Significance of planning in Islam,Personal development plan, Planning in Islamic organization for its short term and long term goals

2. INTRODUCTION
• The setting of goals, making plans and designing
strategies to assure the accomplishment of objectives
are all Islamic Sunnah.
• This is according to the Qur'an and the practice of
Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
• Planning, therefore, must be at the center of a
Muslim's life, in all his or her moral, political, social and
economic activities.
• Unfortunately, this precious Sunnah, however, is not
apparent in the lives and activities of the Muslims
today.
• It is the absence of this Sunnah that has contributed
much to our failures and suffering.

3. Planning in the Holy Qur'an
• The Holy Qur'an teaches the Muslims to be
strategists and planners in their affairs.
• It shows this in a number of ways:
1. Through the stories of the prophets,
2. The law of Allah (swt) in nature
3. In praising the people of vision and foresight.

4. Prophet Musa (AS)
• . When Allah commanded Moses to go to Egypt and
call the Pharaoh to God, Moses accepted the order
and spelled out his plans
•
• "Moses said: Oh my Lord! Expand my chest (with
faith, knowledge and affection); ease my task for me; and
remove the impediment from my speech, so they may
understand what I say: and give me a minister of my
family, Aaron, my brother; add to my strength through
him, and make him share my task." Taha, 20:25-32

5. Three major elements of Musa’s plan
1. Moses prepared himself for Dawah by his
willingness to open his heart and mind to receive
deeper faith and wisdom
2. The second element in Prophet Moses' planning
was to deal with a problem of communication
3. Third element in Moses' plan was a matter of
logistics and support: human elements and tools
required to support him in carrying out his
mission. For this reason, his plan included his
brother Aaron.

6. Prophets Ibrahim, Isaac and Jacob
• The plans drawn by Prophet Abraham (p) in
building the Kaaba, and earlier, in breaking the
idols, are fascinating.
• Prophet Jacob (p) plans in sending his sons to find
their brothers Joseph and Benjamin, are
inspirations for Muslims to plan their tasks and
affairs wisely.
• "And commemorate Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, possessors of power and vision...they were, in Our Sight, of
the company of the Elect and Good.“ Saad,45-47

7. Plans of Allah (swt) in His creation
• "Verily, all things have We created in (planned)
proportion and measure.“ Al Qamar, ayah, 49
• "No misfortune can happen on earth or in your
souls but is recorded in a plan before We bring it
into existence.“ Hadid:22

8. A Good Plan is like Goodly
Word like Goodly Tree
• "See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly word like a goodly
tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens. It
brings forth its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord….and the parable of
an evil word is that of an evil tree; it is uprooted from the surface of the
earth: it has no stability. Allah will establish in strength those who believe
with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter.“
Ibrahim,24-27

9. Planning in the Sunnah
• For his migration to Yathrib (Medina), we see many
instances of his careful and well thought-out planning
at every step of the way
• He devised a secret plan with his closest companion
• Abdullah Ibn Uraqitt, a guide was hired for the journey
• A camel load of food and drinks was prepared
• Asma, Abu-Bakr's daughter and her brother Abdullah
were to provide him and their father with food and
news in their hiding place
• 'Aamir Ibn Faheerah was to graze the heard of sheep
behind Asma' or Abdullah to destroy their foot prints
• They headed south instead of north and hid in the cave
of Thour south of Makkah for 3 days

10. Caliph, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab
• "For your worldly affairs, construct your plans based
on the assumption that you are going to live forever
• As for the work reserved for the Hereafter,
construct your plans based on the assumption that
you are going to die tomorrow."

11. What is planning?
• Planning is a way of charting our course to get to
our goals.
• On the way to our goal, we tend to get off the
highway into the side streets.
• Planning and then controlling keeps us on the
course
• If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.

