Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills

Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills This essay will be used as a tool to critique and improve my leadership and management skills as this is essential to the changes that are needed in the NHS improvement plan. In this process I have identified my leadership strengths as well as my development needs. I have used self assessment and feedback from colleagues in the form of my managers, peers and direct reports. I have also reflected upon my vision and style of management and further identified areas that can be enhanced into making me a more versatile leader as this is important to the NHS modernisation programme (DH 2000). With this information I have formulated an action plan that is SMART (Specific, Measureable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time bound) (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). Leadership is essential and central to the current NHS modernisation programme. In fact the department of health quotes anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). In simple terms the department of health is looking towards its own staff to develop and deliver their NHS improvement plan and are looking for visionary staff at all levels of experience (DH 1999). The changes that I have had to lead and am currently leading have been driven by reducing waiting times for new case patients as well as implementing the 18 week Pathway from referral to treatment (DH 2006). Other drivers for change and improvement have been the implementation of the Choose and Book system, whereby patients are invited to choose where they are referred and given the option of booking their appointments. The reason for these changes on a whole has been to provide a faster, more user friendly and convenient access to care for patients requiring treatment (DH 2005). My professional title is Head of Orthoptic Services which is an allied health profession. I have to provide clinical leadership whilst ensuring a comprehensive and equitable service is provided that is responsive to changing needs, that is flexible to change and has to directly follow department of health guidelines and changes. My leadership role is to manage and develop the Orthoptic Services within the framework of national guidelines and ensure that effective communication across 3 hospital based departments, out-reach clinics, special schools and screening clinics is adhered to, to enable effect change. Within this role I am met with challenges that are set from management levels above me that I have to react to within my sphere of influence. These may include financial management, staffing levels, waiting targets and service developments in line with the NHS improvement plan (DH 2004). In providing these changes the challenges that I face are mainly down to financial constraint s and staffing levels. Staffing levels are always an issue since our department lost a member of staff due to recruitment and retention, and as a method of cost savings the post was dissolved. Conflict is often an issue as change is at this time frequent and often initially met with resistance and negativity; I myself can initially have these reactions and project them. My personal vision of leadership is to be a transformational leader. This type of leader has the skills to share their vision, motivate their team and gain commitment, which will as a result inspire performance (Bennis, 2003, p 31-46). I am keen to motivate my staff by giving them objectives that I feel are appropriate and within their capabilities; this gives them a varied, inspiring work life and will broaden and increase their interests. This has been highlighted in my LQF feedback which I will discuss in greater detail later. I feel this is also how the department of health envisions how leadership will carry forward their NHS improvement plan (DH 2001). However, this is sometimes not always possible and in more challenging times I can become more of a transactional leader. I feel sometimes when I have to pass on objectives that people are resistant to, then reward and punishment which is characteristic of transactional leadership comes into force. One example of this was when a member of staffs competencies was called into question due to consistently producing clinically inadequate test results. My leadership philosophy is to be a leader who has inspirational qualities and to be credible. This should involve being approachable, hard working, trustworthy, competent and supportive. If I am able to fulfil these criteria then I feel I will have credibility as a leader and or manager. This is what followers expect of a leader (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 19-31). The reason for this is because a confident and competent leader will have the ability and capabilities which will be obvious to their followers. They will be able to share their vision which will inspire the staff to follow in their footsteps. To be a successful leader it is important to self assess and understand about self-knowledge. If one is able to identify their strengths and any areas for development, this will result in being able to set realistic parameters and be able to capitalise on their strengths, interests and capabilities (Bennis, 2003, p47-64). I have therefore completed an assessment of myself by using the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 360 Feedback assessment tool (LQF). I have also completed a shortened Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to identify my personality type. The LQF is based upon research with over 3,328 participants and is evidence based grounded research with 150 NHS Chief Executives and Directors of all disciplines. This makes it a robust form of assessment (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). . My criticism of the LQF would be that you have to carefully select who you feel is able to fill it out in a critical but positive way. I feel that if this is not done it has the ability to skew the percentage scales especially if there has only been small numbers of participants in each group. This creates statistically insignificant