Three faith-based misconceptions that are ruining your career (part 3)

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Faith and spirituality form a powerful force in human nature. They offer meaning and purpose to life, give a sense of community, and instil values and ideals to live up to that help people become better versions of themselves.

However, sometimes certain concepts in faith can be misunderstood, leading to a detrimental effect on one’s outlook on their life and career. In this article series, I will explore three misconceptions that affect your career as a Muslim working professional. Before reading this last one, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

MISCONCEPTION 3: IT’S ALL WRITTEN

This last misconception is a big one. And it is particularly crippling because it is disguised as a religious tenet that must be followed and obeyed in all circumstances. You hear this in different contexts:

• It’s all written; why should I work hard and try to get a promotion?
• It’s all written; why should I bother looking for new jobs and going to interviews?
• It’s all written; why should I plan and strategize for my business/department’s success?

Without getting into the theology behind the statement, I want to share a simple formula that should help you think about how you can interpret it in a much more positive and productive way:

Free Will + Natural Laws + Divine Decree = Outcome.

Let's break down each of these elements:

1. Free will: Muslims believe that God gave humans free will to choose which path to follow in life. This power of choice and free will separates us from other creatures, and we’re promised heaven or hellfire in the hereafter based on the choices we make in life.
2. Natural laws: Muslims believe that this world operates according to social, physical and scientific laws such as gravity, the speed of light and human behaviour in various circumstances.
3. Divine decree: Muslims believe that nothing in the universe occurs without God's permission.

Now, what does this mean in our everyday life?

Consider someone trying to find a job:

1. They have free will to choose where to apply, how to apply, when to apply, etc.
2. The natural economic law of demand and supply for human skills and other social laws come into play when getting a career.
3. You cannot get a job without God’s approval of it.

Here's the critical part. For each of these three elements, you have a responsibility to act productively and positively:

1. For Free will: You have the responsibility to think, plan, make decisions, take actions and exercise your free choice in this world.
2. For Natural laws: You have the responsibility to understand how these natural laws work for or against you and to work around that. For example, if you know that your job role is obsolete, you need to look for another career!
3. For Divine Decree: You have the responsibility to pray and ask God to permit you to achieve what you want to. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explains this concept thus: “Nothing repels Divine Decree except dua [supplication], and nothing increases one’s lifespan except good deeds.”

Understanding this is powerful on many levels, on a personal one when you realize that you have the responsibility to do all you can to achieve the goals you want in your life and career. Moreover, you must recognize that the outcome is not up to you but to God. So you need to work and pray hard to achieve the success you’re looking for.

I hope that this series on faith-based misconceptions has opened your eyes and minds to thinking of faith in a newer light. What other faith-based misconceptions have hindered your success in your professional career? Share with us below.

Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, and speaker who helps professionals and entrepreneurs achieve peak performance through productivity training and coaching. He’s the founder of ProductiveMuslim.com and author of “The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity”.

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