#4 DDN - Meezan, Balance & The Middle Path
#4, 27 December 2024, The Divine Duty Newsletter
Assalamu Alaikum!
Welcome to Issue #4 of the Divine Duty Newsletter.
Here’s the last edition of 2024. Once a month, I send out a newsletter full of timeless ideas and insights you can use in life and work, insha’allah. This is in a different format to the usual articles I write.
They have a different focus every time but all loosely centred around the core themes of lifelong learning, critical thinking and fulfilling your purpose and potential. This month’s issue is all about balance and the middle path - something I’ve sworn to myself I will try and seek much more of in 2025 insha’allah!
Before you read, you should check out the free scorecard which tell you how on track your current life is with your true purpose. 2600+ Muslims have taken this so far! (link)
In today’s newsletter, the theme is being centred and in balance and we will go over:
Quaint Quotes - My favourite often obscure quotes, relevant to the theme
Deep in Thought - A Deep Dive into ‘Balance’ and how you can instil it
Fascinating Frameworks - Models or frameworks that can aid our understanding
Actionable Insights - How can you start putting these new ideas into action?
Resources to Review - Some of the best resources on this issue’s theme…
And much more…
“Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other; nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking, and the result is a structure of absolute balance and solid composure.” - Muhammad Asad
This is one of my favourite quotes on this subject. Love this because it’s eloquent, very easy to understand and spot on.
“The middle path is the way to wisdom.” - Rumi
Rumi is probably one of the most oft-quoted in this segment as he has some of the best and most relevant quotes for almost any topic! This one is simple but powerful.
"When I encountered Islam, I encountered the beauty of Islam, and that beauty only is manifested when everything is in a state of balance." - Ahmed Paul Keeler
A great book (check Recommended Resources) all about how balance - quite literally could change the Ummah and indeed, the world!
This is how We made you a moderate nation.” The Qu’ran [2:143]
The Qur’an says it all. We do not need to become excessive or extreme - we are supposed to be moderate in our approach.
“Picture a balance scale. When it is at a state of perfect harmony, both sides of the scale are level. But as soon as the tiniest thing is added to one side, the scale is offset. Now imagine that happening in the body. While our busy lives and the demands of our society are such that our scales are usually in a state of flux, the body is continually working to reach a state of equilibrium.
But every small thing upsets that balance. Now imagine the Qi (energy) it takes to bring the body back to centre. That’s why a solid and continual Qigong practice is so very important (or proper Salah with actions for Muslims). As the body swings out of balance, Qigong (or Salaah) helps to build and move energy, so the body can get closer to a state of harmony.” Dr Jahanara Monaf, Traditional Islamic Chinese Medicine (TICM) practitioner
Subhan’allah. Think about the wisdom in our way of life - it is good for us in ways we cannot even imagine!
Nobody represents the art of exaggeration today better than Donald Trump.
In his 1987 book ‘the Art of the Deal’ he said:
“People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular,” he wrote. “I call it truthful hyperbole. It’s an innocent form of exaggeration, and a very effective form of promotion.”
He exaggerated his way into the ultimate power — and then doubled down. His Twitter feed and speeches constantly repeated words like “biggest,” “greatest” “best” and “smartest.”
This has paved the way for the influencers of today and even made its way into dawah and Muslim circles.
But a word of warning.
If you look at anyone who goes astray, and away from the balanced, middle path, it always happens out of some form of exaggeration.
Even entire ideologies and systems we abide by today are imbalanced and exaggerated.
Look at the state of our current economy. The top 50 people own more wealth than the bottom 90% (over 7 billion people) combined.
The unsustainable imbalanced way we’re living our life goes against what has been written in the Qu’ran:
“He raised the heavens and set up everything in balance (meezan) so that you would not exceed the balance. Therefore, maintain just measure and do not transgress the balance.” — Qur’an, [55:7–9]
Meezan, or balance, I’m learning in my old age, is the real name of the game, and the key to true success.
That is what we have when we’re on the fitrah.
Illness happens when we’re out of balance.
