Mohannad Hakeem

The Quran never taught us to be spectators. The companions watched the two superpowers of the time, the Romans and the Persians, going back and forth in their wars. Some were betting on who's going to win, before betting became impermissible,

There was some discussion on "picking sides", and it is obvious from some narrations that the companions favored the Romans, being people of the book.

This is one of the many proofs of prophethood and the miracles of the Quran (how could Muhammad PBUH know that the Romans will prevail within less than ten years). But there is also a very profound and timeless lesson for all the generations of the Muslims, on how to connect to Allah during times of

Ramadan is an opportunity to experience the moment of the early revelation of the Quran, as our beloved prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did.

He secluded himself, away from the noise, with little food and water, Except what he can carry to the top of Al-Noor mountain.

Musa (عليه السلام) had a similar experience before he was given the tablets, He fasted for 30 days, and Allah extended that for another ten days.

Same pattern: Seclusion + hunger = A heart open for revelation.

We need to experience Hiraa physically if we want our hearts to experience the Quran. We need that hug, that embrace from Jibril, that mix of awe and fear and joy that accompanied the first time the divine

Ep 13. Story of Musa and Life Design: The internal challenges with Bani Israel

Prophet Musa (AS) had an internal battle within his own community, which consumed his time, attention, and wellbeing. Every activist, leader, and changemaker need to bear in mind that many times the same people you're trying to help could hurt you. After being enslaved to the pharaoh, they become a mini version of the oppressor and start hurting themselves and hurting anyone who shows them the right way.

For more - feel free to watch the link to the episode in the comments section:

Ep12. The Exodus: The Drowning of Pharaoh | Life Design & Musa

Big moment in history: when Prophet Musa's staff became the direct recipient of a huge miracle: splitting the sea. The same staff that seemed to have a very minor role in his earlier life... However, when you design your life around what pleases Allah SWT, the ordinary becomes extraordinary!

This also invites us to reflect deeply on how much do we 'factor' into our life design the expectation that Allah is truly the changemaker?

When we think about challenges in our journey, we often tend to over-exaggerate the challenges, and ignore or forget that the help from Allah comes from very unlikely places.

A lot to learn from t

Ep. 11: Story of Musa and Life Design: 7 Warnings to Pharaoh: Don’t Ignore Allah’s Reminders

This episode zooms into the mind of the Pharaoh: He kept ignoring Allah's reminders and messages. He insisted on escalating his disobedience and oppression..

This may happen to us, on a much different level. We keep ignoring signs and reminders from Allah. The message is to have a sincere heart that always returns to Allah after every setback, and not escalate and insist on the path of disobedience..

Check the episode in the comments section:

Ep10. An Activist from Pharaoh’s Family | Life Design & Musa

In this episode, things escalated between Musa and the Pharaoh, leading to Phiroun announcing his intent to kill Musa. It looks like he was getting some pressure from his own community, which drove an influential man from the court to speak out.

He was hiding his faith, and was influenced by Prophet Musa's message, and he challenged the authority of the Pharaoh through a powerful speech.

Allah highlights his speech as a masterclass in speaking truth to power, and teaches us amazing lessons about articulating our points and presenting our case in front of authority.

Check the episode in the link below for more:

Ep9. Facing the Magicians: Don’t Sell Your Soul | Life Design & Musa

The story of the magicians around the Pharaoh offers a very important perspective to Muslim life designers. These magicians built a career around supporting his oppression. It raises awareness on the issue of unethical jobs and being a cog in the machine of warfare and misinformation and injustice...

But when the magicians were confronted with the real deal: the miracle of Prophet Musa's staff, they recognized the truth, and became firm believers in Musa's religion and mission. They are subject matter experts whose testimony influences the masses and shifts the public opinion.

What are some tips and reflections that yo

Ep8. Meeting the Pharaoh: Face Your Fears | Life Design & Musa's story..

Allah SWT prepared Prophet Musa (AS) for years before this encounter. He had to overcome the feeling of guilt, after killing the Egyptian man, and forgive himself after he was sure that Allah SWT forgave him.

His confidence and trust in Allah increased, His support system - brother Harun - added to the mix...

If we want to allow our lives to be truly designed by Allah, we need to trust the process. Tie our camel, put our full trust in Allah, and then move to face our fears and our enemies

For more, feel free to check the episode (link in the first comment)

Ep.7 : Story of Musa (AS) and life design - Meeting Allah SWT.. This was a peak moment in the life of Prophet Musa (AS) He was lost in the desert, and he saw that fire, and thought about finding guidance on the way to Egypt ...

He did not know that he was guided to a much bigger path, and a bigger journey ....

When we know Allah, we know ourselves, and when we dismiss Allah and take him out of the 'self-help' paradigm, we know nothing about ourselves.

This is a very powerful episode and reflection from a life design perspectibe... If this resonates with you, feel free to check the episode in the link below:

Ep.6 : Story of Musa (AS) and life design - The Shepherd's path..

This Ayah marks the beginning of a new phase in the life of prophet Musa, Very uneventful phase, no major activity if want to measure it from 'hustle culture' perspective.

But it was a needed preparation for what to come next.. In this phase, prophet Musa got introduced to the most 'boring tool' ever: his staff!

What is in a staff? nothing: 'lean on it, use it to control the sheep' ...

The staff resembles the path that many professionals take to learn new skills, build new habits, etc. but they keep asking themselves: what am I going to use these skills for? how can I help the umma with my skills?

