Muslim Life Hackers
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Muslim Life Hackers
How Growing Yourself Uplifts the Entire Ummah
In this episode, Mifrah explores the interconnectedness of personal growth and how it affects the ummah. She addresses why we struggle to grow and also shares the story behind the ‘Growth Retreat’, the upcoming experiential learning experience taking place in Sri Lanka in February 2025.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:18 The Impact of Global Events on Personal Growth
00:42 The Role of the Ummah in Personal Development
02:05 Faith-Based Personal Development
03:00 Challenges in Personal Growth
03:28 The Importance of Environment and Social Circle
05:22 Turning Knowledge into Action
05:50 Introducing the Growth Retreat
05:53 Experiential Learning and Personal Growth
06:48 The Power of Play and Active Engagement
07:45 Who is this Retreat for?
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🏖️ This episode is sponsored by Sisters Explore, a company I founded to offer guided small-group travel for Muslim women to connect, explore, and enjoy faith-centered journeys. Learn more at http://www.sisters-explore.com
Disclaimer: Some links in this description are affiliate links.
Asalamu Alaikum, Muslim Life Hackers, and welcome to the show.I'm your host, Mifrah Mahroof, and today's episode, I'm going to be sharing with you something very close to my heart. It's a project that's been brewing in the background, and it's been inspired by a longing that many of us are feeling at the moment. So right now, as you all know, the situation which is happening, the ummah to our brothers and sisters in Gaza, I know that Muslim Life Hackers is all about personal growth and becoming the best version of ourselves. And I don't really get into the political issues, but the ummah is one body. So when something like this is happening, it is going to affect us. It is going to affect our personal growth. We realize that our actions are connected and it has an impact to the entire ummah, then that is real personal growth. It's not just individual. And I know that the whole mainstream, secular personal development tells us, Hey, it's all about you. You're the best, blah, blah, blah. But the thing is, it's not really the case. Our growth, how best we show up is going to affect the entire ummah as well. So right now with what is happening, obviously there are things directly that we can do, the boycott, the protesting and everything that's within our means. That is one thing, but another thing that is also very important to do is something that's very long term. So that is becoming the best version of ourselves. Because the thing is, the ummah is one body. And when you actually look at a body, that a body is made up of different parts. So you have your organs, it's made up of different organs. So the thing is, when we be the best of ourselves, we can be that healthy organ in the body that's actually supporting it's healing, supporting its strength rather than something that's bringing it down. So that is a choice that we can all make, whether we want to be that person who wants to be the reason for the success of the ummah or be the reason for its downfall and failure. So for the downfall and failure of that body, really, there is no middle way. Based on that, my work here in Muslim Life Hackers has always been how can I bring faith based personal development content to the Muslim audience. Something that's in line with our values and it's not just about this life, but it's also it keeps the hereafter in mind. And this podcast has been the fruits of that intention. However. When I decided to relaunch this podcast again, so for those who are new to this channel and not aware, Muslim Life Hackers started back in 2013 and it started then and then I was running it for some years. I paused it and then I came back again last year actually. The scene had really changed a lot. So, MashaAllah, there've been so many amazing coaches and personal development content. So it wasn't like 2013, right? So the content is there. If you want to know how to do something, you can easily find it in YouTube, Podcast, Instagram, the info is there. But what I found is that all of the information was there, people weren't really changing, we were still struggling with how we can be the best version of myself. And myself included, I mean, I'm not putting myself on a higher pedestal, I have been through the struggles, and I also continue to have my challenges. So when I noticed that I started thinking, okay, well, what is it? We have the information, but what I found was missing was the environment. So our environment remained the same. So even though we're consuming this information on social media and everywhere, we still stayed in the same environment. We still had the same grind, we had our routine and work, home, work, home, house chores, never ending, right? And that environment just kept us comfortable. It just kept us with this whole safety that hey, I don't really need to change because I'm comfortable. Like I know what to do, right? I know what I need to do, but hey, like things are comfortable. To change you have to be uncomfortable, right? Because like it's something that is different. It's different to the routine and routine makes us feel safe. So that was one reason I saw that stopped us, that was an obstacle to growing, right? And the other obstacle I also noticed was having that social circle. So what happens is that we might find ourselves in community groups or friend groups or just who were around and they kind of just happy with the way things are, you know, let me work, let me have the kids, have the house and that whole thing and not really interested in growing or doing more for the sake of Allah. And so that kind of rubs off on you and there is a difference when you are around other brothers and sisters who are growing for the sake of Allah. And the type of conversations you have is different. It's not about, Hey, things are so expensive these days. And I used to buy this nappies for like$10 and now it's$20 or something. Like it's not these conversations when you're around other growth minded people, the conversations are more like, Hey, you know, I've noticed this has been happening and what can we do about it? And how can we maneuver change? And so our environment really plays an important role in how good we can be, because remember, right, that whole quote about, you are the sum of the five people that you surround yourself with. So there is that. And the third obstacle I noticed was that, we