Past, Present & Future - Me, Myself & My Research

Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you),

I was watching the RSA Animate of Professor Philip Zimbardo's talk on 'The Secret Powers of Time' and several things got me thinking.

1. The Past

Am I a 'Past-oriented' person? Growing up, I used to be 'past positive' but then at some point, I probably became more of a 'past negative'.

Mistakes and regrets are norms of life. Though they dent our past, they do not define us. We define ourselves by what we do next, i.e. how we correct our mistakes or avoid doing the things that leads to those feelings of regret. <---This paragraph is the easy part, the writing.

The harder bit is the correcting or avoiding. My life, alhamdulillah, is relatively blessed. Those who I interviewed in my research, those living in poverty, face a challenge I can only write about. Whether they were born into poverty or fell into the poverty trap, it is a paramount challenge for them, to overcome. If some made mistakes when they were younger or naive, how do they correct their wrongs now. What can they do? Who will help them? Alhamdulillah, I live in a country where zakat plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and I hope it continues.

2. The Present

I'm trying to be more future-oriented than before. At present, that's my new year resolution. But before I talk about the future, let me dwell on the present. 

Three bits are on my mind these days. Not surprisingly, my research is one of them. Being realistic, I'm cautious on whether it will be a truly applied research, or bring about changes that I initially intended. Currently, I just hope it adds to the discussion on zakat, awqaf and personal finance. It is after all, the synergistic discussion of a single topic that advances the way we see our world differently, do things better or re-invent old concepts.

Another bit on my mind is my late beloved grandmother. She passed away around this time last year, and she's a true inspiration. She usually prays for us, grandchildren, to do well in our studies and life. I miss her & I pray she is granted Jannah. Amin. Al-fatihah.

"...To Allah we belong and to Him is our return." (2: 156)

3. The Future

Our return.

In my understanding, in Islam, the bigger picture is that this life on earth is transitory. We are no more than a traveller living in a transient world, doing good where we can & avoiding evil as ever.

The same context applies in Islamic financial planning. Although in conventional financial planning, the future can be related to planning for children's education and retirement, it is somewhat different in Islamic financial planning. As Muslims, the future is the eternal hereafter, and in the realm of Islamic financial planning that should include understanding the role of zakat and awqaf to enhance that future. For instance, related to ongoing charity/awqaf, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Whence a child of Adam dies, his/her deed comes to an end except for three things: an ongoing sadaqah, knowledge that benefits (others), and a righteous child who prays for him/her."

In terms of deeds, what better deed that one that does not end. In terms of my research, the question would be how can social finance benefit more from personal finance, zakat and awqaf combined. In the contemporary financial world we live in, with the savings and pensions issues, how can we create an interwoven zakat, awqaf and personal financial system that benefits all of us, both the rich and the poor, both in this world and the next?

If you have a thought on this, drop me a line or email.


Take care,
A. Umar