9. Define your objectives

Each and every person has to have a purpose for his or her life: an objective that prevents one's actions from being barren and meaningless. If you do not give it true meaning, life is a total waste. If there is no reason for what you are doing, nothing will be worthwhile. In a study performed on some college students, a comparison was made between those who where displeased with their circumstances, and those who where satisfied and content. One of the major disparities between these two groups was that the unhappy students did not envision a clear goal to live for.73 Pause for a moment and ask yourself: What is my objective?

What am I seeking out of this life? If your answer is anything other than: to attain Allah's approval, then you have to reconsider your values and adjust your plans. The ultimate goal for all Muslims is Allah's pleasure. Being sure of this one and only goal leads a person onto the straight path, by adjusting one's values and morals, and submitting one's heart, mind and body to collaborate - to work together to move in the right direction. 72 Bayhaqi (authenticated by Albani). 73 Rahman and Khaleque, 1996. It is perfectly fine to have temporary goals that help you through the journey that leads to the final objective, like your studies, your job, your responsibility to spouse, parents, and children, and so on.

Always bear in mind, however, that these intermediate goals are mere helpers along the way; the final goal is clear, obvious and irreplaceable. Remember that we are created for a purpose, and each and every event in our lives is well planned and organized to serve this purpose. Allah (~ ) says: ~And I [Allah] created the jinns and humans only so they should worship Me [Alone].}> (Quran 51: 56) Worshipping does not mean only praying and fasting; every action in a true Muslim' s life is considered an act of worship. As we mentioned, it is right intention and sincerity that tum a mere physical or social ritual into an act of worship and obedience to the Almighty. 74 Preparing your lessons, cooking for your family, working in your office, visiting a friend and even playing with your kids can all be acts of worship to be rewarded by Allah. This is part of the role that we have to perform in this life.

Allah (~ ) says: ~--· He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein ...}> (Quran 11: 61) We are ordered to develop this earth, to make it flourish and prosper. Remember that this is a Divine order, it is not just a request; this is why we were created! Allah also says: 74 'Ulwiin, 2003. (V : J")lkll ._,_,.....) { .. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him ..) (Qur 'an 65: 7) Since He has given us the order to inhabit, explore, make use of, preserve and develop the earth and our environment, so, with no doubt, has He also given each and every one of us the aptitude and natural ability to fulfil this sacred duty.

Every one of us has a 'sacred identity', which includes our own special gifts, powers and talents. They do exist, believe me; the true challenge is to explore and further apply them for our wellbeing and for the welfare of the whole world. Once a friend of mine was complaining to me about being a true loser; she was convinced that she was good at nothing, that she possessed no talents whatsoever. I sat with her and tried to make her think about all the things that she really enjoys doing, her hobbies and what she was good at. After a long discussion, she only came up with two skills: "I love shopping at expensive department stores and I enjoy eating in fancy five-star restaurants," she said.

I could not conceive of any possible way to help her out, so I left, urging her to think of other more 'useful' things to do. A few days later, I was reviewing a job recruitment site when my eyes fell on a very strange career category: a renowned company was seeking a 'mysterious shopper' . The job description went as follows: "The person required has to love shopping and dinning in high standard stores and restaurants, he/she will then be charged with writing reports evaluating these places in terms of service quality and employee efficiency." That was it! There was actually something there waiting especially for my friend, demanding her particular passion and total dedication; with her unique talents, she could excel at helping different companies in the hospitality industry to ameliorate their quality standards. This example may be an extreme, but it illustrates perfectly how we all have hidden potential waiting to be explored.

Never underestimate the value of your hobbies and interests; never think that you cannot do any good. If you still cannot find what you are good at, dig deeper, look around you, ask friends and read in different fields. If you are a parent, try to encourage your kids to uncover their own gifts. Never impose your own ideas on them, just open up new areas, suggest new options, help them explore their talents and interests, and whatever they choose, do not discourage or criticize them, just advise them, give them more to read and monitor their progress. Another important part of defining your goals is to keep yourself challenged constantly.

If your objectives are easy to reach, after a while you get bored and become dissatisfied. As soon as you reach your goals, you might lose your interest, feel unmotivated and lose momentum. On the other hand, if your challenges are well suited for your abilities, and if you are gradually meeting your goals, you are self-fulfilled and satisfied. Constantly realising your short-term goals gives you the required stamina and driving force to continue your pursuit for bigger and higher goals. It will give you the required excitement and delight that will stimulate your will-power and keep you going.

Here is a story that I really think illustrates this concept: The Japanese have always loved fresh fish, but the waters close to Japan do not hold many fish. So, they built bigger fishing boats and went farther out to sea than ever. The farther out the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish, and because the fish were not fresh anymore, the Japanese did not like the taste. To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea.

Freezers allowed the boats to go even farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could still taste the difference between fresh and frozen, and they did not like frozen fish. So fishing companies installed fish tanks on their vessels, into which they stuffed the live catch. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving; they were tired and dull, sluggish but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference: because the fish had not moved freely for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste.

Finally, the Japanese found the solution in a simple saying: 'A person thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment.' So to keep the fish tasting fresh, fishing companies added a small shark to each tank. The shark ate a few fish, but the rest arrived in a very lively state. The fish were challenged! 75 If you have too many dreams and big ambitions, do not get discouraged or disappointed. Take a moment to assess your capabilities and resources, adjust your priorities and carefully plan your next step. Allah (~ ) says in the Quran: (V : c__r!..\1 '-'.r") ~Therefore, when you are free [from your immediate task], still labour hard) (Qur 'an 94: 7) We must always remember the next verse, too, because it completes the meaning of the previous one: 75 This anecdote, along with several others related in this book, is one of many such stories circulating via email.

The author is unknown to me, and I hope I am excused for using it as an illustrative example. (A : U.!.ll o_;~) ~® _;,_;"°, ~~ d}J~ ~And to Allah [Alone] tum [all your intentions and hopes and] your supplications) (Quran 94: 8) As we mentioned earlier, you should live in the moment and enjoy your achievements, and at the same time always set your intentions for your future goals. What made the Islamic empire grow and flourish in the early yea,;s was great ambition. The Muslims did not stop at spreading the new religion in the Arabian Peninsula; they went out to spread the message of Islam all over the world: from China in the east to Spain in the west. After establishing an empire, the challenge did not stop for these Muslims; they began to research and record their newfound knowledge in all scientific fields: geography, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, and physics, among others.

Their challenges kept them alive and kept the empire growing; but when the momentum faded, the whole empire faded away with it. More importantly, do not devise goals just for your personal material success, think of your whole society, your whole Ummah (community of Muslims). Do not rest on your laurels, keep yourself going!