Many people have asked me:
“Brother Yameen, why don’t you make emotional posts about Gaza on social media?”
My inbox is full of messages from sincere brothers and sisters, aching to know what they should do.
But here’s the truth:
I am doing something that’s in my capacity. And by Allah’s mercy, I’ve been doing it practically for years.
Not everything I do is visible on social media. Because real influence doesn’t always come with likes or forwards.
What Have I Been Doing Then?
In the last 22 years, I’ve spent my life working with people from over 85 nationalities.
Meeting leaders, thinkers, scholars, and decision-makers.
Consulting, mentoring, and building systems for the generations behind the scenes.
I’ve written to people of power.
I’ve asked them tough questions, which I know they don’t have answers of.
I’ve worked on silent, high-impact projects. Some drove results, and some didn’t. And that’s fine.
I’ve spent countless hours thinking, planning, writing, and building.
Not noise. Strategy.
Not chants. Capacity.
Not reaction. Preparation.
And I’ve realized something that changed my life:
You don’t fight the beast by begging it not to bite you. You fight it by becoming strong enough that it dares not come near you.
Emotional Energy Is Not Enough
For over 50 years, all I’ve seen is:
Muslims marching.
Protesting.
Begging for justice.
Hoping for mercy from the very ones who plan and fund the destruction.
It’s like running to the fire… asking it not to burn!
Yes, grief is real.
Yes, outrage is valid.
But if that’s all we have, it’s not enough and it won’t work.
Emotion without strategy is a spark that dies out.
What we need is controlled fire—directed with purpose.
Let me take you to a chapter in history.
The Year Was 1600.
A “Trading Company” Set Sail… With a Vision.
Under the royal charter from the English crown, the company set its sights on India.
They called it the British East India Company.
On the surface, it was simple: trade. Cotton, silk, spices, indigo, and more.
But beneath that surface… was something far more powerful; a multigenerational, long-term, world-map changing vision.
A vision that wasn’t just about profit. It wasn’t just about individual success.
It was about embedding India into the crown of what would become the world’s largest empire.
In 1612, King James I sent Sir Thomas Roe to the Mughal emperor Jahangir’s court.
He didn’t go to beg.
He didn’t go to intimidate.
He went with diplomacy.
With strategy.
With a mindset that was clear in the vision:
“We’re not just here to trade; we’re here to take root.”
Within a few decades, British traders had quietly expanded across Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay.
They found their way into courts.
Into conversations.
And most dangerously… into people’s minds.
A belief was sown, and it took root: “They (English) are better than us (Indians).”
Meanwhile, British officers were dying of malaria and cholera. But none went back.
Because they had been trained to believe:
“You are not individuals. You are custodians of a vision. If you don’t see the power, your children will.”
And they did.
250 years later, Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned.
India had completely fallen.
The East India Company had transformed from a merchant company… into a global empire.
Now, let’s talk about us.
In the past 100 years, how many Muslims have migrated to the West?
How many doctors, engineers, businessmen, freelancers, and professionals moved to the West?
But what was our vision?
Just a stable job.
A better lifestyle.
Good schooling for our kids so that they can get a good job.
Alas! That’s the pinnacle of our vision!!
Where is the bigger picture?
Where was the vision to leave a powerful legacy in Western societies?
Where was the strategy to influence, to represent, to lead with strong Islamic values?
Where was the vision to build institutions, media platforms, or business powerhouses?
It didn’t exist because we replaced vision with emotion. And strategy with reaction.
History has taught me a lesson: Only those nations rise that think beyond their time.
Early generations of the East India Company knew:
“We will not see the crown ourselves. But we will lay the foundation.”
Now, come back with me —to 2025.
Look deep into the hearts of a Pakistani, an Egyptian, an African, a Syrian, a Moroccan, and an Indonesian…
They have everything—passion, honor, pain, outrage, protests, emotional posts, poetry, tears, and slogans…
But one thing is missing: A Powerful Vision for their lives.
No enemy has harmed us as deeply as our own short-term thinking.
Our collective effort seems to be built around:
“Get a job.”
“Live a comfortable life.”
“Get the kids into a decent school.”
“Hope no one steals our shoes during Friday prayer.”
“That’s enough.”
Is this the mindset with which Muslims are going to lead the world?
Allah (swt) says in the Quran:
“And prepare against them whatever force you can, and steeds of war, to terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy…”
(Surah Al-Anfal, 8:60)
force means: bullets, missiles, tanks, knowledge, economy, media, education, diplomacy, leadership, systems, law, understanding, ethics, institution building —everything.
For the last 50 years, all I’ve seen is us crying out as victims. The victim mentality is fully absorbed by us.
We chant, “We’re oppressed! Save us!”
But who are we asking for help?
The same people who destroyed us???
That’s like pleading with the wolf not to eat the lamb.
Brothers and sisters, the wolf will eat. That’s what it does.
You were supposed to raise stronger generations, not beg for protection.
But the truth is… we weren’t crushed. We lay down on our own.
If we had even a 100-year vision like the East India Company…
Today, our youth would be writing policy, shaping media with intellectual depth, and driving thought leadership.
We would have become an impact. Not just outrage.
The time for us to choose is now, for the next 100 years.
Will we continue reacting to the world?
Or will we build something so powerful, so enduring, that generations after us will thank us, not for our comfort, but for our commitment?
The choice… is still ours.
What’s the Real Fight Then?
This Ummah’s real crisis is not just political—it is strategic bankruptcy.
We don’t think in centuries.
We barely think past tomorrow.
We need more than viral posts.
We need purpose-driven minds.
We need more than emotional noise.
We need intellectual depth.
We need more than symbolic resistance.
We need systems of strength.
And for that…
We must build institutions.
We must raise a generation with discipline, wisdom, and courage.
We must become producers of intellect, media, policy, economy, and solutions, not just consumers of grief.
Use Emotion. But Use It Strategically.
Emotion is energy.
But if it isn’t channeled, it becomes either depression or blind aggression.
And both are tools the enemy loves.
What we need is active, not reactive Muslims.
Who prepare.
Who think.
Who build.
Who influence.
And who pass on that mindset to the next generation.
What You Can Do Now
Stop waiting for governments to do the right thing.
Start preparing your own household to become future-ready.
Build a business, a school, a media channel, a policy think tank.
Build with vision. Live with purpose.
Because…
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Qur’an 13:11)
The next century of the Ummah will be decided by the choices we make today.
Let’s not just scream. Let’s strategize.
Let’s not just hurt. Let’s heal and build.
Let’s not be remembered as the generation that wept,
but as the generation that rose; with vision, wisdom, and impact.
May Allah (swt) make us architects of revival, not victims of emotion.
