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"Whoever works righteousness, man or
woman, and has faith, verily, to them will We
give a new Life, a life that is good and pure,
and We will bestow on such their reward
according to the best of their actions."

- .. AnNahl 16:97






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INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wondered what separates successful working people from others?
Some say success is a matter o opinion and it`s your deinition o success that
creates balance in your life. I agree with this. However, many people are too busy
to think about this question. Achieving Work Faith Balance is one of the biggest
issues that faces Muslims today. Many Muslims go about day to day life without
realising that it is possible for every minute of the day to be counted as worship (or
ibadah) and the aim of this book is to help you to have true success in life and
balance, or in other words harmonise your responsibilities.

Let`s be clear about what balance means in the context of Work Faith Balance. The
word balance is not to do with cancelling out and stabilising equal forces, it is to do
with creating harmony- a state in which various parts of life form a satisfying and
harmonious whole and nothing is out of proportion or unduly emphasized at the
expense of the rest. Work and faith can be at balance with each other as this book
will show you. Remember, Work Faith Balance is about how you measure success
and balance. It starts with creating an understanding of what motivates you. It is
not all about financial success, often it`s about how you measure things. Islam
teaches us an amazing thing: you know that you will be judged on your deeds and
intentions, not how much worldly success you had.

Alhamdulillah, as you have downloaded this book you are someone with a strong
desire to be successful for both this and the next world. If you take your time to
think about what you want in your life and actually define it then balance is easier
to attain.

Everyone has the talent to achieve their own definition of balance, but few people
have the discipline to achieve it.

So what is Work Faith Balance for you? InshaAllah this ebook will help you to start
figuring that out. The thoughts in this book are the culmination of 20 years of soul
searching.

We can try as hard as we want to achieve something. We can work 20 hours a day,
but if we don`t ask for Allah Subhana wa 1a`aa`s help, the work is all for us in this
world and we do not get the worship return that is possible.



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Yes, we all see the successes of billionaire entrepreneurs and other wealthy famous
people but will they have success in both this world and the Hereafter? The aim of
this book is to help you on your journey to success in both inshaAllah.







(Anything correct and beneficial in this guide is from Allah and any errors can only
be from ourselves. We pray the Almighty is pleased with this book, and it becomes
a means for both its authors and readers to gain His pleasure.)














, .. is going to stop you from achieving
what you want - ,. . . . . ..
Saiyyidah Zaidi






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WHY WORK FAITH BALANCE.

Lack of Work Faith Balance can affect individuals in a various ways. This is
difficult to discuss and many people do not feel comfortable discussing these
issues with their friends and family.

Many o us do not eel that we are being a good` Muslim. Many o us either do not
pray on time or we pray in a rush, yet we all aspire to concentrate on our prayers.
Rather than spending time worrying about how you spend your time, why not take
action and be more focused inshaAllah?

The effects of poor Work Faith Balance are as diverse as the individuals who are
affected by it which is why it`s important to understand what your needs are, and
what your motivations and values are. Once that assessment is made then
inshaAllah practical solutions can be worked out quickly and effectively.

The case for Work Faith Balance can be made on 2 counts:

1. Iaing \ork laith Balance improes the indiidual`s health, well being and
satisfaction.
2. For the family unit, the business and the individual Work Faith Balance can
mean the following:
a. Islam is at the heart of all tasks undertaken- potentially 24 hours spent in
worship.
b. Enhanced productivity and commitment to faith, family and society
c. Less conflict between various roles within life- i.e. being a parent, business
owner, Muslim, friend, etc.
d. Better relationships with colleagues, friends and family.
e. Ability to feel more confident about life and be happier.

We have all heard of the term work-life balance`, however there is no consensus
regarding what it means and on the whole the definition is in relation to the
concept of juggling various roles and responsibilities in order for the right level of
harmony for the individual to be reached. In some ways this focus is a little
negative, as it is linked with an imbalance and a struggle between the work and
non-work aspects of life.




