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Syllabus
01. HOW TO BE HAPPY
The happiest people are those who have the best character. Learn why our this-worldly culture of individualism makes us sad, what it means to have character traits, what makes them good or bad, whether we are born with them or whether we can change (or both), and how that is related to our happiness.
02. WISDOM AND WORLDLINESS
IQ is not the same as wisdom. Hamza Karamali uses the famous “marshmallow test” to describe true intelligence, explains why our culture of instant gratification prevents us from learning beneficial knowledge, and shows the relationship between developing the mind and improving our character.
03. BRAVERY AND NARCISSISM
Bravery means being calm, forbearing, chivalrous, and humble. It means having the hardiness of grit, aspiration, and empathy. Hamza Karamali defines and illustrates the offshoots of bravery and shows you how social media is breeding a narcissism epidemic that makes us fragile.
04. TEMPERANCE AND ADDICTIONS
Temperance entails having a sense of shame, preserving your respectability, and being gentle. It entails discretion, reticence, self-restraint, and open-heartedness. Hamza Karamali discusses the offshoots of temperance and shows you how corporations secure their profits by making us video-game addicts.
05. INTEGRITY AND INDIVIDUALISM
Wisdom, bravery, and temperance lead to integrity. Someone with integrity is sincere, agreeable, loyal, friendly, and fair, first and foremost to members of his family. Discover the encompassing character trait of integrity, its value to the health of our communities, the harms of modern individualism, and what it means for a Muslim to be patriotic.
06. FOR HIS PLEASURE. (NOT FOR THEIRS.)
Religious sincerity is what makes good character shine. Experience the beauty of loving God, relying on Him, being pleased with His decree, and completely submitting one’s affairs to Him. Then compare that to the “good character” of someone who wants to gain wealth, power, or influence.
07. HOW TO CHANGE
Changing character is the essence of our religion. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said that he was sent to “complete good character.” (Ahmad) Listen to Hamza Karamali as he delves into the tradition of Islamic spirituality to give you practical steps on how to become a better person.
08. IGNORANCE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Our eternal fate depends on the choices we make. Life is a serious matter, and that means we need to learn. Hamza Karamali explains how “amusing ourselves to death” keeps us ignorant whereas remembering death drives us down the path of learning beneficial knowledge.
09. ANGER, ARGUING, AND TREACHERY
Anger is a bad character trait that stems from arrogance and self-admiration. Learn how to identify that you have an anger problem, why it is so ugly, and what you should do to solve it.
10. COWARDICE AND IDLENESS
Human beings are the centerpiece of Allah Most High’s creation and have incredible potential. But their cowardice leads them to disgrace and their idleness leads them to atrophy. Learn how to set long-term goals and to do great things.
11. ENVY, GREED, AND CONSUMERISM
Learn about the shocking disparity between the possessions of an Ottoman household and those of the average American household. Examines why we feel the need to acquire more things, how that leads to envy and greed, why that makes us miserable, and how we can regain our happiness.
12. MALICE, LYING, AND HYPOCRISY
The pure-heartedness of Islam bequeaths honest and sincere well-wishing (nasiha) for everyone. Learn why we lie and what the character of an honest person looks like.