Check the episode (l

Ep5 - Story of Prophet Musa & Life Design: Marriage ... The most critical decision in life design

Marriage could be an ultimate source of happiness, or a gateway to a downward spiral of trials and tribulations.

In the case of Prophet Musa (AS) and his wife: 1. The focus was on character: The strong, the trustworthy. 2. Marriage is part of the rizq that Allah has destined for us, and that rizq is written for you (what we refer to as naseeb). You still need to work and earn that Naseeb, but like every other form of rizq: stick to the process, detach from the outcome! 3. Need to redefine what success in the test of marriage is, and how to navigate when things don't go our way.

This is a m

Ep4 - Story of Prophet Musa & Life Design: Sins, Setbacks, and Second Chances This episode is really important for Quran-inspired life design. Mistakes are part of our journey on this earth, We will never be sin-free, otherwise we would be competing with the angels on their level, not ours.

Allah forgives all sins, as long as we turn to Him with repentence Every Single Time. But we need to forgive ourselves, and detach ourselves from the spiritual and emotional and social consequences that come with a sinful lifestyle. This is not an invitation to normalize sin, God-forbid! we still need to struggle to purify ourselves and keep working on fighting environments and reasons that lead us to

Ep3 - Story of Prophet Musa & Life Design.

What would you do if you were raised in the most corrupt palace / neighborhood / school in your city? Do you surrender to that reality, and hope that things will change by themselves? Or do you create boundaries, anchor yourself with righetous companions, and be intentional about what you take and what you leave from the system around you?

Allah protected prophet Musa during his upbringing at the palace of the pharaoh, and connected him to Bani Israel through his nursing mother (and real mother).

To watch this episode from our series, feel free to check the comments section below

Prophet Musa's Life Design journey ..

Episode 2: Change starts at home.

You may not hear this advice in the hustle culture productivity literature, that focuses on outwardly success and career aspirations. But according to the Muslim paradigm, you cannot take shortcuts! Prophet Musa had his family members by his side: His mother, His sister, His brother, Later on Assiya who adopted him ....

We need to stop looking at close family members as obstacles to our success, and search deeply, inside the box of our family (not only outside the box) for their support, their duas, and their help.. If you think this is impossible, maybe it's time to make dua to change their hearts and guide them tow

Musa's Life design..

This is a series of videos that I am sharing this Ramadan to reflect on how Allah designed the life of prophet Musa (AS), as in the Ayah: واصطنعتك لنفسي Where the word 'صناعة' refers to development, creation, manufacturing, and nurturing...

For episode (1) - see video in the comment section: The back story: The plan of the Pharaoh vs. The plan of Allah ..

The most impactful lives are designed in the middle of all the challenges and calamities. We cannot expect to hit 'pause' on such trials and tribulations until we 'figure things out'. Many times it is these challenges that bring up the best in us... In the beginning of Surat Al Qasas, Allah gives us the blueprint f

Life Design is one of the themes that I stumbled upon recently, especially as a life coach who helps Muslims optimize decisions in their lives and position themselves in a manner that creates a bigger impact in this world and the next.

There's so many inspirations from the life of Prophet Musa (AS) on this, so many profound wisdoms, duas, inspirations, and frameworks that one can derive...

But this one is really my favorite moment: when Allah told Musa: and I have selected you, conditioned you, created you and prepared you for my service. All that from one word in Arabic: واصطنعتك - which is derived from صناعة - the act of designing, manufacturing, conditioning, and producing someone or so

I gave this khutba at the Muslim Unity Center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA . This was the first Friday after the new year (2025), and I tried to summarize a lot of messages about Barakah-oriented time management principles. I strongly recommend taking the time to listen to the whole speech. But here’s some key takeaways in case you didn’t have the 'time' - pun intended:

(1) One of the Signs of the day of judgment is the actual - or metaphoric - shrinkage of time. Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'The Hour will not be established until time passes rapidly, such that a year is like a month, a month is like a week, a week is like a d

The Quran on dealing with fear!

Sharing this reflection from Lebanon in the first week in August of 2024, on the verge of another Israeli attack, We held a session of our

​ ​, and had folks join us from different parts of the world: US, UK, India, Afghanistan, etc. During the same week: there was political unrest in the UK, Overthrowing of a dictator in Bengladesh, ongoing war in Gaza, and the list goes on...

What was common among all of our experiences: each and every one of us had something to be fearful from, This life is not meant to be Jannah, and we will continue to experience some level of fear, until we meet Allah, and until we hear from the angels: 'Do not F

This assembly of souls all took place at the mountain of Arafa, When all the souls of mankind gathered to testify to the Oneness of Allah, In a sense, the day of arafa becomes the day when we press the 'reset' button on everything that distanced us from that Fitra, and we try to go back to the original operating system of tawheed,

Here's a podcast I recorded recently where we dive into the spiritual implications of the day of Arafa:

PS: If these reflections resonated with you, there is more at

, where I provide online courses that explore how Quranic wisdom can shape the way we live and think.

As we try to navigate the post-Ramadan phase of our lives, need to reflect on three faith-inspired productivity principles: 1) Managing our emotions - especially happiness and gratitude towards good deeds 2) Emotions on wheels - the power of having routines and structures 3) Detach from results - Attach to Allah

Pls check the following post-Ramadan reflection for More:

I ask Allah to make it of benefit.