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The term Work Faith Balance is very much aimed at being a positive term that is
focused on the harmony. Later in the book you will see how working and
practising Islam are interlinked and how all Muslims can achieve Work Faith
Balance just by assessing where we are in life today, and planning for the future
inshaAllah. Without Work Faith Balance the consequences can be disastrous.

Let`s try to be in balance and in harmony with our obligations to our Lord, our
families and society and achieve Work Faith Balance inshaAllah and harmonise
what we do for this world and the next.

















"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and
moderately. . . Always adopt a middle,
moderate, regular course, whereby you will
reach your target (of paradise)"
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470




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WHAT IS THE POINT OF WORKING?

What's it all for? Is this all there is? What do I really want to do? What are my
values and are they compatible with my work?

These are all questions I have asked myself. Islam teaches us that we should be self
sufficient and work helps us to do this. Right now many of us are unhappy at work
and are wondering how we can have more balance. Do we need a different career,
or even just have a career at all?

Before we continue lets define work.

Working Muslims can be those who are Chief Executive Officers, teachers, lawyers
and/or running a business from home. Everyone works in one way or another; it`s
your perspective on work and your role that are key, and these create a successful
balance.

We firmly believe that the word work needs to be redefined, so that the traditional
meaning paid job: paid employment` is one that disappears. I beliee the deinition
o work should be to do with eort the purposef ul ef f ort (physical or mental ) of
vaivg or aoi vg .ovetbivg v.ef v ` . This new definition values the decisions that
we make regarding our workplace- be it in an office or at home and negates some
of the conflict that faces women in their multiple roles.









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WHY AM I HERE?

It is a simple question with a simple answer, but often we get caught up in day to
day life and forget the purpose for which we are here. Not just Muslims, but every
single human being has to answer the most fundamental question at some point in
his or her lifetime:

\hy was I created \hy am I here \hat am I doing in this world? Why did
Allah create me`

These are questions which each and every one of us reflects on at some point
during our life. Often, the answers appear too simplistic and we are not satisfied
with the response. However, the answer is simply that we are here to worship
Allah.
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
acb ove of ,ov ri f iva it ea., to ao rbat be ra. createa f or. `
Remembering the reason that we are here, have you ever considered what it should
be that holds your day together?

Consider this: the rocks (the main things) in our lives should be the 5 pillars of
Islam. Despite this how many of us struggle to pray on time before that afternoon
meeting? Have you experienced a time when you just about prayed Dhuhr on time
because a meeting runs over time. In order to move from this state we first need to
re-consider our lives and remember that worshipping Allah Subhana wa 1a`aa is the
reason why we are here.

'RQWPHVVZLWKWKHURFNVLQ\RXUOLIH

In order to have more balance and be a successful Working Muslim I would urge
you to remember Allah Subhana wa 1a`aa first and foremost and make sure you
pray your five daily prayers. The first thing that we will be asked about on the Day
of Judgment is the Prayer.

Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam told us in an authentic Hadith:



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1be f ir.t tbivg tbe eo e wil l be accountabl e f or on the Day of Judgment is
ra,er, . ab ri .a, to i . avge . ;erev tbovgb be a reaa, vor.): oo at
v, .erravt` . ra,er.. !ere tbe, cov ete or vot.` f tbe, rere cov ete i t ri
be wri tten as compl ete. If they were not f ul l y cov ete . ab ri .a,: ee i f v,
servant has vol untary prayers, if he has them Al l ah wil l say: Compl ete his
ob igator, ra,er. .bortage ritb bi. ro vvtar, ra,er.. ` 1bev tbe re.t of bi.
aeea. ri be aea t ri tb iv tbe .ave vavver. `
- Reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nisa, and Al-Hakim.

Let`s make these rocks into diamonds in our lies inshaAllah.













