[Unlinozistimi]

So this thread got me thinking. What are the useful skills people should try and learn, not just ulema, but everyone really, but ulema could make special use of them for an income.

The types of skills I am talking about are ones that don't take massive amounts of time to learn. If done intensively, they can be picked up in 6 months, or if done a couple of times a week they can be picked up to a decent level within 2-3 years.

Some of the ones I can think of:

1. Any Martial Art:

Time taken: one year intensive to get to a good level, or 3 years doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Health and fitness,
b: major source of income when you get to a good enough level to teach.

2. Sewing:

Time taken: 6 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1-2 years doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Mend your own families clothes
b: major source of income when you get to a good enough level to teach
c: major source of income mending, sewing other peoples clothes. My mom does this so I know it works as a great income for someone doing it professionally.

3. Basic electronics

Time taken: 2 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1 year doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Fix anything electrical at home.
b: major Source of income fixing anything electrical like laptops, mobiles etc.

4. organic vegetable gardening/horticulture

Time taken: 1 month intensive or 1 -2 years practice part time.
Uses:
a. Fresh, organic, home grown food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
b: Small extra income selling at fruit and veg markets, if you have some plot or a large garden.

5. Mehndi skills for women only

Time taken: probably about 2 months intensive.
Uses:
a. medium source of income. I know a sister who does womens mehndi for weddings at a professional level. Most women can't create the intricate and detailed patterns she does.

So what other skills are there? I'm sure there's lot's more.

[Unlinozistimi]

Mountain walking/wilderness survival

Time taken: 2 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1 year doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Health and fitness plus tons more to learn in wilderness survival like lighting fires without matches, basic living, building temporary shelters, navigation/map reading skills etc. My brother does this sort of stuff, he has some pro mountain trekking qualifications or something
b: Good income arranging trips/boy scouts and teaching.

[LoveTTatall]

So this thread got me thinking. What are the useful skills people should try and learn, not just ulema, but everyone really, but ulema could make special use of them for an income.

The types of skills I am talking about are ones that don't take massive amounts of time to learn. If done intensively, they can be picked up in 6 months, or if done a couple of times a week they can be picked up to a decent level within 2-3 years.

Some of the ones I can think of:

1. Any Martial Art:

Time taken: one year intensive to get to a good level, or 3 years doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Health and fitness,
b: major source of income when you get to a good enough level to teach.

2. Sewing:

Time taken: 6 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1-2 years doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Mend your own families clothes
b: major source of income when you get to a good enough level to teach
c: major source of income mending, sewing other peoples clothes. My mom does this so I know it works as a great income for someone doing it professionally.

3. Basic electronics

Time taken: 2 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1 year doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Fix anything electrical at home.
b: major Source of income fixing anything electrical like laptops, mobiles etc.

4. organic vegetable gardening/horticulture

Time taken: 1 month intensive or 1 -2 years practice part time.
Uses:
a. Fresh, organic, home grown food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
b: Small extra income selling at fruit and veg markets, if you have some plot or a large garden.

5. Mehndi skills for women only

Time taken: probably about 2 months intensive.
Uses:
a. medium source of income. I know a sister who does womens mehndi for weddings at a professional level. Most women can't create the intricate and detailed patterns she does.

So what other skills are there? I'm sure there's lot's more.

Wa'alaykum Salam,
May I add:

1) Teaching in an Islamic School(not Madrasah): The payment is generally decent. Such schools have a mix of Islamic and secular education and Ulama can teach both subjects. Such is the case in Millat School, Mumbai where most of the teachers are Huffaz and 'Ulama.

2) Taxi driving: Have seen some doing it in Bombay. Enough earning for one's daily bread and no dependence on others. Flexibility for Salah too...just park somewhere close to a mosque and you are done.

3) Unani Medicine practice: Some Madaris in India have the BUMS course also. Many such 'Ulama open their Hakimi clinics and do quite well too.

4) Small businessess like bookshops, plywood shops and even pan shops.

Wa salam.

[Unlinozistimi]

Wa'alaykum Salam,
May I add:

1) Teaching in an Islamic School(not Madrasah): The payment is generally decent. Such schools have a mix of Islamic and secular education and Ulama can teach both subjects. Such is the case in Millat School, Mumbai where most of the teachers are Huffaz and 'Ulama.