results. Finally some of my direct reports felt that the language and questions were quite technical and needed some form of political astuteness and management knowledge, therefore making it difficult to fill out completely accurately. I have been able to identify key qualities from the LQF which not only fit in with my leadership philosophy but in my role as a leader. Some of these qualities I had no idea I possessed. I appear confident and am approachable, supportive, motivated, focused, determined and a good communicator. I also have the will to see service developments; this is key to the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plans (DH 2000). These qualities have been identified by my managers, peers and direct reports. Some of these qualities fit in with being a transformational leader which is clearly what is important to the department of healths improvement plan. Interestingly some of my needs for development have been identified as not being self-confident, not dealing with disciplinary needs and identifying slipping standards, these development needs all point to a more transactional form of leadership or the more management orientated tasks. This process (LQF) has forced me to be far more critical and reflective of myself. It has been uncomfortable at times as some of the feedback has been quite damning of my leadership style, however it is apparent that this is an anomaly in the process and not the general feeling from the rest of the participants. It has highlighted to me key strengths that I have aspired to possess, and it has clearly highlighted areas needed for development, some of which I feel I may have been subconsciously aware of. An example of my strengths directly ties in with the department of healths NHS modernisation programme quote: Anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). A number of direct reports state I delegate duties well which allows people to expand their own role in the department. This creates new challenges for people which maintains motivation (LQF page 44). Other comments relating to this go on to state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. In this process I have been able to clearly identify key qualities and strengths; however, in order to become a more effective leader some development needs have been identified. In order to achieve this I have created action plans for three areas I would like to work on. Firstly to improve my time management skills, my next plan will be to develop the ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way and finally to increase my self confidence. (Appendix 1) To enable myself to improve these development needs I have formulated action plans for each. I am going to attempt to use ideas and recommendations from professional consensus but also from the likes of Bennis, Kouzes and Posner, Tracy and Covey all advocators of personal development and leading experts in leadership. My first action plans objective is to improve my time management skills. The rationale behind this is because poor organisation and time management creates a negative outlook for all groups of people I work with, my peers, direct reports and my managers. It has been stated in the LQF that it sets undesirable standards to others. Also objectives can be left too close to the deadline which then creates a rushed and poorly planned outcome which can directly affect the quality of the project. Ultimately the deadline can be missed if other tasks make me have to digress from the original task. Furthermore people have identified that I need to improve my long term planning and see the bigger picture, however, this is difficult if I am constantly dealing with the day to day urgent tasks or Fire-fighting as quoted by a peer. Having reflected upon my style of leadership and identifying a quality I possess, approachability, I also feel this can hinder effectiveness. I currently operate an open door policy and try to be approachable. This causes frequent interruptions and digressions which puts pressure on myself and creates difficulty reaching deadlines. The strategies I am going to explore are based around Stephen Covey and Brian Tracys methods of improving personal effectiveness. Before I set about this I feel I will have to reduce the potential unnecessary interruptions and digressions. Firstly I still want to remain an approachable leader with an open door policy, this, my staff felt was a strength, however, I feel that if I restrict access I will have more uninterrupted time which will make me able to work for longer periods of time and thus reach goals and objectives far more effectively. My first step is to simply close my door between certain hours and ensure that people are aware that if the door is closed I am not available, but I will make staff know that I am available between the hours of 08.00 09.00 (dependent on start time), 12.00 13.30 and 16.00-17.00. The next step will be to improve clarity; this is the most important concept in personal effectiveness, if I have absolutely clear goals and objectives, this should improve my productivity and prevent me procrastinating (Tracy, 2004, p7). Ideally I will start to document what it is I want to achieve since this will enable me to visualise what it is I am aiming for. During this process I will set a realistic deadline to achieving my goals, this will give the objective urgency. I will plan ahead, again documenting what needs to be achieved. Finally, something I rarely do will be to take action on the plan immediately (Tracy, 2004, p7). The next step will involve building upon my clarity and identified goals and objectives and will involve planning ahead by working from a list. A short time making a plan of the day ahead will in the long run save time. Therefore I am going to list the tasks or objectives that need to be achieved monthly, weekly and daily, and as I have achieved an objec tive I will cross it off. Tracy (2004, p14) explains that monthly and weekly lists increases effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately improves motivation and drive since you are able to visualise your achievements. It is this sense of accomplishment