Mustaqbilun - Mastering the Art of Futures Thinking by Ezatulhada | Sneak Preview

Bismillah.

I thought, why not gift my mother with another book, do something meaningful on her behalf?

May Allah accept all the lil things we try to do that might win His blessings.

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M - Mindset of a Futurist

U - Understanding megatrends

S - Scanning weak signals

T - The Futures Triangle

A - Alternative Scenarios

Q - Questioning Assumptions

B - Building your Future

I - Innovating with Foresight

L - Learning from wild cards

U - Using Causal Layered Analysis

N - Narrating your future

Mysterious? Is the future really mysterious? Not at all if we care to unlearn any stale ideas we might have about imagining it. It requires shifting our mental paradigm from a mono-perspective to a more dynamic lens, among others.

If we are not too lazy and care to be more curious and inquisitive about what's happening, especially the big trends;  if we care to take advantage of the available AI to help us understand the megatrends and learn how to scan for weak signals, we would be able to dive deeper into the mysterious abyss.  Why not wait for my second book, where I will discuss the various tools you could use,  such as the Futures Triangle and Scenario Planning. You will learn that the latter will broaden your p.o.v so you would stop talking and, more importantly, stop believing in one future outcome, because you would see that there are at least four plausible scenarios to any inquiry you choose to make about its future. Having said that, it is not asking you to believe in any one of them. It is about shaking up your mental faculties so that you would begin to entertain several possible scenarios, not just five years down the road, but over a farther horizon. By now, you will have trained yourself to think about multiple futures and hopefully start building a muscle for Futures Thinking. Consequently, you would start questioning your rigid assumptions and become inspired to actively shape your desired future. My book will help you learn and practise innovating with foresight tools and techniques such as learning from wild cards and Causal Layered Analysis. You will learn all the known tools to master Futures Literacy, hence, become Futures literate so that you will have the capability to narrate your preferred future now, rather than later.

Mustaqbilun comes from the Arabic root word s, q, b, l, which means future-facing direction. It refers to those who embrace the future.

Let us all become a Futurist for the future belongs to all. As a matter of fact, becoming a futurist is a sunnah. In the Quran (59:18), the Almighty says: "O you who believe, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow..."

We are asked to anticipate future consequences of our current actions. Anticipation or anticipatory decision-making is a core tenet of foresight in the science of Futures Studies.

Mustaqbilun operationalizes the Quranic imperative to read "the signs" within ourselves and on the horizons. Thus, foresight, in my understanding as one who reads both tasawwuf (sufism) and futures literacy, is more than just a tool. It is taqwa in action. 

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Stay tuned for more snippets from my upcoming publication - Mustaqbilun: Mastering the Art of Futures Thinking.

Bi-iznillah.

May Allah increase us in knowledge and understanding.

May Allah grant us useful knowledge and enable us to put them into action. 

Aamiiin.

Ezatulhada Ismail

Founder & CEO Alhada Publishing | Author | Baker

BSc Economics - USA,  MLitt with Distinction in Publishing - UK and MBA with Distinction - UK

...

Alhamdulillah.

Allah Al Aleem Ar Rashid

***

On a lighter note...

Today, I made this gorgeous Pumpkin Loaf Cake.

Alhamdulillah praise be to the ultimate Al Bari'

- The Maker.

Futures Literacy within Sufism

Bismillah.

My MBA project in 2021 became the catalyst for my newfound interest in Futures Literacy. First, let me clarify: Yes, it is future with an “s” because it’s plural. There are many futures, or rather, plausible futures. There is more than one plausible future for everyone and everything.

Futures Literacy is about understanding the future better. Before understanding it, one must anticipate what it might look like, say, 10 years from now. Anticipation here means more than just guessing. It involves active participation by the seer or anticipator. In other words, one must explore the probable multiple futures using specific foresighting methods to become literate about the scenes beyond the horizons. Becoming literate means having the capacity to imagine and navigate towards it. The other terms that are often used in a similar context are Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight.

On many occasions while drafting my MBA dissertation, I kept thinking about what we already know from Islam regarding some aspects of Futures Literacy. For a start, let’s consider these angles: unity, timelessness, agency and ethical responsibility.

In Sufism, Tawhid transcends monotheism, beyond the “Ahad” in Surah Al-Ikhlas, which alludes to the One and Only. There is also the Oneness of Being, where all creation is a manifestation of divine unity. Futures Literacy similarly asks us to see interconnected possibilities beyond linear time. Certainly, Allah the Almighty is limitless, and so are His actions.

Futures Literacy encourages seeing the future as a continuum of divine creation, where all scenarios are interconnected under God’s sovereignty. In Futuhat al-Makkiya, Shaykh Ibn Arabi described time as a “moving image of eternity” where past, present, and future coexist in divine knowledge. Of course, there are no words better than the Quran that describe God’s qualities as being the First, the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. God knows all, even on matters as minute as a falling leaf.

For Muslims, life is far from laissez-faire. While upholding the 6th tenet of the Pillars of Faith on believing in Divine Decree (Qadar), Muslims are active actors through free will or ikhtiyar. Human agency is a salient component, but not above God’s ultimate orchestra. Similarly, Futures Literacy emphasises shaping the future while acknowledging uncertainty.

In the Alchemy of Happiness, Imam Al-Ghazali argued that humans act as co-creators within God’s grand design. In Futures Literacy, there is a term called “preferred futures”, and although a man may have his preferred outcome, a Muslim man would seek divine guidance in his decision-making by making istikharah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the foremost guide on this matter. He said, one should tie his camel, then trust in God.