weren't turning the knowledge that we know, so all that information we were reading, consuming the books, the podcasts and everything, it wasn't turning into action in our life. And so when you put these three things together, so the first one being the environment, the community, and also the lack of action, then we found ourselves stuck. And although we know what we need to do, we're just not doing it right. So that is why I decided to create the Growth Retreat. So the Growth Retreat is a six day experiential learning experience happening in person in Sri Lanka for six sisters. So what I wanted to bring in this retreat is really to target those three things, give you a new environment. So somewhere you can just like step into, disconnect from your current environment and connect with something new so that you can be able to get more perspective on your life. The other thing that I also wanted to offer through this retreat is friendships and other growth minded sisters, so that you can be able to experience how it feels like to be in a circle of other people who also want to be their best version of themselves. So in this retreat, We're going to be acting on the knowledge that we have. So those habits that we know we should have in our life, the foundational habits, for example, morning, evening Adhkar. These things we are going to implement it. And the way I decided to do this retreat is really blend in my strengths that I have of creating travel experiences, something that I absolutely love and combining that with personal growth I want to do this all with the whole intention of doing it for the sake of Allah, and having fun as well, because there is so much to learn when we are engaged in play. For example, when you see children, they learn from play, they learn from experiencing things. And that's what I want to bring through this retreat. So it's not going to be sitting down in a meeting hall in a hotel. No, we are going to be getting out of that. I am anti just sitting down whole day kind of thing, because the thing is, if I want to sit down, I can actually do that locally here and go to a class or something, right? And so what we're going to be doing is we're going to be getting out, we're going to be experiencing different things and all with that mindset on how I can grow, how can I be the best version of myself, right? So who is this retreat for? So this retreat is for you if you are ready to unplug. So the digital work can be very overwhelming and really blur things in our life, like what is our priority? Where am I going in life? And I want you to be able to have the opportunity to disconnect from that and then connect to the creations of Allah SWT and be in the present moment. Because when you are, you will get better perspective and benefit from that. So this retreat is also for you if you thrive with hands on experiences. So if you want to step back from those zoom calls and you just want to experience life and see what it can teach you about your life, then The growth retreat will be the place that will facilitate that. This retreat is also for if you feel stuck in your life right now, you could be someone who has been really into personal growth. You've hit those goals, you've been successful, and now you're stuck. It's like everything's happened. Like, what's next? What can I do? How can I be better for the sake of Allah? This, in the growth retreat, You can be able to get that space and get that environment to help you uncover that next version of yourself. And finally, this growth retreat is for you if you crave real life community. So you want to be around other women who understand you, who are on the same journey and who uplift and encourage you. So as I said earlier, this retreat, I intentionally decided to leave it to six sisters. So the reason I kept it to a small number is that there's just something special when there is a small group of people compared to when there's like, a travel group of say, like 50 people or something. It's just feels very overwhelming, like a lecture theater. I want to keep this as a small, intimate circle where you will come to the growth retreat. You will uncover parts of yourself that you didn't know existed and you can leave home with friends and memories for life. So this retreat is really an opportunity to invest in yourself and move towards becoming the best version of yourself. Because no matter where we are, There is always a better version of ourselves And if the more of us could become strong believers who are really using the gifts that Allah SWT has given us, then our ummah will benefit as well. So if you feel that you want to be part of this opportunity, and you feel like you have some obstacles in your path, then I would encourage you to make that intention and make du'a to Allah SWT that he opens the way because anything is possible when you ask through him, but it all starts off first when we make that intention that we want to go. So if you don't want it, that's fine, you don't have to, but if you do want it, then I encourage you to ask Allah SWT to open up a way for you. So what's going to happen after you book your spot is we're going to be scheduling a call together and we're going to be speaking about the logistics and all the next steps that needs to be done. So I'm going to make this personalized, make it special. I'm not really a fan of the mass market approach. So for me, creating experiences is something that makes my heart sing. So it's actually one of my strengths and something that I enjoy doing. And I want to make this a special experience for you. So, after we speak, InshaAllah, I will meet you there in Sri Lanka. And then you will be transferred to the hotels there, and we will start our growth retreat. So we will be going through multiple cities, and I have amazing itinerary planned, and beautiful places we're going to be staying in, and I can't wait to host you there. I've been Sri Lanka many times. So I was born in Sri Lanka, actually. So it's a place that holds a special place in my heart. And I look forward to actually welcoming you there and facilitating this growth experience. So I hope you can be one of those six sisters. If you feel drawn to this opportunity and you want to be a part of it, then pray your Ishaqara prayer and take the next step, whether that's booking your spot, or even reaching out to me for a chat. I'm here. You can be able to reach me through Instagram, or you can be able to email me as well. So let me know, and I really hope to meet you in Sri Lanka. Take care, and I will speak to you soon. Asalamu Alaikum.