that generates forward motion. This strategy will be a very useful evaluation tool as it will enable me to assess my progress and achievements. This plan of action also fits in with the Quadrant II theory where I need to balance my working life between urgent and important issues (Covey, 2004, p150). There are four quadrants (I) important and urgent (II) Important and not urgent (III) not important but urgent and (IV) not important and not urgent. Currently if I reflect upon my practice and what has been highlighted in my LQF I am working in quadrant I. Jerry spends most of his time fire-fighting at work i.e. he is constantly dealing with the immediate problem rather than getting on top of things and looking ahead and planning bette r (LQF, p47). This affects my drive for improvement which is key to the NHS Modernisation and Improvement plan (DH 2000). Covey (2004, p152) states that this leads to stress, burnout, crisis management and fire-fighting and therefore lead me to be far less effective and efficient. The idea is to work more in quadrant II where I am dealing with important but not urgent tasks, if I can achieve this then this will impact on having to deal with the urgent and important tasks that prevent me from planning ahead and driving for improvement. Furthermore if I can get into quadrant II, less and less tasks will be urgent and important. An example of a problem that exists at the moment as a result of poor time management and dealing with urgent and important issues all the time is patient discharge letters. I am unable to sit for any length of time and write them, they are therefore mounting up and compounding my inefficiency. If I were to list them on my weekly schedule, then I will be able t o visualise the task needs doing. Therefore if I can eliminate the pile that exists, it will be easier to stay on top of the task, one letter at a time is easier and more effective than having to sit down and write ten. Therefore my evaluation tool will be to constantly review my task lists and assess my achievements and work on the objectives that are left outstanding. The second action plans objective is to look at developing my ability to confront members of staff at all levels in a self managed way. The rationale behind this is because confrontation at work occurs at all levels, meaning that I have to manage confrontation with my peers and direct reports. Confrontation and conflict appeared frequently in my LQF assessment, with comments suggesting I shy away from it, bury my head in the sand, let standards slip rather than deal with confrontation and do not deal with disciplinary issues to avoid confrontation. These comments were particularly used by my peers and direct reports. All this fits in with the difficulty I have dealing with conflict management. Conflict is likely when the work place has staff of varying backgrounds (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375), for example professionals versus semi professionals, which can then lead to perceived status differences making joint working far more difficult. One of my peer comments was to do with the perce ption that my staff controls me and that I have little control over them. Though I disagree with the majority of this statement, there does appear to be some obvious perceptions within my peers that this is in fact the case. The strategy to improve on my ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way will concentrate on conflict resolution. My role as a leader is to identify, explore and resolve issues that may be causing conflict, this may be uncomfortable but can only be achieved with perseverance and some degree of risk (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375). Confronting my direct reports would be the logical first step, the reason for this is the feedback I received from my peers, suggesting they (direct reports) control me. My own direct reports suggested that I dislike confronting them when standards are slipping or when disciplinary issues need resolving (LQF, p 44-45). Return to work interviews after sickness are left or not done, these by no means are a disciplinary action, however if they are not done it gives the opinion that I do not care. In line with improving my time management skills, my intention is to immediately list the interview down on my schedule, so that I can visualise the need to do it. If clinical case note standards slip, then I should deal with them immediately also. There was a case when a colleague had written highly inappropriate comments in clinical records that were brought to my attention. I procrastinated far too long in dealing with this, so that when I did eventually confront the member of staff I was me t with hostility Why did you not speak to me months ago. My staff members were aware of the issue and were uncomfortable that nothing had been done. If feel if I had exercised better assertiveness and had identified, explored and resolved the issue earlier then the outcome would have been more positive for me and my direct reports. I feel the longer issues are left, the more I worry and become less in control. When it comes to the confrontation, I am tense, uncomfortable and out of control. The quicker I can explore and resolve the issue the easier it will be to deal with and I will be moving towards a more self managed way of dealing with confrontation. Furthermore the quicker I act on these types of issues the more it will be a self managed style of leadership, as it will prevent me from being pushed into dealing with confrontation by my direct reports and peers. Managing confrontation with my peers will employ a more open and honest form of communication (Covey 2004, p 202). Through my LQF and reflection I have identified that with my immediate peers there is differing professional backgrounds and probable peer resentment. It is clear that with both parties small issues and annoyances have been left to fester. This then leads to an escalation of bad feeling and antagonism between us all. With the differing professional backgrounds there has always been a differing level of expectation across the workforce. Covey (2004, p 201-202) examines