Zubayer Hossain

08/12/2024

If you don't know your worth, find it.

Once you know your worth, stop downplaying yourself. You've done it for way too long.

05/08/2024

VICTORY IS OURS!!!! ❤️🇧🇩✊ ALHAMDULILLAH! BEGINNING OF A FREE BANGLADESH!

22/06/2024

22.6.24

Today, I was blessed enough to witness Mohamed Hijab in person at Universiti Malaya, after 7byears of watching his material online. Amazing session, to say the least. He did not disappoint. Absolutely mesmerising.

Here's the summary of what we've learned today: (credits to Mohammad Al Aubasani)

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Talk Summary
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1. Arnold J. Toynbee - referred to the islamic civilization as a sleeping giant

- a giant has lots of consequential power

2. Samuel P. Huntington: a critic of islamic civilization said : "if you had islamic unity the world would be a safer place" as power would be spread more evenly.

3. As America is currently a hegemonic power it acts as a bully, example the Palestinian conflict

4. Le****ns have the highest rate of domestic violence, researchers says the power is equally divided among the spouses.

5. Best way to defend our ummah is to gain strength. Unity is required for strength.

6. For unity we need to control jealousy and resentment, ( a lot of in fighting happens due to jealousy)

Example the story of the sons of Adam

{ لَىِٕنۢ بَسَطتَ إِلَیَّ یَدَكَ لِتَقۡتُلَنِی مَاۤ أَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطࣲ یَدِیَ إِلَیۡكَ لِأَقۡتُلَكَۖ إِنِّیۤ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ }
[Surah Al-Māʾidah: 28]

If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of all worlds,

7. Jealousy is removed through gratitude, (western academia talks about the benefits of gratitude journaling)
Sit-down an enumerate the blessings of Allah.

{ وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَاۤۗ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومࣱ كَفَّارࣱ }
[Surah Ibrāhīm: 34]

"and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you tried to count God’s favours you could never calculate them: man is truly unjust and ungrateful."

8. Imam Ghazali in Ihya ulum uddin dedicated an entire book/chapter on Jealousy, paraphrased: "when someone is jealous of someone else, they are not happy with the distribution of Allah"

9. Empathy demolishes resentment and hatred, i.e. wearing the other person's shoes. Empathy is also a strategic advantage. Non-ability to emphasise is a disability.

10. Forgiveness is a courageous and powerful thing to do. After forgiveness we move onto the next step.

11. Resentment just eats the person from inside.

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QNA
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1. Unity bit when it comes to different sects in islam?

{ ... وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَ ٰ⁠نِۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ }
[Surah Al-Māʾidah: 2]

"... help one another to do what is right and good; do not help one another towards sin and hostility. Be mindful of God, for His punishment is severe."

Context is King:
Very much dependent on context, we can unite even with non-muslims for goodness, like the Palestinian cause. But sometimes like marriage between sunni & shia might cause confusion for the child, so it wouldn't be recommended.

2. Difference between western understanding of gratitude and islamic understanding.

When talking about gratitude journaling in the west, there is no object of gratitude, leaving the gratitude incomplete.

Which is different from that in islam, where the ultimate object of gratitude is Allah.

Also,
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah.

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4811

3. People can be combative, we shouldn't try to get rod of that nature, but try to make an appropriate outlet. Example: Mohammed Hijab makes a obedience competition with his 3 children. And they compete with each other aggressively to be the most obedient to get the obedience belt.

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QNA continued
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4. The nature of the relationship between Allah and his subjects, humans?

He talked a lot,

The relationship is a balance between fear and hope (love). But love of Allah is the strongest emotion the Human can have.

Also,
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "(Allah wrote) 'My Mercy dominated My Wrath".

https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:419

5. Talking about the Right in Malaysia.

It is nothing compared to the far-right present in the west. The western far-Right are far more extremist and intolerant compared to the islamic Right in Malaysia.

Defeating thier claims that tolerance towards non-muslim moniroties won't exist in a muslim majority country.

6. How to be empathetic towards the IDF and Israeli ministers?

Empathy doesn't mean to agree, but rather it means to put yourself in the other person's shoes. For example, we can try to put ourselves in the shoes of a psychopath (IDF soldier) and empathise with them to try to understand thier motives and actions.

7. Question about freewill islamic understanding vs western understanding.

Long answer, Hijab said refer to this,
https://sapienceinstitute.org/wrestling-with-free-will-reflections-on-divine-and-human-freedom/

8. How to build unity in the home?

Step one, generosity. Being statically generous, example, Hijab rewarding his children for good behaviour such as the children are being generous with each other.

