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Currently Playing: How Small Efforts Can Create Big Results | Hisham Abu Yusuf

How Small Efforts Can Create Big Results | Hisham Abu Yusuf . Before two years ago, I had almost no online presence. I was working an intense job as an associate director of a department, teaching only once a week. But that one class – on the names and attributes of Allah – exploded with barakah. A small deed, done with sincerity, grew beyond anything I could have planned. As Imam Malik said: "If you do a little for the sake of Allah, it will remain." In this inspiring and deeply personal lecture, Ustadh Hisham Abu Yusuf shares his journey of balancing a corporate career in AI and tech with teaching the deen. He explains how he engaged with the Quran as a "manual" and "prescription medicine" – not as a ritual to finish quickly, but as a source of guidance for every moment of life. He also encourages young Muslims to pursue dual training – mastering both Islamic sciences and a worldly craft (like the scholars of the past) – to serve the ummah in the modern world. In this video, you will learn: The Barakah of Small Deeds: Ustadh's online presence exploded not from massive effort, but from one weekly class. Allah places barakah in sincerity and quality, not quantity. Imam Malik said: "If you do a little for the sake of Allah, it will remain." The Quran as Prescription Medicine: Seeing the Quran as a manual you need every day. Feeling a vacuum that only the Quran can fill. If you're tired on a flight, you need Surah Nuh – because he made dawah for 950 years and still lost his son. Sometimes you need Surah Ankabut, sometimes Surah Al-Imran. The Quran is a diagnosis and a cure. Don't Scatter the Quran Like Dates: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) said: "Don't scatter it like dates, don't chant it like poetry. Stop at its wonders. Let it move your hearts. Don't make your goal just finishing the surah." Deep Engagement Over Quantity: Ibn Abbas (RA) said: "To recite two small surahs with reflection is better than to recite Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran quickly." The Quran is meant to be sipped, not gulped. Let the taste roll on your tongue. Dual Training – The Legacy of the Salaf: Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi (the hadith scholar) wrote that students of hadith must have a craft (hirfa) – locksmith, trader, plumber – to be independent and not charge people for teaching. The scholars of the past were dual-trained: Abu Hanifa was a trader, al-Qaffal al-Shashi was a locksmith. Engineering, AI, and Dawa: Ustadh studied engineering, interned at IBM, and even patented an invention in AI (chatbots and natural language processing). He worked in tech for close to a decade, leveraging AI for cancer research. All while teaching once a week. He never planned to become a "scholar" – it was never a career path. It was service. The Advice of Sheikh Bilal Assad: At age 16, Sheikh Bilal Assad told him: "Make sure you keep your income separate from your da'wah. It gives you independence and is better for your ikhlas." His parents also emphasized mastering a skill – not just chasing the deen full-time without a craft. The Need for Dual-Trained People Today: We need Muslims who are trained in Islamic sciences AND finance, medicine, art, philosophy, media, and technology. People who integrate the two worlds – not those who see Islam as a 6-8 PM masjid activity and the rest of life as separate. This lecture is a must-watch for young Muslims navigating career, deen, and purpose. You don't have to choose between being a scholar and being a professional. You can do both – and the ummah needs both. Subscribe for more inspiring stories and practical guidance. . #islam #quran #islamic #muslim #hishamabuyusuf