dealing with the issues head on by arranging a series of meetings to mediate and resolve the existing issues and promote a more open and positive working relationship. By taking these steps myself to deal with the current situation, I will be self managing confrontation and will not be forced into having to deal with issues by outside pressures and necessity. Evaluation of this action plan will again be in the form of scheduling and crossing off achievements, but also reflecting upon the experience. Rule: Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field (Tracy 2004, p52). If I can maintain a diary reflecting upon conflicts that have been resolved and concentrate on the problems and not the personalities then I will be moving towards a self managed way of dealing with confrontation. I will be forcing myself to learn from my experiences and be able to identify successful and less successful outcomes and identify why these exist or what it was that was different between each confrontation. I will reflect upon the use of some of my strengths identified in my LQF. Confidence but not arrogance, highly developed communication style and being able to listen, these are all important in dealing with conflict management (Outhwaite, 2003, p 374-375). My final action plans objective will be to increase my self confidence. The rationale behind this is very personal. Already through my LQF assessment I have learnt that people mostly perceive me as confident and having motivational and inspiring qualities, however, my own personal confidence levels are very poor. Fear of change, conflict and failure is a barrier to my confidence. The LQF assessment showed a very low score for taking calculated risks, this does not surprise me since my direct reports and peers are very unforgiving when it comes to poor judgement and change, even if it was justified. One particular peer is very judgemental regarding failure and slipping standards. My time management skills are in need of further development and a sense of not achieving the balance between non urgent and important tasks (Quadrant II) and constantly dealing with immediate issues constantly chips away at ones confidence levels. Not being able to achieve positive outcomes in conflicts and confrontations needs to be addressed. The more I can succeed and develop the win/win habit the better my confidence will become. It is not about winning confrontations and moving forward my way, but more that agreements and solutions end with a mutually beneficial or satisfying outcome (Covey, 2004, p207). My strategy to improving my self confidence will start by formulating organisational plans and task sheets. When I achieve an objective or project I will cross these of the list and highlight it as an achieved small win (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This creates momentum and the sense of achievement as previously discussed. I will rate key results on a scale of one to ten and identify strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses can be used to further develop. If I learn from these weakness and train further this will eliminate the feelings of inadequacy and the lack of confidence I have (Tracy 2004, p 51). Key results or completed projects can be discussed with colleagues and appraised by my manager (Tracy, 2004, p 35-40). All these achievements that I have previously never reflected upon will start to give me a sense of confidence and accomplishment I have never previously thought about. On reflection I have assessed my achievements more on a win/lose scenario, but the more I c an work towards the win/win habit (Covey, 2004, p 205-234) and pass this on to my direct reports the more I am likely to succeed and become self confident. My direct reports tend to assess accomplishments using the win/lose way, and therefore anything that is achieved must have the outcome of us having won the battle, it is not surprising that this promotes the lack of confidence and a feeling of inadequacy I have. Evaluation of this action plan will be to more frequently assess my achievements and accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This will involve assessing my task sheets and my organisational plan which will be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This will help me visualise the tasks that have been completed. The rating of tasks and further training can be assessed by looking at the ratings and assessing if they are improving. This will enable me to build my self confidence. Conflicts and confrontations can be reflected upon and I will be able to better understand the concepts behind win/win. If I can self manage the confrontations and aim for win/win, not only will I be achieving mutually satisfactory benefits and outcomes, but this will be working towards building my self confidence as more and more tasks will be achievable. It will also improve the interdepartmental conflicts and possible peer resentment that has been evident since my LQF. To conclude, it is obvious that all my action plans link into each other. As I become a more effective and efficient leader, then my peers will have less reason to resent my management style and pressure me into acting upon issues that are troubling them. This will then have the effect of lessening conflicts and confrontations. Furthermore, as I improve my time management skills and lessen the confrontations that occur, this will start impacting on my own self confidence. My own self confidence is directly affected by poorly self managed confrontations and an increasing number of tasks that are left undone or incomplete. It is obvious from my strengths that I have the ability to carry out these action plans and that my staff members are more than willing to take on tasks that are suitable for them as they state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. The Department of Health is looking for visionary staff members that are able to implement and carry out their modernisation plan. As my leadership skills improve I will be more effective in leading change and envisioning improvements becoming the embodiment of the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plan.