12. Process of planning

13. Benefits of a Plan

14. Organizational Goals
• Goal is a desired state of affairs which the
organization attempts to realize
• This is affected in part by the goals of :
1. Elected leadership,
2. Rank and file membership
3. Muslim community in general
• Goals of Islamic organization are based upon:
1. Injunctions of Quran
2. Teachings of the Prophet (SAW)
3. Practice of the Shura in the organization

15. Plans
Types of Plans
Individual Organization
Personal Family Society Strat Tactic
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16. I-Personal Development Plan
• Principles of Success in Islam
 Obeying Allah (SWT) and His Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (saw)
Allah, the Exalted, says “... whoso obeys Allah and His (Prophetic) Messenger, He
(Allah) will make him enter Gardens (in Paradise) underneath which rivers flow, to
abide therein. And that is the great success.” (4:13)
 Desiring the reward of the Hereafter
“Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him
increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his deeds),
We give him thereof (what is decreed for him), and he has no portion in the
Hereafter.” (42:20)
 Small actions done with consistency
A'isha (ra) said that Rasulullah (saw) said : "The deeds most loved by Allah SWT (are
those) done regularly, even if they are small". (Bukhari, Muslim )
 Allah SWT will judge hearts and actions
Abu Hurayra 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Sakhr said that the Messenger of Allah (saw), said,
"Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms but He looks at your hearts and
your actions

17. Conditions for the Deeds to be accepted
 Actions are but by intentions
• 'Umar b. al-Khattab narrated that the Prophet (S) said: Deeds
are [a result] only of the intentions [of the actor],and an
individual is [rewarded] only according to that which he
intends…” (Bukhari and Muslim)
 Self-Control and Purification of the Nafs (soul, the psyche,
the ego, self, heart or mind) “By the Soul, and the proportion
and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong
and its right;- Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails
that corrupts it!” (Qur’an 91: 7-10)
 Qalb-e-Saleem (Immaculate Conscience)
• “The day on which property will not avail, nor sons. Except
him who comes to Allah with a heart free (from evil).” (26:88-
89)

18. Value of Time
• The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to divide his
time in three main portions at home:
• o Time for Devotion to Allah SWT
• o Time for Family Needs
• o Time for Personal Needs (divided into 2 parts)
Self
Other people
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "There are two
things that people are not aware of how important
they are: health and time."

19. A Muslim’s responsibilities towards time
• 1. Ensuring benefit from time
• 2. Utilizing leisure time
• 3. Racing for good deeds
• 4. Learning from the passage of time
• 5. Seeking the superior times
• 6. Planning and organizing time
• 7. Fulfillment of time commitments
• 8. Necessary awareness of time wasters

20. CONTRACT FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• I, ____________________ make a commitment to myself in _________ (year)
• to set on a life-long journey of self-development with a sincere commitment to
• improve myself in all areas of my life and to work towards attaining my ultimate
• goal: ______________________________________________________________
• By developing a self-development plan that includes Tazkiyah-al-Nafs
• (Purification of the Soul), Tarbiyah (Character Development), Taleem
• (Knowledge), Taffakur and Tadabbur (Reflection and Contemplation) I want to
• ensure my success in both this life and the Hereafter.
• I commit to:
• Being honest in my evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses
• Reviewing my goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis
• Staying focused and avoiding a self-defeated attitude
• Seeking guidance from Quran and Sunnah
• Supplicating for steadfastness and patience
• Seeking assistance through Salah
• Acting on the knowledge I gain and propagating it
• Date Signed: _________________ (d/m/y)
• Contractor Signature: ___________________

21. Personal Development areas
A-Individual
• Ibadah Salah (Prayer)
Zakat (Charity)
Fasting (Sawm)
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
• Increasing Islamic Knowledge
• Building Personal Skills
• Time & Money Sacrifices
• Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
• Reading Books (Focus: Individual)

22. B-Family:
• Family Development
• Reading Books (Focus: Family)
C-Society
• One-to-One Relationships,
Muslim and Non-Muslim
• Social Responsibility / Dawah Activities
• Reaching out to other Muslims
• Participating in the Muslim Community
• Reading Books (Focus: Society)

23. SALAT (Prayer)
Current 6 Level 1 yr Level
Status month Achieved goal Achieved
goal
Fard (obligatory) Salat
Juma’h (Friday) Salat
Salat in Jama’ah (congregation)
Quality of Salat
Other aspects of my Salat I want to improve
Comments:
Meanings of Duas (prayers) read in Salat
Sunnah (recommended) Prayers

24. ZAKAT, SAWM (Fasting), HAJJ
Current 6 Level 1 year Level
status month achieved goal achieved
goal
Have I calculated my Zakat?
When will I give Zakat this year?
How will I distribute my Zakat?
How many fasts do I keep during
Ramadan?
Have I performed the Hajj?
When will I perform the Hajj?

