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52 Ways To Make A Difference:
Week 2
by Amina Cisse Muhammad
Islam Online, Washington, DC 16/01/2001
Often, when we think of how we might somehow make a difference in someone else’s life, we think of only the “big ways.” Although it is great to strive towards the ideal, we are often stopped from trying by considerations such as a lack of time and/or money, or we are discouraged because we don’t believe we will get the results that we desire.
In this weekly column, we will feature a discussion of a “small way” that each of us, as Muslims and as human beings, can seek to contribute to our families, our communities, our societies; indeed, Insha’Allah, to the world. And we urge you to take a moment to reflect on these words, and to contemplate how you might put them into action in your own life to benefit humanity. May Allah bless each and every one of us!
At a fundraising dinner for a recently formed Islamic organization, the keynote speaker, in discussing the need for more community support and participation, made reference to the “SOTDS syndrome.” Before I actually tell you what that is, I’d like to invite you to take a moment to reflect and self-assess.
Ask yourself the following question: “When I identify a problem within the Muslim community, do I typically respond in a passive (inactive), reactive (complaining, finding blame) or proactive (involved in looking for and attempting solutions) manner?”
If you answer “passive” or “reactive” to this question, consider that you are afflicted with the SOTDS – Somebody Ought To Do Something – syndrome.
The reality is that if we are not a part of efforts to develop and implement solutions for our community’s problems, we are a part of the problem. One of the biggest problems facing our Ummah today is apathy and a lack of action. Somewhere, somehow, many of us have become convinced that community building is someone else’s job… (Excerpt from “Fulfilling Our Responsibilities Towards Community Building: A Self-Assessment,” by Amina Cisse Muhammad, Muslim Community News, July 1999).
#1: Consider that, indeed, you can make a difference!
#2: Take a moment to self-reflect: are you passive, reactive, or proactive?
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