http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/461904-islam-and- professionalism-.html Towards Becoming Better Muslims: Islam and Professionalism: In Search of Excellence By Mahmudul Hasan Sunday, 24 March 2013 00:00 Islam not only encourages us to be proactive and to work hard. It also puts an emphasis on doing our work in the best possible manner. In a world of competition and continuous struggle to achieve progress and prosperity, Muslims need to remind themselves of Islamic work ethics and professionalism. They should go back to the Islamic way of doing things, not necessarily the Muslim way of doing things. They need to go back to the sunnah (tradition) of all Prophets to excel in their work and to establish for them a respectable position in the twenty-first century world. In today‟s world, when we think of professionalism or excellence in work, the usual scenario that comes to our mind is, for example, how the Japanese accomplish their work or how people in America and in west European countries perform their professional duties. While we can learn important lessons from the people of these countries, we must appreciate the importance of professionalism in our religion. We should not forget that „good work‟ and „excellence in work‟ are two of the most important principles of Islam. A Religion of Action Islam is a religion of action, not of idleness. In the Quran, almost in all places the mention of „faith‟ is invariably followed by that of „good deeds‟. All of us are familiar with the oft- repeated expression aamanu wa amelus salihat(those who believe and do good deeds) in the Quran. No matter how sincerely Muslims may believe, it is pointless for them to live a life without putting their faith into action and practice. In the Quran, the word ’amal (work) appears 360 times, and a synonymous term fi’l(also translated as work) is mentioned in another 109 places. So altogether the concept of work appears 469 times in the Quran. Work and Productivity - Working with Excellence for Our 9-5 Jobs - Ihsan: Nothing Heavier in the Scales - Muslim Professionals in America - Be Productive - Be Muslim (Folder) - Living a Happy Life with a Strong Faith