9. I forgot the question, but important points,

Don't intrept the enemy when he's making a mistake.
Also,
Don't intrept the enemy when he's helping you.

10. Regarding guidance, if you're truly sincere and ask Allah to guide you, Allah will guide you.

{ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِی عَنِّی فَإِنِّی قَرِیبٌۖ أُجِیبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِی وَلۡیُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِی لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡشُدُونَ }
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 186]

"[Prophet], if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to those who call Me, so let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided."

11. Visiting countries that oppress the Muslims.

Context is King: purpose of visit

12. Question Islamic Economic models:

Islam supports a free market

Hadith: "The people said: Messenger of Allah , prices have shot up, so fix prices for us. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah is the one Who fixes prices, Who withholds, gives lavishly and provides, and I hope that when I meet Allah, none of you will have any claim on me for an injustice regarding blood or property."

https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3451

Taxation isn't really a thing in islam, we have Zakat and stuff.

Islam is vehemently against Riba:

{ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَذَرُوا۟ مَا بَقِیَ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَوٰۤا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ }

{ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوا۟ فَأۡذَنُوا۟ بِحَرۡبࣲ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۖ وَإِن تُبۡتُمۡ فَلَكُمۡ رُءُوسُ أَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡ لَا تَظۡلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُونَ }
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 278-279]

"You who believe, beware of God: give up any outstanding dues from usury, if you are true believers."
"If you do not, then be warned of war from God and His Messenger. You shall have your capital if you repent, and without suffering loss or causing others to suffer loss."

13. Using Philosophy for dawah

Firstly, we need to define what we mean by philosophy.

Oxford Defination: "the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline."

Regarding the earlier people, they went astray because they mixed a certain branch of philosophy with islamic aqeedah. Like the Mu'tazila

We today have liberal Muslims and feminist Muslims that mix liberal idealogies with islam.

We should avoid deluding islam with other ideologies. Logical arguments can be used for islamic dawah.

14. What should women prioritise in our day and age.

Firstly, both the husband and wife should prioritise worshipping Allah and taking care of the children. There is an extra emphasis on Motherhood for the sisters.

Feminist leaders in thier books like "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan, degraded the mother's station. And praised a working women.

When looking at the end results, he cited some studies, older aged women with families reported to be more satisfied with thier lives when compared to women with successful careers who showed regrets regarding not having families.

15. How to show tolerance to an intolerant?

Hadith: "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By preventing him from oppressing others.""

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2444

Also should be taken into context whether they are family or close relatives and how to respond accordingly.

20/04/2024

It's live! Probably the most chill I've ever been when it comes to editing!

It's been 7 months since I last uploaded a video. Truth is, loads of things have happened in the meantime. Final year in university, final year project, mess...

19/04/2024

Uploading a video after a hiatus of 7 months! What started as a normal update video where I didn't want to edit turned into around 20+ hours worth of editing time (lost track of time, filmed the video on the 31st, and finally going to upload it soon).

This time, didn't burn myself out. Took things slowly, one step at a time. It's a 25+ min video, so had to be very organised and meticulous with my editing workflow. Small inefficiencies add up in larger projects.

This was the longest video I've ever edited in my life, so excited to see how it goes!

Stay tuned for the upload! Tried out a different pacing with the edit, opting for a simpler style so that you can actually focus on what I'm saying.

Anyways, gonna upload this within tomorrow, so stay frosty! Cheers!

01/01/2024

Alright, everyone. This year, I'm going to take an even more raw approach in my videos, and document them as much as possible.

I'll share things I'm working towards, the struggles I face, the solutions I get, and the resolutions moving forward.

I'm brainstorming some ideas, and one of them is "Watch Me Do XYZ" series.

For example, praying Fajr is something I've struggled with for the longest time, and this year, I'm taking it seriously to actually put it in practice. I know I'm not the only one who does. Alhamdulillah was able to do it on Day 1 of this year.

So I'll document me actually working on establishing it, the steps I'm gonna be taking, what I discover, what I struggle on, the challenges, the good feelings, the changes I experience, etc.

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below.

31/12/2023

𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀:

I was cooking up some video ideas that were similar in topic, but none of them seemed compelling enough to actually make.

Suddenly, I had a eureka moment; I could combine them together to create a richer, more engaging, and overall better video (a richer and more cohesive narrative and story perhaps; depending on the genre of course).

I could follow them up with deeper dives into each individual topic, so it garners more interest.

And where did this epiphany come from?

𝙍𝙀𝙋𝙐𝙍𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙇𝙀𝙁𝙏𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙁𝙊𝙊𝘿.

That's right.

