Al Salam Alaikum 🌱 

Welcome to another edition of our series, “Everything I Learned About Entrepreneurship, I Learned from the Quran.”

We are now at lesson #34 of 40, and today we’re focusing on something that every entrepreneur experiences but often struggles to make sense of: striving without seeing results.

In the secular capitalist world, you’re often only as valuable as your output.

You’re rewarded for the metrics, the milestones, the sales. But in the Quranic worldview, the value lies not in the results- but in the striving itself.

Allah (SWT) doesn’t expect you to succeed on your own terms. He expects you to strive sincerely, consistently, and for the right reasons.

🚪 Keep Going: The Quran Respects the Struggler

You won’t always see the fruit of your efforts right away. Sometimes not in the way you expect. But Allah (SWT) sees everything. And he doesn’t just record outcomes- He records effort.

What you do in obscurity, in disappointment, and in moments of private perseverance- that is what builds you.

The world says: Produce. The Quran says: Persevere, and your reward will be great:

👊 Prophetic Models of Faithful Striving

If you’ve ever felt like giving up, know that you’re not alone.

Even the greatest of people- our Prophets- faced rejection, delays, and hardship. But what set them apart was their relentless striving for Allah’s sake alone.

🌱 Prophet Nuh (AS) preached for 950 years- with very few followers. Yet he kept going, day and night. His striving was honored, not his follower count.

🌱 Prophet Musa (AS) faced constant resistance from Pharaoh and even from his own people. Still, he returned to his mission again and again.

🌱 Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was rejected, mocked, and physically attacked. Yet he never stopped delivering the message with grace and patience.

Their success wasn’t instant. Their paths weren’t easy. But their striving was never wasted.

🧱 Practical Habits to Embody Resilience

Here are a few simple but powerful ways to keep striving with sincerity.

🤍 Renew Your Intentions Daily: Success begins with niyyah (intention). Before you check your to-do list, check your heart.

💪 Pray for Strength, Not Ease: Ask Allah (SWT) for sabr, clarity, and istiqamah (steadfastness)- not just shortcuts or results.

👋 Build a Suhba of Strivers: Surround yourself with people who remind you of Allah and walk the talk. Energy is contagious.

✅ Track Effort, Not Just Outcomes: Journal the actions you took, not just the results you got. Barakah shows up in invisible ways.

👏 Celebrate the Small Wins: A meaningful conversation. A breakthrough idea. A tough conversation handled with integrity. These matter.

Remember:

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔑 Allah rewards effort, not outcomes. Your reward is not tied to your results- it’s tied to your sincerity and striving.

🔑 Consistency is success: Even when it feels small or unseen, Allah sees your striving and will bring benefit from it, in ways you can’t predict.

🔑 Tawakul > Metrics: Let go of the illusion of control. Trust that Allah writes better endings than we plan.

🔑 Strive like the Prophets: They didn’t chase applause. They chased Allah’s pleasure- and kept going even when the world pushed back.

This week, take a few minutes to reflect and recommit to your striving:

🔍️ Reflect (5 mins): Where are you attaching too much to the outcome?

🖼️ Reframe (5 mins): How can you reframe your work as ibadah (worship), regardless of the results?

🔥 Reignite (5 mins): Choose one action you’ll take today just for Allah’s sake.

💌 I’d Love to Hear From You!

If this reflection sparked something in you, I’d love to hear it. You can reply directly to this email- I read and respond to every message. Share your thoughts or tell me how you’re planning to start using leverage in your own life! 🌱 

🤲 Closing Dua

“O Allah, make us from among those who strive with sincerity, even when no one sees. Reward us not just for what we achieve, but for every step we take in Your name. Keep our hearts steady, and let our work be for You alone.”

Ameen