How to Deal With Temptations in the Workplace?
Answered by Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Question: Assalam aleykum
I am a doctor from Britain. And I know that this occupation should be a means for me to draw nearer to Allah. But I find difficulties on a daily basis at work, due to various causes. What should I keep in mind in the course of my work? And is there anything I should hold fast to in this regard, before beginning work?
Answer: [Assalam alaykum]
Intentions Behind One’s Work
This doctor should recognize that his work is indeed important, being a form of service to humanity. So let him seek the reward in this work. And let him also expand his intention to be a manifestation of the realities of Islam in the course of his occupation and interactions with people, and a caller to Allah, Blessed and Most High, through his deeds and speech.
Struggling Against Satan, the Ego, and Caprice
And let him also be on his guard against the entryways of Satan in regard to his eyes and heart. And when he encounters that which is at odds with his lofty goals and the Sacred Law, he should respond to it in accordance to the Sacred Law, itself – for it is the cure. Then he must struggle against his ego and whims to the extent of his ability to bring himself into conformity with that.
Seeking Fortitude in the Remembrance of Allah
And let him seek help in all of this by not leaving his house for work before performing two rakaats, reciting the Verse of the Throne (Ayat al Kursi), and the Prophetic supplications for leaving one’s home. Then he engages in prayer, upon his return, if the time for prayer has entered. And by Allah is success.
Translated by Fazil Ahmed Munir
Habib Umar bin Hafiz is a descendant of the Prophet (upon him be Allah’s peace and blessings). Born into a family of scholars, Habib Umar, pursued the sacred sciences from a young age, including Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, ‘Aqeedah, Arabic, and Spirituality. In 1994, he established Dar al-Mustafa, an educational institute in Tarim, Yemem.
يجب على هذا الطبيب أن يعرف أنها مهمة تتعلق بخدمة الإنسان وفي ذلك ثواب فليكن قاصداً له، ويوسع نيته بأن يكون من خلال مهنته أيضاً عارضاً لحقائق الإسلام في عمله ومعاملته، وداعياً إلى الله تبارك وتعالى بفعله وقوله، فيكون على حذر واحتراس من مداخل الشيطان فيما يتعلق بالبصر والقلب، وكل ما يواجهه مما يراه مخالفاً لأمر مقصده السامي وشريعته العظيمة يقابله بدواء الشريعة نفسها بمجاهدته نفسه وهواه وبذله المستطاع في سبيل ذلك.
وليستعن على ذلك بأن لا يخرج إلى مكان عمله حتى يصلي ركعتين وأن يكون عند خروجه قارئاً لآية الكرسي ولأذكار الخروج من المنزل، ثم يباشر عند عودته أيضاً شيئاً من الصلوات إن حضر وقت صلاة. وبالله التوفيق.