~... . . , .. . ... ...
My servant gets closer to Me salaah is the dearest
.
- Hadith reported by Bukhari




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ISLAM, IMAN, IHSAN.

To understand how we can have Work Faith Balance in our lives it is important to
briefly discuss the concept of Islam, Iman and Ihsan
1
. To become the best we can
be at what we do, we need to adhere to the work ethic given to us by Allah Subhana
wa 1a`aa Himself. This ethic is described below and is complimented by the
concept of Ihsan.

The first level is Islam. Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam explained it as
observing the five major obligations (the adhering to that which creates an Islamic
structure. By being a Muslim a person is promised Allah's rewards in this life and
in the hereafter. However, for those who are more ambitious and want to be closer
to Allah, and to gain a higher level of His rewards, they need to reach a higher level
of faith which is Iman.

Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day,
and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. To reach this
level, more faith is needed. A deeper degree of acknowledgement is required. This
includes a belief in Allah and what He said, He informed us in His Book, the Holy
Qur'an, that He has angels, and He sent previous Books to humanity, delivered
through previous messengers. To gain a higher level you need Ihsan.

Ihsan is the highest of the three levels of faith and the closest to Allah. It is to
worship Allah as if you are seeing Him. While you do not see Him, He truly sees
you. Ihsan, then means that a Muslim is sure that Allah is seeing him/her in
everything he/she says or does. Therefore, a Muslim does his/her best to say and
do only what pleases Allah and conforms to His commands. This is the level of
righteousness, the level of perfection, the level of doing and saying the ultimate
good, the level of Ihsan. The word Ihsan` in Arabic is a deriatie o the erb
ahsana,` which means doing things excellently. 1hus, the linguistic meaning o
Ihsan is to master or be proicient at` i.e. doing the best that you can do. This is
exactly what Allah commanded us to do, and if we do the best at work and in our
faith inshaAllah we will be one of the people of Jannah.



1
This is taken from the explanation of Hadith Jibreel




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IHSAN.
Ihsan suggests doing more than a person is obligated to do and giving more to
others than they are entitled to. It is the single most distinguishing feature that
raises a human society above any other creations of Allah Subhana wa 1a`aa and
makes Allah pleased with humanity. That is why Allah has mentioned the following
in five different verses of the Qu`ran:
. ab ore. tbo.e rbo racti ce b.av. `
Al-Baqarah 2:195; Aali Imraan 3:134, 148; Al-Maaidah 5:13, 93.

\ith regard to work, Ihsan includes being dedicated and proessional in ones`
work and fulfilling your responsibility to the best of your ability. So how can you
have Ihsan at work? What do you need to do to strive to be excellent? To apply
Ihsan at work the first step is to work out what is your intention is.








Be honest, for verily honesty leads to
righteousness, and righteousness leads to
,..
- Sahh al-Bukhar and Sahh Muslim




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INTENTION.

The following Hadith is a very important in this context as Prophet Muhammad
sallAllahu alaihi wasallam sets one of the most important principles in the religion of
Islam, specifically in regards to the acceptance of one`s religion and deeds by Allah
Subhana wa 1a`aa, and generally to all other normal every day activity in which a
person involves him or herself. This principle is that in order for any action to be
accepted and thus rewarded by Allah, it must be done purely for His sake. This
concept is oten called sincerity to Allah`, but the most exact meaning would be
purity o intention`. At one o the stages o the lie o the Prophet Muhammad
sallAllahu alaihi wasallam Allah ordered all the Muslims to migrate from Mecca to
the newborn Islamic state of Medina.

In this Hadith, the Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam gave an example of two types
of people in regards to this religious service of migration:

- The first example was that of the person who migrated to Medina purely for
the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure and seeking to fulfill His command.
The Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam stated that the deed of this type of person
will be accepted by Allah and he will be rewarded in the fullest.

- The second example was of a person who fulfilled this religious service
outwardly, but his intention was not the pleasure of Allah nor fulfilling His
command, and so this type of person, although he may achieve what he was
intending in this life, will not receive reward for it from Allah, and the deed is
not one which is considered acceptable.

