored folks can be eloquent, colored folks can be great and that colored folks can be pretty. His loud mouth was meaningful. “He gave me my dignity” proclaimed a janitor to a young Barack Obama. His loud talk drowned out the centuries-old echoing voices of white supremacy and gave a dignified voice to the colored community.

In today’s age, the fringe elements of society, although few in number, are given the podium. Their message of violence and hatred floods the media. Muhammad Ali’s example shows that we must counteract this negativity. Be loud, not to add noise, but to give voice to a cause. Let your loudness give people dignity.

3. Know when to grow: “What’s my name!” – Muhammad Ali

By the age of 24, Ali (then Cassius Clay) had proven his skill to be unrivaled. But he soon realized his purpose and life legacy was larger than the boxing ring. He proclaimed the shahadah (the testimony of faith) and took on the name Muhammad Ali. Muhammad meaning the most praised after the Prophet Muhammed , and Ali, meaning “the high”.

The media criticized him and ridiculed his new faith. But Ali knew that what he represented and what he stood for was greater than his current popularity. It took principle and conviction to abandon his prior name and to show the world the new Muhammad Ali. In 1966, Ali fought Ernie Terrell, shouting at him during the match “What’s my name!”. He needed everyone to know he had shed his “slave” name and now took up the more dignified name “Muhammad Ali.” Allah tested Muhammad Ali’s convictions again through the Vietnam draft. His refusal to be drafted caused him to be stripped of his boxing title but immortalized him in history as a champion of peace. “I ain’t got no quarrel with no vietcong!”, said Ali in defiance. These defining moments transformed the persona of Muhammad Ali. He became more than an entertainer, more than a man that spoke for the black community; he grew to become a voice of compassion to humanity.

4. Keep the eye on the ultimate prize

“God gave me Parkinson’s syndrome to show me I’m not ‘The Greatest’, He is. God gave me this illness to remind me that I’m not Number One, He is”  -Muhammad Ali

Soon after retiring from boxing, Ali started showing symptoms of Parkinsons disease. The disease affects the brain’s ability to regulate movements. Fine motor skills become laborious. The gait becomes slow and shuffled. Facial expressions become masked and the voice becomes muffled. Seemingly everything that made Muhammad Ali who he was started to degenerate. He could no longer float like a butterfly nor sting like a bee. The fast-talking Louisville lip became snuffed. This was the start of the second half of his life.

Looking back, friends and family remarked that Ali had developed a habit of asking himself how to get to Paradise. It was almost a ritualized affirmation of his Islamic identity and desire to please God. This insight became the defining characteristic of his post-boxing legacy. Every act was about how to please God and getting to Paradise. He would donate $100 each to lines of needy folks in South America. He helped talk a man out of committing suicide. Thousands of small deeds all in the name of the ultimate prize: Paradise.

5. Lift up, even those you knock down

One of the most miraculous aspects of Muhammad Ali’s legacy is that his defeated opponents had fond memories of him. George Foreman, Richard Dunn and even his long-time critic, Howard Cosell became friends with him. After his renowned ugly fight with Japanese pro-wrestler Antonio Inoki, Ali nearly lost mobility and function of his left leg due to the force of repetitive side kicks. Much later, when Inoki announced his retirement match, Ali attended to show support for Inoki’s long fighting career. And so started their friendship. Amazingly, as an older man, Inoki embraced Islam.

It wasn’t just towards celebrities. Perhaps Muhammad Ali’s ability to win over his enemies can be attributed to his ability to make heroes out of ordinary folks. He would give time to famous people but also homeless people. He would talk about the dedication of firemen when they came to get his autograph. There are countless stories of how Muhammad Ali would meet people who were steeped in sadness, feeling defeated and he would lift their spirits. All the public trash-talking really just amounted to showmanship. His real legacy was in the day-to-day interaction, spreading joy and lifting people up.

6. Never be bitter

“I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others.” – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali got a lot of hate in his life. He got hate for being a loud, young black man. He got hate for being a champion. He got hate for becoming a Muslim. He got hate for changing his name. He was called a coward and traitor for refusing to go to war. His haters stripped him of his titles and tried to imprison him. Muhammad Ali fought back against all this hate. He fought against the perpetrators of massive injustice. But his life showed that he never became bitter. He always kept his charming smile. Despite their prior policies, he advocated on behalf of the US government to release hostages in Iraq. He continued to do good and uplift people, despite their extensive history of hate. And that’s how he won them over. Once your enemies stop their hate, hold no grudges. Believe in their goodness and keep striving for Paradise.

7. Be a minister of God

“Allah’s the Arabic term for God. Stand up for God, fight for God, work for God and do the right thing, and go the right way, things will end up in your corner.”  -Muhammad Ali

All of Muhammad Ali’s closest friends knew him to be a man of God. A man devoted to telling others about God and about Islam. When asked if he was the greatest Muslim, he quickly said only God can judge him and that he doesn’t claim to be the greatest Muslim. His Mormon friend, Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah, invited Ali to an important church ceremony. The large choir formed a line to get his autograph, so Muhammad Ali signed pamphlets on Islam to give them. He considered himself a minister of Islam. He was well read and able to give touching answers to questions about faith.

Many have aptly described Muhammed Ali as fitting the description in this hadith as one who earned the pleasure of God and the people:

“Whoever sought the pleasure of Allah , though it was displeasing to the people, then Allah becomes pleased with him and will make the people pleased with him. And whoever sought the pleasure of the people, though it was displeasing to Allah , then Allah becomes displeased with him and will make the people displeased with him.” [Tirmidhi]

Muhammad Ali was not sinless. He was not perfect. He had his faults, yet there is a great lesson to be heeded from the legacy of one of the most widely loved men in recent history. In the midst of all this media negativity, one can still be a beacon of compassion, goodness and sincerity.

May God have mercy on Muhammad Ali!

Tell us what productivity lessons have you learned from the life of the Champion?

The post The Legacy of Muhammad Ali: 7 Life Lessons Inspired by The Champion appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.