Bad things happen when we’re out of balance.
Without balance, entropy ensues, and we eventually descend into fawda. Chaos.
There’s another word for being out of balance.
Injustice. Disorder.
We don’t quite see it like that, though. Unfortunately, we don’t see imbalance as a big deal — because it’s that rampant in society.
The answer to all of this lies in middle-path thinking. Read the full article here: (link)
Audit Your Life for Imbalances: Reflect on areas where you're leaning too far into extremes—work, health, relationships—and take one step towards moderation this week.
Embrace Moderation in Daily Habits: Apply the Prophetic principle of thirds: balance your eating, time, and energy between needs, responsibilities, and rest.
Beware of Exaggeration and Seek Balance in Conversation: Pause before reacting or deciding and ask, “Am I leaning into an extreme?” Speak to someone who holds a different position - not to argue but to learn.
Apply Balance to Productivity: Limit work to focused, productive hours (e.g., between Fajr and Zuhr) and use mornings for your most important tasks.
Recalibrate Through Reflection: Set aside 10 minutes each week to reflect on your actions and adjust areas where imbalance is creeping in.
Honour Your Fitrah: Reconnect with your natural disposition by spending time in nature and reflecting on Allah’s signs of balance in creation.
One well-known framework is called ‘The Wheel of Life’ or the “Life Wheel”. It essentially asks you to score yourself for each category of your life - so you can see visually which areas you are doing well in, and what areas need work to become more balanced. An example of one you can do for yourself is here.
(NB: To take it to the next level, once you’ve scored yourself, define what a 10 would look like in each area. You now have a target / understanding of what success looks like - and how far off you are.)
Individual balance is one thing - but it’s also important to realise that we are living in a world that is desperately out of balance. Keeping our daily lives in balance is important but staying close to truth, justice, peace and our fitrah is also vital in this struggle.
Rethinking Islam in the West: A New Narrative for the Age of Crises (book), Ahmed Paul Keeler (link)
A very thought-provoking book looking at the concept of what he calls the ‘Mizan thesis’ - calling the Ummah towards the central theme of balance to solve our affairs. An illustrated lecture by the author is here (link)
The Middle Path (Lecture), Hamza Yusuf (link)
An oldie but a goodie!
What makes a balanced lifestyle? (TED talk), Noora Al-Sulaiti (link)
A nice reminder from a young student.
The Feel Fulfilled Forever Formula Guide (link)
This is a 98 page guide I put together to help people to start the journey towards feeling more centred in life and work. It contains exercises and thought experiments to help you take action towards being more balanced.
Join our FREE community of like-minded action takers (link)
If you’d like to work with me, you can apply to book a call here (link)
Want to level up and make 2025 the best year of your life? Join the waitlist (link)
Interested in our rich heritage and a brighter future? Check out the 20 part series on Second Golden Age (link) or our newsletter (link)
Want more content like this? Follow me on X, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Interested in finding your purpose? Here’s some free training (link)
Want to build a business? Muslim CEO currently has a free 7-day trial (link)
You, the people will decide
One of the things I have learned on this journey is that balance really is something that can change the world. Living with purpose helps you to find balance because wholeheartedly striving to fulfil our purpose here centres you and forces everything else into alignment. It becomes an entire discipline!
As another calendar year ends, I pray that Allah puts barakah in your life and work, and allows it to be full of balance, ameen!
Please let me know what you think of these newsletters and give me suggestions for themes for future issues. I promise to read every single email insha’allah!
With Love,
Faisal
P.S. Here are the previous editions if you'd like to check them out:
#1: The Two Seas of Knowledge
#2: Knowing Yourself
#3: Being an Amazing Action Taker
Balance is The Key 🔑. My sense is that the ayah that mentions the meezan three times alludes to the need to maintain balance in the threefold nature of the human being. That being spiritual, mental, and physical. Excellent article.
I love the piece about Islamic Chinese Medicine. I've never heard of this before, very interesting. This inspired me to reflect on trying to be intentional with balance in my life and its implications on a greater society level!