It is understood that a person may be rewarded for their everyday normal activity
which they perform, as long as their intention is correct and that the act is not
prohibited by the religion. Islam has encouraged and sometimes even placed the
obligation upon humans of specific manners and morals in regards to life outside
worship. It provides guidance for performing every day activities, from sleeping to
eating. If a person performs the various activities conforming to the legislation,
they will be rewarded for it inshaAllah. Intention allows one`s entire life to become
an act of worship, as long as the objective of that life is the pleasure of Allah
Subhana wa 1a`aa, whose pleasure is achieved by doing good and refraining from



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evil. A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or
her intention and sincerely seeking Allah`s pleasure through these actiities.

Now the next point, as it is one of the most important things in this book: Even
earning a living can be rewarded as well.

The companions of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam saw a man and
were astonished by his hard work and industry. 1hey lamented: If he were onl y
doing this much work f or tbe .ae of . ab .`

Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam replied:

If he is working to support hi s smal l chil dren, then it is f or the sake of Al l ah
Subhana wa 1a` a a. f be i . rori vg to .vort bi . e aer , arevt., tbev i t i .
f or the sake of Al l ah. If he is working to occupy himsel f and keep his desires in
check, then it i s f or the sake of Al l ah. If , on the other hand, he is doing so to
show of f and earn f ame, then he i s working f or the sake of Satan. `

And let me say it again, even earning a living can be rewarded, subhanAllah.










, . ,. , .. ~.... . ., . ,
..,. , . .. ,. ~....
- Hadith reported by at-Tirmithi




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ISLAM AND WORK

That man can have nothing but what he strives f or; That (the f ruit of ) hi s
striving wil l soon come in sight: Then wi l l he be rewarded with a reward
compl ete.`
- Qur`an, An-Najm 53:39-41

Working has a great importance and value in Islam. There are many places in the
Qu`ran where Allah has made it clear to us that we should not waste time and that
proper planning can lead to breathtaking results, as demonstrated in the wonderful
ayat above. We are reminded that the creation of the heavens and earth are a sign
for mankind and that we should positively contribute to the earth, and work to
make best use of what it was created for.

As you can see from the previous section work is given a special importance in
Islam to the extent that it is considered an act of worship in itself.

Prophet Muhammad`s sallAllahu alaihi wasallam companion `Umar ibn Al-Khattab
used to stress the importance of work by telling people:

^erer .bov a av,ove of ,ov tbiv tbat avaa` ;.v icatiov) f or .v.tevavce
ritbovt ror ri arai biv, f or bearev verer rai v. go a vor .i rer` .

Isl am i s a rel i gi on that orders i ts f ol l owers to be part and parcel of a
rori vg ava i vav.tri ov. .oci et,. . ab .a,. ava be ove avotber i v
goodness and pi ety, and do not hel p one another in si n and aggression; and
be caref ul of (your duty to) Al l ah.`
- Qur`an, Al-Ma`idah 5:2

Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam used to pray, seeking refuge from
laziness or idleness. Even before he was chosen as a Messenger he was known as a
hardworking and trustworthy person. This earned him the respect of his employer,
Khadijah radillaahu anha, who proposed marriage to him because of all the merits
and virtues she saw in him.

The Messenger of Allah sallAllahu alaihi wasallam tells us to be balanced and
harmonised between our worship and work. As Muslims we have to remain



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constant in our acts of worship, and also to work hard to earn a living or support
our families. He made it clear that being in a position to purchase day to day
proisions and rations rom one`s work is a commendable act o worship.

