Discipline

According to Webster dictionary, discipline means training to act in accordance to rules, or a behavior in accord with rules of conduct. It also means to correct, penalize and punish or chastise.

As we know Islam is a way of life, a complete package.. we can not pick and choose. Allah (SWT) our Creator has completed, perfected and allowed for us Islam as he states in Surah Al Maidah in aya 3.

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (5:3


Islam as a way of life is a constitution for how to conduct our affairs. Islam has policies, procedures and practices.

Policies are those general clear fixed rules, rules which Allah (SWT) has declared and there is no room for interpretation. Examples are Worship your Lord, Stay away from adultery, Do not disobey your parents.

Procedures are mandatory rules which explain how to adhere to the policies. Examples are the procedures of Salat, ablution, intention, direction, rakaas, etc.. and Salat is a way of worshipping our Lord according to his procedure and consistent with his policy.

Practices are optional rules which explain how to adhere to the policies. Example are making a duaa for visiting a sick person. The Prophet (PBUH) taught us certain supplications, however we can stay the supplication while standing next the to the sick person, sitting next to him, touching him, or looking at him, or in any other acceptable position.

The Prophet's practices are the best of practices, and hence as Muslims we should follow them as much as possible, even if they are not obligatory "wageb".

Allah (SWT) orders us in the Quran to obey Allah, the Prophet and those in charge of us. For example in chapter of Women (4:59)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً

and again in aya 69

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقًا

In the chapter of Al-Anfal, Allah (SWT) explains to us what happens if we do not follow the rules of Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (PBUH)

وَأَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلاَ تَنَازَعُواْ فَتَفْشَلُواْ وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

In the chapter of Repentence (Al Tauba) in aya 71 Allah (SWT) explains to us the responsibility we have to remind each other of following the rules,

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللّهُ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

Shaytan wants us to not follow Allah's rules,

In the chapter of the Light (Al-Noor)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاء وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And in the chapter of the Cow in aya 208

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

The concept of discipline is not strange in Islam. It is a basic requirement for organization. Organization is a cornerstone of management.

Salat follows a very disciplined and well structured repeatable, consistent, identifiable and modular process.
Zakat follows very clear guidelines and rules
Ramadan and moon-sighting abides by rules
Haj follows a clear well-defined set of rituals and rules. Look at how Allah (SWT) discusses with the Prophet how to ask people to follow the rules of Allah (SWT) in the chapter of the Haj (22:67)

لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

Islam teaches us how to visit each other, how to greet each other, how to be a host, a guest, how to act in a gathering, how to sit in the Masjid, how to have intercourse with our spouses, how to discipline our children, how to treat our neighbors, how to help others, how to eat, how to use the bathroom, how to plant a tree, how to remember what we forget, how to ask for forgiveness, how to help the needy, how to ride our cars, how to slaughter the cattle, how to sit, how to hangout with friends, how to deal with others, how to treat pets, and the list goes on...

As Muslims we must abide by rules of the land which organize our lives and affairs, such as traffic laws, tax filing laws, organizational policies and rules.

We are required to avoid the worse of two harms and spread the greater benefit before the smaller benefit.

We also need to remember the Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) when he talked about the "Deen" and mentioned it is strong so get deep into it with ease and gentleness; and he gave the example of the horse which can run very fast but will not be able to withstand the pressure and will collapse, and the jockey will have neither completed a large distance, no have had his horse alive.

We also remember the story of "Hizb Al Fodool" in Makkah. When a merchant came to sell merchandise to the people of Makkah and they told him to give them the merchandise and they will pay him later. Days went by and they would come up with excuses to pay the merchant. The merchant then went to the Kaaba and started to recite poetry to convey his sad feelings of how he was betrayed. When the elite of Makkah heard the merchant, they stated they could not be among the elite of Makkah and let such injustice occur, so they started a group for dispute resolution and called themselves "Hizb Al fodool", this was before the days of the Prophet. The Prophet (PBUH) once told his companions, if that group was around he would have partnered with them to spread justice. The point of this story is that is laws and rules are to promote justice and prosperity for man-kind and do not contradict with Islam then we should support these laws and obey them.

Finally the Prophet (PBUH) when he order Moa'th to go to Yeman to invite people to Islam he asked them to believe in Allah, the Creator and then to command prayer, and then fasting, and then zakat... Islam is gradual for the new and must be taken step by step

As a group they can use the means available to change rules to adhere to the guidance of Allah, but they can not take it upon themselves.