2) Taxi driving: Have seen some doing it in Bombay. Enough earning for one's daily bread and no dependence on others. Flexibility for Salah too...just park somewhere close to a mosque and you are done.

3) Unani Medicine practice: Some Madaris in India have the BUMS course also. Many such 'Ulama open their Hakimi clinics and do quite well too.

4) Small businessess like bookshops, plywood shops and even pan shops.

Wa salam.

one thing your post makes me realise is that skills are very country specific. Taxi driving is probably o.k. in al hind, but definitely nothing to be proud of in the UK.

And in the UK if you told someone you've done the BUMS course you'll never hear the end of it

[Unlinozistimi]

Art:

Time taken: 6 months intensive to get to a good level, or 1-2 years doing it a couple of times a week.
Uses:
a: Good source of income making islamic paintings like this brother who was self taught http://www.husneyusuf.com/

[LoveTTatall]

one thing your post makes me realise is that skills are very country specific. Taxi driving is probably o.k. in al hind, but definitely nothing to be proud of in the UK.

And in the UK if you told someone you've done the BUMS course you'll never hear the end of it

True, many of the skill sets you mentioned would be of no use in India. WS.

[Unlinozistimi]

True, many of the skill sets you mentioned would be of no use in India. WS.

really? I thought most of those skills would be useful in most places.

[LoveTTatall]

really? I thought most of those skills would be useful in most places.

Art, Martial Arts, Mountain Climbing and Horticulture might not do so well here.

[Flefebleaft]

May I add Islamic Calligraphy, one can earn a lot through this...

[ThzinChang]

one thing your post makes me realise is that skills are very country specific. Taxi driving is probably o.k. in al hind, but definitely nothing to be proud of in the UK.

And in the UK if you told someone you've done the BUMS course you'll never hear the end of it

Ma sha'Allah good thread which will insha Allah open up the debate a bit more.

Hopefully as this thread develops some people can take it to the next stage by developing some courses for the young Alims. My suggestions are:

1. A course on developing institutions/Committes- learning to taking minutes, chairing meetings secretarial roles, etc. Including in this compulsory attendence to Local/public Councillor meetings to see how others operate.

2. Creative writing/an introduction to journalism - most areas have local newsletters dealing with local issues which operate on local volunteer journalists writing articles for them.

I know these aren't ways of generating income but they are valauble skills that I personally have seen lacking in our young people. Also if these types of courses are run along side the last 2 years of the Alim course, maybe 1 evening/week I think they would be better.

I think widening the diversity is key. Different people have different skills and we should be encouraging our young graduates to go out into all fields by giving them a taste of the various opportunities that are out there for them.

While short term "quick fix" money making schemes are ok initially, these graduates really need long term careers to support them and their families.

[enfoires]

My sons translates for Arab assylum seekers because they studied arabic fusha and its various dialects they do well with that

[SteantyjetMaw]

Ma sha'Allah good thread which will insha Allah open up the debate a bit more.

Hopefully as this thread develops some people can take it to the next stage by developing some courses for the young Alims.

Salaam,

Yes it is important that we have a skilled Ummah. The Cambridge Muslim College actually have a specific diploma designed for Alims/Alimas to apply their traditional studies in the western context and it is a very beneficial course for gaining many of these valuable skills. It would be worth advertising it to any soon-to-be alim graduates you know of.

http://www.cambridgemuslimcollege.org/

[uchetrip]

Thanks for sharing. Material arts is really useful skill. It is interesting as well as beneficial.

[Evoryboypoto]

May I add Islamic Calligraphy, one can earn a lot through this...

any1 know of any courses, books that are available for this

[Evoryboypoto]

translating is quite ideal for ulama
they already are proficient in arabic
the indo-pak ones should know urdu
few may know farsi
english
bengali
and many others

[zlopikanikanz]

Swimming & Horseback riding.

I dont want the benefits/uses. My Rasool saw recommended this.

[Jjfotqse]

The most valuable skills in life are:
i) A strong ethos of self-reliance, and honor
ii) Putting responsibilities towards others at the top of the list, and your personal aspirations at the bottom

If you have the above two, you will find a way insha'Allaah.