Corporate Strategy and Policy

1. Statement of Purpose: Corporate Strategy & Policy Any meaningful organization has certain mission, objective(s) and goal(s) and a strategy to achieve them. Business environment consists of all those factors that have a bearing on the business, such as the strengths, weaknesses, internal power relationships and orientations of the organization, government policies and regulations, nature of economy and economic conditions, socio-cultural factors, demographic trends, natural factors, global needs and cross-border developments. Business is an integral part of the social system. Social system influences business, which in turn is affected by the business. Corporate governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goals and between individual and commercial goals. The governance framework (that creates policies) is there to encourage the efficient use of resources and equally to require accountability for the stewardship of those resources. The aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individuals, corporations and society. The incentive to corporations and to those who own and manage them to adopt internationally accepted governance standards is that these standards will help them to achieve their corporate aims and to attract investment. The initiative for this adoption by states is that these standards will strengthen the economy and discourage fraud and mismanagement. The foundation of any structure of corporate governance is disclosure. Openness is the basis of public confidence in the corporate system, and funds will flow to the centers of economic activity that inspires trust. My exposure to two corporate cultures, seven years with Andhra Steel Corporation Limited, a public limited company and 20 years with Manipal Hospital, corporate hospital managed by Manipal Health Enterprise Private Limited, had given me glimpse in corporations functioning. For five years I worked as officer taking care of secretarial functions, in Andhra Steel Corporation Limited. Jobs involved share transfers, Fixed Deposit settlements, arranging shareholders’ meetings, AGMs, Board of Directors Meeting, maintaining minutes of the meeting, Interacting with internal and external auditors, printing and presentation of financial statements, safe holding of 20000 files of Calcutta Registered office as per ruling of Honorable Calcutta High Court in response to a winding up petition. Mittal group controlled India’s largest mini steel industry, I had interacted with many private limited companies of the group, and strategies developed were applied across: one unit procured raw material, another made semi finished (billets) and another produced finished product (Tor Steel). I worked for 8 years as executive at Manipal Hospital, implementing the corporate policies, the vision and mission of the Group. I had implemented corporate social responsibility for 5 years by operating social work department. All through I had witnessed a transformation of Medical Relief Society of South Canara into a private limited company, Manipal Health Systems Pvt. Ltd. Now poised with foreign operations, the group now strategically runs Manipal Health Enterprises Private Limited along with Manipal University. 20 hospitals of national/international status, including well known Kasturba Medical College & Hospital at Manipal, and 10 educational institutions under Manipal University are part of this group. This transition had given me an opportunity to study the new perspectives – how the trust’s social responsibility later became CSR. The company strategically acquired, merged and made alliances with other companies and effectively dealt staff migration and retrenchment with HRM strategies. My studies on Human Rights Law and management gave me a theoretical perspective on corporate governance in Globalization. Knowledge is an ocean. This realization has given me the courage to apply for fellowship program in IIM-B. My Primary interest is on Corporate Social Responsibility strategies and policies. My ultimate aim is to found a Management Journal of international repute that would publish research findings in Management and Healthcare that can strategically facilitate affordable healthcare to the community. Let our strategies and policies protect all of us.