I had some leftover rice and chicken from days before that I almost wanted to throw away.

Right before doing so, I got the idea of repurposing this into fried rice from the channel KWOOWK. Cooked up some veggies and eggs, and then incorporated the leftovers into a bigger fried rice dish. Ate some of that, then left the rest (again).

Later on, made a curry dish from leftover vegetables that otherwise would've gone to waste, and then mixed the leftover fried rice into it (which itself was made from leftover rice), into a yet even bigger meal. (Leftover-ception moment)

The mindset behind repurposing food translated into the beginning stages of a framework for a completely different activity!

It's amazing how our brains work and can piece together things from such disparate fields! May Allah grant us all Barakah in our thinking, give us great ideas for every sphere of our lives, and make the learning and ex*****on parts successful, towards greater results. Ameen.

Here's to 2024! May Allah bless this year with goodness and growth. Ameen.

21/12/2023

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

Ever since I got on self-development back in 2017, I've always thought in terms of the next 1 year. Later on, when things got hard, and I had to face things outside of my control, it would really bother me that I wasn't able to turn things around within a year (although it is a reasonable thing to expect). I'd always approach the next year with hope and plans.

Now though, I'm reframing things a bit. I'm adding the more longer-term thinking and tying it to the yearly goal. Throughout the past 4 years, I've had wins, I've had losses. Alhamdulillah for all the growth moments I've had, certainly haven't been experience-less and lesson-less. But, I want something more, that one year where things actually turn around.

Just like exponential growths, you won't see much improvement on individual steps, and then suddenly the J curve appears and the subsequent steps have substantially bigger gains.

I'm reframing 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 to be those steps where growths were seen, but nothing too big was observed. And they aren't throwaway years either. All those things I've learned, they all will play a part for 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

Facing enough problems, removing one obstacle at a time, solving one problem at a time, (be it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, creative, etc.) so that the foundations are set and I'm in a state where I can reliably go for the targets I've set. I'm considering the aggregation of all of these aspects from the past years as a foundation for what's to come.

And last, but not least, always ask Allah for help. That's one thing I've neglected this year. Look out for the signs that He shows you. Be attuned (requires removing some things from your life, the brain can only focus on so many things at a time). He's always giving you answers, you just have to be perceptive enough to notice them.

If you won't remove them, He will remove them FOR YOU to show what's really important in your life, and what to really focus on.

Anyways, as for the content side of things, a new workspace is underway. Been trying new styles of video in the background. Fixed the mental state required to properly be a content creator in the genre I'm going for. Rebuilding some foundations, like freeing up unnecessary distractions, focus, morning routines, sleep schedules, etc.

Facing some logistical issues now, primarily the one of needing extra storage space (all the footages, software, games, courses, etc. are stored in the laptop I'm using; limited space on camera's SD card, hence will have to upgrade), fixing the content creation template on Notion so that I'm more organised, so on and so forth, more emphasis on the mindset side of things as well.

Anyways, that's it for now. Take care, everyone!

30/11/2023

It's actually been a while since I last posted something. Loads of things being worked on from my end, actually. At this stage, it's absolutely crucial to focus on the things that matter the most, that will drive the results forward towards the goals and visions that I have.

(Read on for a rant on multidimensionality, creativity, and prioritisation. Scroll to the next post if you don't. I don't care.)

While "being able to do anything and everything" will always hold true for me, and historically I've always been that person (university student, filmmaker, athlete, writer, artist, de facto therapist, researcher, commentator, etc. etc. [INSERT 50 OTHER ROLES HERE]) it's actually challenging to be all these at once. It takes a tremendous amount of brainpower and mental capacity to play all these different roles at once.

A hard pill for me to swallow is that, although I can be anything, I can't be EVERYTHING AT ONCE. Yes, a combination of all these diverse things can mean a "1+1=3" category of progress, where the results greater than the sum of its parts.

But the problem I feel is that, I've spread myself way too thin. Yes, I can be ANYTHING, but that doesn't mean that ALL OF THEM are of equal importance. PRIORITISATION. That's what I didn't take into account.

Advantage: WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES
Disadvantage: Not making significant progress at one particular domain.

As a multipotentialite, I'm just wired differently, to crave different and varied experiences, and be interested in an absurdly broad range of topics. I know that because I did a review of all the wide variety of different projects and things I've made since I was a kid. But even I have to admit that, without a proper focus system in place, a one-at-a-time approach, with a prioritisation system in place that tells you which are important, I can easily go from one thing to another and my actions would be indistinguishable from ADHD. My creativity wouldn't be put to proper use.

