Should I Examine Myself for the Leadership Position I Have Been Given?
Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas
Question
I have recently gone through the videos for the Islamic Activism certificate – I just had a question regarding what you do when you are given a role that you do not think you are fit for.
For example, within a student ISOC (I think they are referred to as MSA’s in the states and canada?) – and also a role where you have implicitly accepted in a couple months ago for the next upcoming academic year. Now on reflection – you just don’t think you are right for it and will not be the right person for the community.
Answer
Scrutinizing oneself in this manner is a good sign. It demonstrates that you are not simply flinging yourself into a leadership position or covetous of it. Leadership is a responsibility and trust, even for something as minor as an ISOC position.
In cases where you are doubting yourself in the manner you describe, you need to be clear regarding why you believe you are not the right person. You also need to weigh the positives and benefits of entering into such a role. The best way to come to an informed decision about this is to consult people around you who know you – especially those who are learned, pious individuals who have experience with such positions.
You should also perform istikhara and ask Allah to guide you to what is best for you and the community. And if you decide to accept such a position, do not become lax in self-scrutinizing yourself, asking Allah for tawfiq, consulting others, and seeking Allah’s forgiveness constantly.
[Ustadh] Salman Younas
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Salman Younas, Born and raised in New York, graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman. There, he studied Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir. He is now in the final year of his PhD at Oxford University, looking at the early evolution of the Hanafi madhab.
His teachers include Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Salah Abu’l Hajj, Shaykh Ashraf Muneeb, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Hamza Karamali, Shaykh Ahmad Snobar, Shaykh Ali Hani, Shaykh Hamza Bakri, Ustadh Rajab Harun, and others.
Ustadh Salman’s interests include research into the fields of law/legal methodology, hadith, and theology, as well as political theory, government, media, and ethics. He is also an avid traveler and book collector. He currently resides in the UK with his wife.