Imam Hasan Al-Basri rahimullah, was asked one day the secret behind his self
discipline and moderation. Imam Al-Bari mentioned four things in reply:
1, I bel i eve that my sustenance wi l l never be hi j acked by anybody (so I work
to attain it).
2, I know that a work that i s mi ne must be perf ormed by me, so I do not
decrease my ef f orts in perf orming it.
3, I bel ieve that my Lord is Omnipresent (watching me), so I do not l ike
Him seeing me commi tting sins.
4, I know that death is somewhere wai ting f or me, so I prepare f o r i t
(through good deeds) .`

As we go about our day to day work we seek to do all of the above and we also
seek challenge and achievement, these are 2 of the basic human needs. If we are
not achieving or feel fulfilled it is harder to be motivated at work




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ACHIEVEMENT AND FULFILMENT

Achievement is important for human. This is the experience of accomplishing the
things you want in life. It comes from mastering the skills necessary to produce
results, and self reflection is a good start. (Obviously, we can only achieve if Allah
wills it for us.)

Fulfilment is the power to understand, appreciate and enjoy your life, which comes
from creating a life of meaning for you. A person may have all the success and
money in the world but be internally bankrupt. This is an incredible concept for
Muslims- you can have all the worldly goods and all your needs satisfied but life
still has no meaning. Imagine you have a loving spouse, wonderful children and a
great job but still feel that life has no meaning- the aim of Work Faith Balance is to
enable you to experience a sense of fulfilment, joy of life and meaning to your life.

Research shows that this can only be accomplished by two things: continuous
growth and continuous contribution beyond oneself. Fulfilment comes from a life
of meaning - a life where you feel your life matters in some significant way. Life
only matters and can continue to matter if we feel that we are fully alive, which is
what growth gives us, our life matters to something beyond ourselves which is
what contribution defines. Fulfilment is not just about celebrating, appreciating
and enjoying your lie, it`s about having a meaning. Some people who made
important contributions didn`t enjoy their lies but they were ulilled. Alhamdolillah
it is possible to have achievement and fulfilment.





. .. . . ....
your own ..,..
Saiyyidah Zaidi




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WORK FAITH BALANCE

Reflect and workout the compatibility and harmony between the career and your
orientation in life (your skills, interests, personality and values). Your values
influence your personality, interests and skills and when your values are satisfied
you will be at the journey to work Faith balance.

Look inwards: Interests, skills, personality and values can be developed. You have
to look inward, analyse, introspect, reflect and endeavour to discover your own
true values.

How you spend your leisure time reveals vital clues about your values too! Would
you read a book, write a story, go hiking outdoors, play your favourite sport,
adventure sports, chat with friends, picnic, go out for something to eat or cook it
yourself, go to the mosque, spend the day at home with your family, study, watch
TV, spend the day in glorious solitude enjoying quality time with yourself?

Do you value humour, fun, pleasure, food, enjoyment, family life, quality of life,
status, money, success, fame, power, prestige, security, nature, loyalty, love,
affection, independence, privacy, togetherness, tranquillity, adventure, leadership,
or followership, competition, contentment, creativity, and the values of others
who you want to relate with are really important to. Match and harmonise your
values, and be happy and fulfilled in your work and your relationships and get
balance.

Trust your sense of values: remember at any important milestone in your life,
when you have to make a vital decision, whether you are on the verge of selecting
a career, a job, a house or marriage partner, trust your sense of values.




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GIVING THANKS

We feel really fulfilled while we say thank you because this makes us acknowledge
our appreciation to Allah Subhana wa 1a`aa that we got something we needed.
What is truly awesome is that in Islam it also makes Allah know that we are
appreciative of His gift to us and that we can see that what he gave us is of value.
Allah gave us this wonderful life and we should be thankful for it. We pray to Allah
for the things we want but we never say thanks for what we already have. Even if
we say thanks it would be only once or twice. Allah gave us many gifts which we
enjoy every day so we should be thankful every day. Gratitude is a great way to
remove negative energy from your mind because you start focusing on things you
hae, instead o what you don`t hae.