Thirdly, Sufism teaches us about self-annihilation or fana. We are encouraged to detach from the ego, which tends to be selfish and tarnished with self-conceit. Give up on one’s lower self to submit to the powers that be. In the same manner, Futures Literacy requires shedding personal (human) biases to explore plural futures. It is undoubtedly plural because God’s actions have no bounds. This, by right, should be a fun thing to do, to let go and say: let’s see what it might be? Didn’t Rumi say: Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment?

Futurists are supposed to let their guards down and be open to the unknown. This is a prerequisite of Strategic Foresight. Futurists should unlearn and rid themselves of any existing mental clutter so that the windows to the future are clearer.

Sufis might be a better bunch of Futurists, for they are trained through zikir (the practice of invocations or remembrance) whereby the mental noises die down in place of illumination. Moreover, the Quran teaches Muslims not to be too fixated on one’s chosen ideas or inclinations, for “It may be you dislike a thing which is good for you.” (Quran 2:216)

Futures Literacy, just like every science, comes with responsibility. It emphasises ethical foresight to avoid harm. The end in mind must be morally right for humanity. This is a given, but is clearly spelt out in Islam. Humans are “khalifah” or stewards on this planet.

Furthermore, in Sufism, there is a principle called “ihsan”, meaning excellence, beauty or perfection in action. One is encouraged to do one’s best towards achieving the best possible outcome for the good of all mankind. The Quran reminds us not to corrupt the Earth after it has been set in order.

In Futures Literacy, we are to drop rigid predictions and embrace ambiguity. Likewise, Sufism teaches tawakkul, trust in God, especially amid uncertainty. In the famous Kitab Hikam by Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari, the scholar asked, ‘How can the heart be illumined while the forms of creatures are mirrored in it?’ In other words, we, the Futurists, should erase any fixed outcomes, be more adaptive, truly surrender, and embrace the unknown horizons. During scenario planning, one must have faith in preparing for multiple paths without attachment. Of course, the mind and the heart want a perfect scenario, but a futurist knows there should be and there will be other less perfect scenarios too. A Muslim Futurist should have a better reliance on Allah, knowing He is sufficient for them (Quran 65:3).

Futures Literacy challenges linear time by exploring alternative temporalities, either cyclical or spiral. Sufism views time as a veil hiding the true reality of the eternal “now” of divine presence. In The Meccan Revelations, Shaykh Ibn Arabi described time as a “breath of the Merciful” where all moments exist simultaneously.

So, looking at the probable ends, where do we begin now? To systematically begin exploring the future, one needs to have Futures Literacy, by learning the how and the what. However, knowing the tools is not enough. One should keep thinking about it. One should be continually curious about future possibilities, thinking what if this happens, what if that were to unfold? So, Futures Thinking is a necessary acumen if one wants to be more prepared for the future. There will be disruptors, no doubt, such as a pandemic. Futures Thinking encourages one to be an active anticipator of the future so that one can better navigate towards the preferred future while overcoming any potential obstacles along the way.

Remember I mentioned at the outset how the three terms Futures Literacy, Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight are sometimes used interchangeably? Now, the third aspect of this science of probing the future is Strategic Foresight. It is about deciding strategically how to move towards the preferred future. What actions should I take today so that I might end up in the ideal scenario that I envision?

I hope this short article has sparked your curiosity and interest in Futures Literacy. Just like me, as you dive deeper into this science of futuring, you will start asking or noticing how it sits in Islam, particularly Sufism.

Allahu a'lam.

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On a lighter note, today I baked this heavenly Coffee Crumble Cake : )

Ah, yes, in the background is my book: Boost Your Faith.

Available on Amazon, at Kinokuniya KLCC or purchase directly from the publisher at

https://alhadapublishing.com/

Thanks!

Here's an update on this blogger

Bismillah.

For two decades I crafted winning proposals in Kuala Lumpur's corporate world, mastering the art of persuasion, strategy and deadlines. But my heart always whispered of home - Penang. The island where spice markets hum with ancient wisdom, and sunsets over the strait feel like a call to prayer. 

After 20 years I answered that call. I traded skyscrapers for my kitchen by the Penang bridge and discovered that faith like a good cake should be rich, intricately textured and unapologetically generous.

This homecoming baked Boost Your Faith into existence - my book for seekers craving spiritual clarity in a world of half-baked truths.  It is also why I founded Alhada Publishing, a platform for voices kneading truth into every chapter.  Because spirituality, like baking the perfect cake, demands patience, precision and a love letter to the Divine.

Today, my Penang kitchen is a symphony of strategic sweetness. Guests savour Cranberry Butter Cake and Teh Tarik so smooth it could broker peace between deadlines and daydreams.

Our conversations (if you care to participate in my podcast party) - you will find a blend of MBA-grade logic and Sufi poetry, because even spirituality benefits from a business plan and even the best of plans need a sip of grace.

Think of me as your Penang strategist of soulful layers. A publisher who stacks stories like cake tiers. A hostess who knows that Teh Tarik isn't just tea. It is the rythm of connection pulled to perfection. And of course I am the blogger, author and baker who will always save you a seat where the glorious morning rays remind us every layer of life deserves celebration!

Stay tuned for announcements on private podcast party at my humble abode in Penang.

It's for those who crave meaningful conversations over small talk. Those who believe food tastes better when shared with intention.  Those who want to be part of Penang's most thoughtful and spiritual book cafe.

Limited to party of 10. Exclusive.

InSyaAllah.