25. Additional opportunities I want to strive to
include
Current 6 Level 1 yr Level
Status month Achieved goal Achieved
goal
Fasts on the 9/10 or 10/11 of
Muharram
Fast on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah
Six Days in the month of
Shawwal
Performing Umrah
Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque

26. INCREASING ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE
Current 6 month Level 1 year Level
status goal achieved goal achieved
Quran Reading on a weekly basis
Arabic recitation of the Quran
Pronounciation of the Surah
Biography of the Prophet
Islamic History
Islamic Magazines
Other ways I plan to increase my knowledge of Islam
Study of Hadeeth
Study of Islamic Literature
Studying the commentaries of the
Quran
Memorizing recommended Duas
(prayers) read during the course of the
day

27. Working together with others to increase
our knowledge
• Whether with a friend or a teacher, much can be
gained when working together
• Encouraging each other
• Reminding each other to continue to work towards
our goals. Comments:
• Keep track of the people and what progress they
have helped with
Who I’ve Studied With Topic(s) Began Ended Achieved?

28. BUILDING PERSONAL SKILLS
Current 1 year Level
status goal achieved
Can I give a speech or lead a study circle session?
Can I plan/research material for a speech or
discussion?
Can I plan/research material for a speech or
discussion?
Do I feel comfortable asking for information?
How are my writing skills?
How are my reading skills?
Do I communicate or write to the elected leaders?
How are my Internet skills?
Am I comfortable initiating/maintaining informal discussions

29. TIME & MONEY SACRIFICES
• Time Sacrifices
I need to… By doing… Began Succeeded Continuing
by… by…
Money Sacrifices
I need to… By doing… Began Succeeded Continuing
by… by…

30. MAINTAINING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Current 1 year Level
status goal achieved
Do I have an exercise program in place?
How much walking do I do?
Is my diet balanced?
How should I change my diet to better balance it?
Which sports do I regularly participate in?
What outdoor activities do I do?
Do I smoke or use any tobacco products?
Do I have regular medical checkups/consultations?
Do I wear a seatbelt?
Do I promote healthy lifestyles?
Other activities I plan to develop

31. FAMILY
Current 6 Level 1 year Level
status month achieved goal achieved
goal
Family Discussion on Islam
Praying Together
Reducing Watching TV
Discussing problems/issues of members
Reducing ‘distance’ between members
Knowing every member’s activities
Distribution of responsibilities
Encouraging Family Members to Improvements
Who Working on … Began 6 1 year
month level
level

32. ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIPS
• Develop and build relationships that create:
• Dialogs with non-Muslims
• Help fellow Muslims improve themselves.
• Keep track of the progress of discussions,
• Note the ‘successes’ and the ‘difficulties; in each
relationship
Name: Type of Relationship:
Non-
Muslim/Friend/Coworker/Neighbor/Family
Subjects Discussed
Progress Made
Problem Areas
Comments:

33. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY / DAWA ACTIVITIES
• As American Muslims, we must do what we can for
the betterment of the society in which we live.
• There are many ‘causes’ we can volunteer time for ,
donate some money , or merely participate in.
• Keep track of involvement/participation below
Cause/Task Benefiting whom? Date

34. REACHING OUT TO OTHER MUSLIMS
Current 6 Level 1 year Level
status month achieved goal achieved
goal
How often do I go to the masjid weekly?
How many Salah I perform with
congregation daily?
How often do I go to an Islamic lecture
(monthly)?
How often do I invite Muslims to my home
per month?
How often do I visit other Muslims’
homes per month?
How often do I participate in activities at
the masjid per month?
How many Islamic organizations do I belong
to?

35. Types of Plans
• A- Strategic or Long Term Plan:
• Lays down organization’s primary direction and
priorities
• Make decisions systematically with knowledge of
their future impact
• Organizing efforts needed to carry out decisions
• Measuring results of the decisions against
expectations through regular feed back
• Keep in mind the organization’s external
environment shaped by social, political and
economic factors

37. Two Sets of Factors for Strategic Plans
A- Uncontrollable Factors B-Controllable Factors
Population Trends Budget Allowances
Political Issues Dawah Priorities
Strategic Planning Process

38. Stages in Formulating & Implementing
Strategic Plan

39. The benefits of strategic planning
• •Clearly defining the purpose of an organization and
establishing realistic goals and objectives.
• •Providing a structured document to communicate the
intentions of the organization to members
• •Providing an action plan with systematic identification of
the time, resources, skills and abilities required to achieve
targets.
• •Providing a rationale and understanding for the potential
impact of the plan and its objectives.
• •Developing realistic goals and objectives to strive for.
• •Developing strong values that define what your
organization stands for.
• •A framework for structuring divisions, departments and
teams to suit your organizations goals and objectives