It's like having a Ferrari engine without the handling systems to control the car. It's immensely powerful, but can easily crash into a pole, and can do so FAST. Having the engine isn't a fault. It just needs a few more components to properly make an amazing vehicle for wherever you want to go.

Oh yeah, without rest, you're DONE FOR. Imagine wanting to juggle all these activities and interests and hobbies and potential career paths, AND NOT LETTING YOURSELF REST AT ALL. Recipe for DISASTER.

Anyways, so throughout the year, I've tried loads of different things, opened myself up to new experiences. I've done short deep dives to improve existing skills and interests like After Effects, Videography, Note-taking systems, art, music, communication, writing, etc. and others I didn't before, like Web Development, Job Hunting, crafting CV, looking for internships, networking, etc.

I've got a lot of test runs that I didn't publicly showcase, but I feel like I made quite some progress in a short period of time. But, I still feel like it isn't up to the mark (YET). I tell myself it's good enough for a foundation to get going.

Anyways, so one big thing that's been on my mind for quite a while was money and wealth generation. This is one part I've yet to do a proper application of. So, I'm publicly announcing that I'm going to be implementing more than learning on the topic of money management, earning/creating wealth. This is that one thing that I feel has to move forward in my life more than it currently is, so that I can push forward and bring out greater manifestations of ideas I have in my mind. That will require focus and dedication from my part, "luck", and blessings from Allah. But public accountability definitely helps.

Will make a video of all the wins and losses this year thus far, the insights and wisdoms extracted, as well as some new challenges I'll do for myself, In'Sha'Allah, that you can follow along (if you deem it important).

Take care, and see you soon!

01/09/2023

It's out! Tried a cinematic video this time!

When you get into the flow state, into the groove, into the zone, things feel effortless, and you feel like a total winner.***🠶 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 ?...

01/09/2023

Stay tuned!

25/07/2023

Came across this post being repeatedly shared. Thought I'd give a self-development perspective.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMGBC9Mdavw&t=9s

24/07/2023

New video up!

Came across this post being repeatedly shared. Thought I'd give a self-development perspective.***🠶 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧:► Instagram: https://www...

20/07/2023

Deep, intense focus work blocks (WITHOUT distractions) will let you experience learning and results like nothing else.

Depending on your level of ability to focus on one thing for one thing, you can customise it to anywhere between 25 to 45 minutes.

When you follow each work blocks with a short workout (not so much that it tires you; that's reserved for a proper gym session), it creates that divide in between work sessions.

It gives you a break, and ALSO fires up your brain due to the increased physical activity, which in turn helps with whatever work you're doing due to increased brain activity.

𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨:

1. Let's say you're trying to learn Web Development. You're following a course and are trying to build your own websites, reading the documentations, etc.

When each work block is done, get up, stretch, drink some water, pray your Salah, do some push-ups, walk around for a bit (5-10 minutes in total), and then get back in.

𝘽𝙊𝙉𝙐𝙎 𝙏𝙄𝙋: Focus on nothing else except the fact that you're praying and are standing in front of your Creator, when you're performing Salah.

That'll not only help develop Khushu (having complete focus of mind and humility while praying), but also help you live in the moment.

Rinse and repeat.

2. Imagine you're studying a Chemistry chapter and are trying to memorise flame test facts or something (colours, order of elements across and down the periodic table).

You can visualise each thing in your mind, or try to do rote memorisation, or a combination of both, then perform 5-10 push-ups while trying to picture what you've just learned.

Get back up again, and do your memorisation thing again. After a few minutes, repeat the push-up routine again.

Rinse and repeat.

See how each thing is connected with one another? Fascinating stuff!

Anyways, comment down below if this has helped you in any way, or has sparked something in you!

As always, keep training, keep improving!

17/07/2023

We all have limits. That's a fact none of us can deny.

However, we vastly underestimate ourselves, and exactly where those limits lie.

There's a difference between having limits, and actually working to being close to them.

Your true limit might consist of being able to focus deeply for 12 hours a day, or doing 50 pull-ups continuously, nobody knows.

But are you really close to that limit? Chances are, you're not.

Don't let the fact that such a limit exists deter you from the real thing, which is, you experience a profound shift when you reach close to your limits.

Imagine being able to do such feats like it's normal! That in and of itself is cool, not to mention the results you can get from them!

So, keep training, keep improving! See the levels you reach! It's going to be absolutely fantastic!

16/07/2023

The time you devote for deep thinking, present, in the moment, is time spent productively.

15/07/2023

Tried something new.

Recreating the chair scene from Shakib Khan's seminal movie "King Khan". This was an absolute blast to film and edit! Hope you guys enjoyed it!Original scene...