Islam in UK Essay

I am going to write about â€Å"Islam†. In this topic, I’ll describe Islamic values, Islamic traditions, the meaning of Islam and other things, which are related to Islam. I am writing this to inform Muslims about Islamic culture and values. I have chosen this topic to advise and persuade them to follow the right ways of Islam. The reason to choose this topic is that in Pakistan there are many people who call themselves Muslims, but in reality, they don’t fulfil the duties of Islam. They don’t understand what Islam is. They don’t know how to treat their children, how to teach them Islamic principles. My aim is to inform Muslims about the true meaning of Islam. I’ll get the information from the internet, my family, my teachers and my personal points of view. I am a Muslim therefore I have lots of information about my topic. I’ll tell you about God, belief, sects of Islam, prophets and other information. The people, who call themselves Muslims, they consider that they belong to a Muslim family so they are also Muslims, but it is wrong. They don’t know their religion’s facts. For being a Muslim, they should know their religion’s reality. There are also some people who think that they have recited the creed, so they would be called Muslims, but this is not reality. Muslims are those people who have firm belief in their heart and soul, on Islam, Allah, His angels, His messengers, His books and His revelations. You should believe in the judgement day, and fate and destiny. Muslims believe in only One God, the same God that Jews and Christians believe in. For a Muslim, the life of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the perfect example. A Muslim is that person, who follows the principles and the acts of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), these principles and acts are called ‘Sunnah’. For being a Muslim, the first thing that you should know about Islam is its meaning. Islam is the Arabic word, which simply means peace and purity. Islam connotes submission, surrender, and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah and therefore it is called ‘Islam’. Anyone who has firm belief in Islam and surrenders himself to Allah is called a Muslim. Islam is not a new religion. It is in essence the same message and guidance which Allah revealed to all His previous messengers. The message which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form. Islam is the religion, which was given to Adam, the first man, and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to humankind. The name of God’s religion Islam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Koran, Allah states the following: â€Å"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion†. (Soorah Al-Maa’idah 5:3) After having faith in Allah, a Muslim worships God to seek His will. The five pillars of Islam are core beliefs that shape a Muslim’s thought, deed, and society. A Muslim who fulfils the five Pillars of Islam, remains in the faith of Islam, and sincerely repents of his sins, will make it to paradise. One of these pillars is the ‘Shahada’, which is the Islamic proclamation that â€Å"there is no true God except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah†. This is the declaration that Allah is the one and only true God, that Allah alone is worthy of worship and the sovereign lord who does what he wills with whoever he wills. It means that all of His rules and laws found in the Koran are to be followed. Muhammad is the true and greatest prophet of God and recognition of Muhammad as the Prophet of God is required. It was through Muhammad that God conveyed the last and final revelation. I have seen some Muslims who just recite the Islamic proclamation but do not care about acting upon other pillars. The second pillar is prayer, which involves confession of sins, which begins with the purification of the body and ends with the purification of the soul. Prayer is performed five times a day. The first prayer is at dawn and the last at sunset. The names of the prayers, which are essential to pray, are Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha. There are also some prayers, which are not obligatory to pray. As a Muslim, I perform these prayers, but unfortunately not regularly. The third pillar is ‘fasting’, which is an act of worship where the faithful follower denies his own needs and seeks Allah. Usually, this fasting entails no drinking, eating, or having sexual relations during the daylight hours for the entire month of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is the month of fasting in Islam. I must keep fast myself in the month of Ramadan, but sometimes I keep fast in other days instead of Ramadan. The fourth pillar of Islam is giving alms to poor people, disabled people, orphans and widows. Charity is the biggest source of asking forgiveness for our sins. Whenever I have something to give someone, I give alms to needy people. The fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which has been ordered to everyone to do it at least one time in your life. That pilgrimage purifies your soul from all sins as the water cleans the dirtiness. If you perform the five pillars, but do not remain in the faith, you will not be saved. Islam has a number of special occasions of celebration. These occasions are observed with devotion to seek the pleasure of Allah. There is no concept of festival only for pleasure. The festivals are the occasions of thanksgiving, joy and happiness. The two major occasions in Islam in each year are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. I also