There are a million and one self help advocates out there that suggest you practice
gratitude daily. I entirely agree with this concept but will urge you to implement the
Sunnah and give thanks to Allah. You will feel better when you have thanked your
Creator. You might even feel like you are the luckiest person in the world as you
have acknowledged some of the mercies that Allah has given you.

This gratitude and realisation of what you have will also help you to focus on your
goals. You will probably realise that if you can achieve what you already have then
you can definitely achieve your other goals inshaAllah. This is amazingly powerful
and gives you an enormous amount of confidence.

We are often thankful to our friends and family, and we are thankful to Allah. But
how many of us have actually sat down and written out what we are thankful for
and then gone and shown gratitude to Allah by doing the Sajdat al-Shukr?

Sajdat al-Shukr is prescribed for anything that makes one happy, whether it is
attaining some benefit or warding off some harm. One of the Hadiths of Ab Bakr
radi Allahu anhu reports that when the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alaihi wasallam
heard any news that made him glad, he would fall down prostrating to Allah.
[Reported by the five except al-Nisaa`i|.




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THANK YOU.

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatUllaahi wa barakatuh
BismillahiRahmanir Rahim

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for trusting me and allowing me to
introduce the concept of Work Faith Balance to you. I pray that you have
benefited from the book. As an additional surprise, we will send you a weekly
reminder relating to Work Faith Balance, this will include information on how to
increase your willpower and determine what motivates you. It will also include
other amazing resources that you may not be aware of. Go and LIKE
www.facebook.com/workingmuslim if you have not already done so.

With best wishes and deepest respect,
Wa alaykum as Salaam wa Rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,


Saiyyidah
Saiyyidah Zaidi













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Saiyyidah Zaidi, is the Only Champion for the Working Muslim
woman. She has over 20 years experience in corporate and
governmental work environments, is married and lives in London with
her husband and children.

Saiyyidah trained as an architect and has been leading procurements of
up to 300 million. She has undertaken leading leadership
qualifications and obtained a Masters in Economics and Management,
with Distinction, at University College London. More recently she
completed an Islamic business leadership programme delivered by
Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef, founder of Al Maghrib Institute.
Alhamdolillah, Saiyyidah went on to receive the accolade of being the
first ever NicheHero winner.

Saiyyidah Zaidi, founder of Working Muslim, has over 20 years experience as a Working Muslim. In
this book Saiyyidah sets out how you can achieve Work Faith Balance.
Saiyyidah is a remarkable speaker whose technique is both highly effective and thought provoking. She suc-
cessfully engages the audience on the topic in hand with her original approach of presenting Islamic knowl-
edge backed up by factual information Event organiser, JIMAS, UK
Sister Saiyyidah, is one of the best people I have worked with MashaAllah tabarakAllah. Take advantage of the
Working Muslim project!
Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef, founder AlMaghrib Institute.
MashaAllah the book is an AWESOME read! Sister, North America
Subhanallah the e-book and Working Muslim website is a valuable source for every young Muslim aspiring to
be a leader. 1he e-book is ull o practical lessons that will benet people o all ages` Productive Muslim
MashAllaah this book is empowering for everyone who is working and wants to have more satisfaction in
their jobs. It doesnt matter if youre working outside or working at home, InshAllaah Working Muslim can
help you! Zohra Sarwari
May Allah bless the work o \orking Muslim, this project lls a big inormation gap`
Shaykh Yayha Hawwa, Jordan
Sr Saiyyidah delivered some unique training for us. MashaAllah Working Muslim is a great initiative which we
are proud to support Rochdale Dawah Centre
Firstly, may Allah reward you for the hard work that Working Muslim is doing. I hope that sisters get to learn
about the work you are doing, \orking Muslim is an excellent organisation that can really, really benet us`
Abdullah Rolle, international nasheed artist
Allah has gien us intelligence to use, so use it and benet rom the wonderul work that \orking Muslim
does 6KD\NK1DYDLG$]L]P\VSLULWXDO[FRP