By Ali Bashir , Lawyer & Regional Qaid MKA-Kadama Region
Power means having the strength and ability to do something, and even to make others do something. If you have power, you can change things around you. But in Islam, real and complete power belongs to Allah alone. He is the one who says “Be” and it comes to be, just as the Quran tells us.
Human beings are only given a small share of that power, and it is a test. You did not create your own strength, Allah gave it to you. That means you must use it responsibly, not carelessly.
Then Discipline means training yourself to do the right thing, even on days you do not feel like doing it. In short, it is about obeying rules, controlling you, and staying consistent. Discipline is doing what you should do, not just what you want to do.
In the Jamaat, discipline goes beyond personal self-control. It means full obedience to the Jamaat system and to Khilafat. This obedience works on three levels.
The first is discipline towards Allah, praying the five daily prayers in congregation and reading the Quran regularly. The second is discipline towards Khilafat and the Jamaat, following instructions from the Khalifa of the time without arguing, paying Chanda regularly, attending Jamaat programs like Ijtema and Jalsa, and accepting decisions made by the Jamaat even when they are difficult to accept.
The third level is discipline of self. This is the bigger struggle, known as Jihad-e-Akbar. It means controlling your anger, avoiding lies, staying away from bad company, and not hurting others. It also includes working hard and being honest in whatever job you do, because serving your country well is part of being a disciplined Ahmadi.
A truly disciplined person is one whose tongue, hands, and thoughts are all under control, someone who never puts personal wishes above the instructions of the Jamaat and Khalifa of the time.
A dream is what a person sees and feels in the mind while sleeping. It can feel very real, even though the body is only lying on the bed. According to the Islamic teaching, dreams are not just random pictures in the brain, they can be a form of communication from Allah.
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) classified dreams into three types: true dreams that come directly from Allah, ordinary dreams that come from daily life and thoughts, and disturbing dreams that come from Satanic influence or from the lower desires of a person.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, taught that controlling one’s desires through strict self-discipline is necessary for spiritual growth. In his book, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, he explained that the human soul passes through three stages.
The first is Nafs-e-Ammarah, where a person is controlled fully by their urges and passions. The second is Nafs-e-Lawwamah, where the mind begins fighting bad habits and a person feels regret after losing self-control. The final stage is Nafs-e-Mutma’innah, where doing good becomes natural and brings the person real peace.
He also taught that just like a farmer must plough the soil before planting, a person’s mind must be purified through effort and discipline before real wisdom can grow in it.
On anger and pride, the Promised Messiah(peace be upon him) taught that uncontrolled anger is like temporary madness that destroys a person’s ability to achieve anything meaningful. He said anger mostly comes from pride, when someone believes they are better than others and cannot accept being corrected.
On laziness, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) warned that faith without action is dead, and that true discipline means acting immediately rather than postponing your duties. A lazy mind, he said, easily slides back to being controlled by desires, making it impossible to reach long-term goals.
In his book Noah’s Ark, he made it clear that a person’s pledge of allegiance means nothing if they continue to let pride, anger, dishonesty, or laziness control their daily life instead of choosing the harder, righteous path.
The Quran repeatedly reminds believers to build discipline through patience, consistency, and moderation, and to remember that every good and bad deed will be seen. It also teaches that Allah guides those who strive continuously for His sake, and that true success comes to those who persevere and stay firm, even though setbacks.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that the strongest person is not one who defeats others physically, but one who controls himself when angry. He also taught that the deeds most loved by Allah are the small ones done consistently, not the big ones done only once in a while.
Islam itself revolves around discipline. Prayer comes at fixed times. Fasting during Ramadan trains a person to stay away from food, water, and other desires from morning to evening for a full month, not because these things are forbidden, but simply because Allah says so, so that a person builds self-control and earns reward.
In conclusion, when a person disciplines themselves for the sake of Allah, they build a life full of genuine contentment. Such a person does not need drugs, alcohol, or bad habits to feel happy the discipline itself becomes the source of lasting peace and joy.
This article was adopted from the Speech, “The Power of Self-Discipline in Achieving Our Dreams” delivered at the 20th National MKA Uganda Ijtimah on 5th September 2026 by Ali Bashir Lawyer and Regional Qaid Kadama Region.