40. B-Tactical or Short Range Planning
• Provide year to year guidelines for the operations of
the organization
• Delineates step by step methodology by which they
are to be carried out
• It supports strategic plan and provides charter
related to future
• It can be broken down into very specific targets or
immediate action plans lasting 1-30 days

41. Jurisdiction
• We must plan for the entire
organization and each unit. Both must
MISSION
be compatible CENTER
• Planning process works in two ways:
1. Top to bottom-Mission determines
the planning framework and
ZONAL UNITS
priorities. This is to be communicated
NEEDS
to the units.
2. Bottom to top-Knowing members
REGIONAL UNITS
and units needs and roles determines
activity at grass root level. This info is
woven into unit plan. It is sent to the
center. Unit plans are reflected in LOCAL UNITS
central plan.

42. MBO (Management by objectives)planning
• MBO determines: Who is going to do What, How
and When

43. 4 Steps to MBP Planning
• A-Prepare:
a. State the objectives clearly and specifically
b. Collect facts, data, opinions and experiences of
others which bear on these objectives
c. Consult with those involved with the plan or its
execution, directly or indirectly.
d. Consult with other knowledgeable or original
thinkers who may not be involved.

44. B-Decide
a. Analyze all the data and construct scenarios with
every possible consequence. Do not let the limited
resources put constraints upon you at this stage.
Resources can be expanded.
b. Develop alternate courses of actions. Each course
of action must lead to desired objectives
c. Evaluate alternatives and choose the best
d. Consider availability of resources, present and
potential
e. Set standards which are realistic, feasible and for
which you could gather measurable data

45. C-Communicate
a. Decide who will be directly or remotely involved
with the plan using information gathered about
the targeted audience.
b. Select and implement the best methods to
communicate the plan to them.
c. Check and be sure that everyone involved
understands the accepts the plan.
d. Allow flexibility in the way the plan assignments
are carried out.

46. D-Control
a. Set up check points to evaluate the program. Are
we on target or not?
b. Compare actual results with anticipated ones.
c. Be sure to distinguish between deviations caused
by uncontrollable factors and those caused by
inadequate implementation of plan.
d. Take remedial actions when necessary. Revise
current targets if not achievable or change the
whole plan if needed.

47. Effectiveness of Planning
• Pre Planning Considerations:
a. We can not plan to do more than our projected
resources
b. We must be bold in breaking new grounds and
conceiving new programs for the coming years
• Centralized and Decentralized Planning
a. Centralized- This is a pyramid process. President
sets goals, standards, results expected , provides
info and training the members need, explain
procedures for action, develops and improves
current methodology and applies discipline to
ensure that everyone implements overall plan.

48. B-Decentralized Plan
• President and governing body consult with
membership at various stages of planning
• Information is freely accessible
• Training is more of a supervised on the job learning
type.
• Members are not forced out of the organization if
they make mistakes
• They are strongly urged to learn from their
mistakes.

49. Characteristics of Effective Plans
1. Plan is to be specific to motivate the members to
concrete action
2. Plans must be action oriented neither too easy not
too difficult.
3. Plans must be flexible. Greater the number of
uncontrollable factors the more flexible the plan.
4. Plans must be consistent with the goals of the
Muslim community at large

50. Tips for Effective Planning
• Plans that are carried out are made by people who will
be responsible for their execution
• All participants must share common world view
• Planners must focus first on what rather on how.
• Planning chair should withhold addressing how till the
planning group is excited about the evident needs and
the future opportunities.
• It is important to identify truly fundamental goals and
design few basic strategies to achieve them
• Planning demands research and deep thinking
• To benefit from plan remember *Plan*Do*Check
• Plan must be designed to yield results within
constraints of *Time*People*Money*Value Systems

51. The Q 8 Scheme
• In order to prepare an action plan following 8
questions are to be answered.
1. What- is the objective of this planning effort?
2. Why is this objective meaningful?
3. Who is the implementer and audience of the plan?
4. How will they achieve objectives and evaluate?
5. When will the implementation be most effective?
6. Where will the activity/event be most effective?
7. At what cost, in people, time, money will it work?
8. To what benefit, overall, is the plan directed?