Bismillah
Allah chose to begin the revelation of His final Book with the word "Iqra" (Read!). Why? Because Allah is indicating that change must begin by knowledge and education. You can only change when you have education -- when you know what to do and how to do it. This is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam became the greatest leader, mover, and shaker via the knowledge Allah bestowed upon him.
Knowledge is what transformed our Ummah from being a backward paganistic Arabia to ruling the world in less than 100 years.
Allah teaches us in the Quran to make this du'a.
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ﴿٢٠١﴾
"Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." (Quran, Al Baqarah 2:201)
All too often we believe that religiosity and the religion is separate from the worldly life. So that when you become religious, you have to leave this world. On the contrary, Allah says, the best Muslims, they are the best in this world and they are going to be the best in the next world. There is no dichotomy between religious knowledge and secular human knowledge. They both are from Allah -- one is Divinely revealed and one is Divinely gifted so that we can use our faculties to learn and to educate. At the end of the day, knowledge is not meant just to transform you, but also meant to transform others. Knowledge is not meant just to enlighten you, but also meant to impact other people.
The goal of the prophets is to bring reformation as recorded in the Quran from Prophet Shu'aib alayhissalaam,
إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿٨٨﴾
... I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return. (Quran, Hud 11:88)
It is not unislamic to want the religion and the worldly life. The righteous desires to be changers, makers of ethical leadership. Allah teaches us in the Quran to make this du'a,
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ﴿٧٤﴾
"Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous." (Quran, Al Furqan 25:74)
We don’t crave leadership for the sake of ego, honor, or prestige. We crave an impactful relationship with society such that the righteous take us as role models. We want to make a change, and the best way to make that change is by being ethical leaders and visionaries. Every single Prophet that came with that change, and that change began with knowledge and with the self, and then you change other people.
Leadership does not necessarily mean only political. You can be leader in business and even in your household. Leadership can be done in every level of society. It is done by following the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and by being the best you can be.
Allah loves when one of you are assigned with a task, you do it with ihsaan -- you do it to the best of your ability with perfection and consistency. It is religious to be ethical leaders.
It is a part of religious framework and our mandate to create positive change wherever we go, and to be role models. The Prophet Isa alayhissalaam prayed to Allah to make him blessed wherever he may be. Ibn Abbas radhiyallahu anhu said that this du'a means that Isa asked Allah to make a positive transformation for him wherever he goes, make it a positive gathering, and make it something good for him.
May Allah increase us in beneficial knowledge and grant us a sound understanding of His Book. Aameen.
Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wassalaam
And Allah knows best.
