Seven Virtues With Which To Navigate Recruitment: Humble Advice To Young And New Muslims

Alhamdulillah.

As a young or new Muslim, you may encounter various groups (‘Salafists,’ ‘Traditionalists,’ ‘Activists,’ and many strands in between) who are eager to engage you in their causes. Each of them carries elements of truth and sincere intent. After thorough examination within your capacity and praying for guidance from your Lord, work with the one that resonates with your heart, but remember: your journey in Islam is long, and there is much knowledge, history, and understanding that you, and likely those who invite you, have yet to fully grasp.

Beware of zealotry, for it can lead you astray. Instead, proceed with care and reflection, knowing that your ultimate goal is your own salvation and the pleasure of Allah . Dogmatism can deform your intellectual, moral, and spiritual self, confining you to rigid structures that may obscure the broader beauty of Islam. Compartmentalization will limit your reach, keeping much goodness and wisdom beyond your grasp.

These groups are comprised of flawed humans, just like you. They may present to you certain truths that appeal to your pure fiṭra (natural disposition), but along with those truths, they may slip into unexamined dogmas that have weak foundations.

Many before you have been sacrificed for personal ambitions or dogmatic visions, often cloaked as noble causes. Reflect on all those who lost their lives following the countless “Mahdis” throughout our history. Consider reading the correspondence between “al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah” and Abū Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr. These were the campaign debates of their time. This will help you better understand why many in Muslim lands hold an aversion to politicized religion. But does that mean one should embrace a form of Islam that reconciles with corruption, passively awaiting a better place in the Hereafter? Are all those who promote such an approach entirely free from their own agendas?

As you reflect on the effectiveness of the group you follow as diagnosticians and healers, consider this: Have their solutions produced tangible results when they held the majority or were in power? Has spiritual lethargy, moral decline, material backwardness, and defeat at the hands of others been limited only to times and places under the influence of their intellectual opponents? Moreover, can the significant issues within their own ranks be easily dismissed as mere external conspiracies?

At first, you may not notice gaps or inconsistencies because of your limited exposure to Islamic knowledge and history. Also, part of this, naturally, is a result of youth and inexperience.

Equip yourself with the following seven virtues as you walk this path:

1. Sincerity and a heart deeply connected to Allah .

2. Humility and harboring a positive outlook toward others help guard against the corrosive effects of cynicism.

3. Knowledge: Start with structured learning, but understand that true knowledge expands far beyond fixed curricula.

4. Moderation, which anchors you in the middle ground.

5. Rationality: Never relinquish this precious Divine Gift to any fallible human.

6. Honesty: To preserve your integrity, prevent double standards or deliberate blind spots, and remain open to the Truth, regardless of its source.

7. Pragmatism: Balancing honesty with practical wisdom allows you to collaborate with various groups without compromising your principles, while striving to follow the paths within these groups that are the least dogmatic and fanatical.

Avoid being conscripted into lost battles or sacrificing yourself for causes that may lead nowhere. Strive to leave a lasting, positive mark on the world, so that by the time you depart, your legacy will reflect the principles of Islam in their truest form.

وصلى الله على محمد والحمد لله رب العالمين

Related:

– Lowlier Than Thou – Naseeha tips from Ibn Rajab

– From The Chaplain’s Desk: Valuing And Nurturing Faith On Campus