Today, I was studying for my Islamic business management class, which entails the means of business success as well as its principles, the first thing that the author mentioned was having a full grasp on the concept of Tawhid.

The whole idea and everything he used to back his observations got to me. I mean it’s true! As Islam spread throughout the world and new people entered it, the main, pure concepts got a bit hazed and tainted each time. Gradually there came a point where the Islamic practices were just left as mindless rituals.

Muslims prayed and fasted without having a purpose in their mind. And quite frankly, that’s how much of the world is today. People carry out acts of worship because “it’s a big deal” but they have no clue why it’s a big deal. Why were they commanded to offer prayer, why do they go the whole day without eating, why do they celebrate Eid, etc.?

I don’t understand how people expect to get the blessings of such acts when they don’t know the purpose behind them. They complain of not being satisfied or fulfilled with the Islamic teachings but how can they if they don’t look into the history of Islam and its teachings?

Knowledge is crucial and I claim this time and again

“Without the proper knowledge, you cannot properly practice an act and get the desired results.“

We need to understand the basic principles of Islam and instill them in our lives if we truly want to be successful in this world and the next. Deen and Dunya aren’t and should not be regarded as separate states of our lives. One without the other will keep us from reaching our true potential.

And this isn’t just in the case of religion, it’s a fact of life and happens in every field. The founders of any organization have a much closer and intimate relationship with the subject at hand than the people who enter it years later. But there are ways to prevent the lack of connection here. Knowledge and passion.

A common example is a corporate business. Those who started it or are at the top level care about the business’ success much more than any other employees they hire. The employees only really care about getting paid because they don’t have the same connection as the founders. But if they know the history of the business and its true values and they feel like a part of that whole team, they will work with passion and with the success of the business in mind.

I have so much to say about the lack of knowledge keeping us from success and our beliefs but I will save that for a post of its own.