🎙 1 year since moving to Dubai, here's what i learnt

Assalāmu ‘alaykum and Good Evening

Welcome to another Freshly Grounded email, the newsletter so guarded it feels like we're swapping classified info in a dimly lit parking lot.

Inside the vault today:

• One year since moving to Dubai, here’s what I’ve learned (or learnt 🤷🏽‍♂️)

• Meme of the week

• Black coffee briefing: a dua that changed my life

Remember when we had to wear masks on planes? FOR THE ENTIRE JOURNEY?!

this pic was taken just over a year ago, when i moved myself and the family from the concrete jungle to the UAE.

I didn’t know what the next year would hold, but i knew i had to make the move and fight the comfort of staying stagnant.

Would FG still exist? Will i be able to drive on the other side of the road? Will my kids have american accents?

yes, yes, and yes.

But more importantly, i wanna share 3 things i learnt when diving head-first into one of the biggest life-changing decisions i’ve made:

1. Have complete conviction that Allāh will aid you

i didnt necessarily know how i was gonna make it work moving to a different country.

i knew that by moving away i was cutting off one of the primary ways we monetize fg: the live events.

But what i did know is that i was doing it for a good reason (family, kids, safety, bizniz etc.)

and most importantly i had complete conviction that Allāh will aid me.

like to the point that i was excited to see how He was going to do it.

Has Allāh let you down yet, ever?!

if that’s the precedent then i’ll be just fine. He is my Lord, He is my Provider, and He is all i need.

2. Be action-oriented

ever heard that saying that everyone has the million dollar idea but the difference is those who actually do it?

i probably butchered the saying but the point is that for many of us, we are our own biggest weakness.

We get in the way of ourselves.

Our best opportunities could be on the other side of a simple action.

This was true for me when getting the opportunity to run Tarteel’s marketing dept.

My friend told me they were looking for someone and you know what i did? took action.

i sent one simple email.

Imagine if i just put it off? You never know which email/phone call/business is gonna be the action that opens up opportunities.

3. It’s important to have a good support system

as humans we’re not built to go at everything alone.

look at the emphasis put on companionship in the seerah as one example.

a huge part of me being able to get onto my feet here was the people around me.

A supportive wife

brothers who would show me around

a community in the masjid

my siblings and family back home checking in on me

the brothers from back home not kicking me out of the whatsapp group

there is honour in being independent, but don’t be afraid to lean on others too.

Up your pinky game

if you caught the recent tarteel IG live, you’ll have noticed i wasn’t being shy giving my pinky some camera time 👇

that’s cos the guys at Zahabi hooked a brother up with some elite level mens rings. Zahabi are a jewellery brand who sell men's rings for daily wear, for occasions such as your nikah or Eid and they’re giving Freshly grounded listeners and viewers 20% off with FG20 at checkout.

Here’s a link to my fav ring (the one i was wearing)

Meme of the Week

☕️ The Black Coffee Briefings:

Bullet-point rundown of news, updates, and caffeinated contemplations:

• Users on the FG paid community suggested i run a weekly video drop-in session. Yesterday i ran the first one. here is a private link of the recording if you wanna see the vibe

• New episode of FG with Hamza Tzortzis available here

• A dua that i believe changed my life. Worth memorizing.

Join the Freshly Grounded Members-Only Community

Apply to join the members-only discord community of ambitious, like-minded & high calibre Muslims. Here’s some of the key deets:

• Membership is £7/ month (around $9)

• Each member is vetted for approval to ensure they bring value to the community.

• The community is segregated with brothers-only and sisters-only channels.

• Also get access to a weekly drop-in with Faisal on zoom

And there you have it, till the next rendezvous, keep your eyes peeled and your coffee strong.

If you want to start your own regular email newsletter, we recommend using Beehiiv (founded by ex-morning brew) and if you use this link, they'll give Freshly Grounded some kickback without any extra charge to you!