celebrate these occasions. I enjoy them a lot. Eid-ul-Fitr is observed at the end of the month of Ramadan. On this day, after a month of fasting, Muslims express their joy and happiness by offering a congregational prayer. This day is generally observed as a holiday in Muslim countries. Eid-ul-Adha begins on the 10th of Dhu’l Hijjah and continues until the 12th day of the month. It is celebrated to commemorate the Prophet Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael on the command of Allah. This occasion of great importance comes every year during the days of the pilgrimage of Mecca and is observed by offering congregational prayer, as i n Eid-ul-Fitr. Some other occasions to observe and celebrate include Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of power), Lailat-ul-Miraj (Night of the Ascent), the beginning of Hijrah, and the dates for Islamic battles, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Ashurah (10th of Muharram). Islamic festivals are observed according to the Islamic calendar, which is based on Lunar months. The Lunar year is shorter than the solar year by about 10 days. Festival dates are determined by the sighting of the moon. Unfortunately, there is not a single Islamic calendar, which has been accepted by Muslims all over the world. I do not celebrate all of these occasions, but I try my best to celebrate all of these festivals. Nowadays in many Muslim countries, most of people lay stress on celebrating non Islamic festivals instead of Islamic like Basant (festival of flying kites), Holli (festival of playing with colours and music) and Christmas. Some people think that â€Å"a perfect Muslim† is simply one who is correct in the observance of the ritual prayer, the fasting, the charity, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. This is not the fact. If you are not humble, pious and truly God-fearing instead of performing ritual prayers, then you are not a real Muslim. A Muslim should be truthful, honest, and moderate in everything, loving, optimistic, hopeful and sincere. You should take special care to keep away yourself from all the shameful and sinful things God has forbidden. The main forbidden acts in Islam are refusing from the oneness of Allah, testifying false testimonies, murdering people and making money by taking interest on loans. Allah has also forbidden us from taking other’s money unjustly especially money of orphans and needy people. Islam has prohibited us from slandering chaste and pure women, and having sexual relationships outside marriage. The other things, which are not allowed to do in Islam, are drinking alcohol, gambling, stealing, swearing, lying, eating pork and committing suicide. Islam makes faith and religion the basis of the entire human society and the most important for the system of its relationships. The Islamic concept of nationhood is not based on language, colour or region kinship. The Islamic community is a society of faith. Anyone who believes in the Islamic religion and its beliefs is an undeniable part of this nation whatever his race, colour, language or place of birth. I accept it that all human beings are equal. Social responsibilities have lots of importance in a Muslim’s life. The base of Islamic teachings about social responsibilities has been built on kindness and consideration of others. The responsibilities and rights of different relationships are defined in Islam. Islam also lays emphasis on specific acts of kindness. In a widening circle of relationship, our first obligation is to our immediate family which includes parents, husband or wife and children, then to other relatives, neighbours, friends and acquaintances, orphans and widows, the needy of the community, our fellow Muslims, all our fellow human beings and animals. Respect and care for parents is very much stressed in the Islamic teaching and is a very important part of a Muslim’s expression of faith. Islam says that you should be kind to your parents, whether if they reach their old age in their lifetime. You should not say to them a word of contempt nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. Your mother has more right on you than your father, because she gives you birth after facing many problems. Mother has three times higher level than father, therefore it is said that the paradise lies under the feet of your mother. You should obey your mother’s command whether that command is right or wrong. There is only one command of your mother, which has been prohibited to obey, and that command is refusing from the uniqueness of Allah. I respect my parents very much, especially my mother, because I know that I have to give answer to my Allah, on the Day of Judgment. On that day, children will be called referring to their mother’s names. As parents, you have some jobs towards your children. Your first aim towards your child is to teach him Islamic values. You should treat your children with love and kindness. You should get them good education. You are responsible for their spiritual and moral amendment. You should fulfil all their needs. You should not torture them, because the person, who does not love children, is not one of the Muslims. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, â€Å"children are the flowers of Allah’s garden†. I also like children very much, because they are very innocent and cute. They are far away from tyranny and sins. As a husband, you have some duties and responsibilities towards your wife. You should give your wife her dowry in its entirety, and co-habit with her in a good way, take care of her and teach her matters of her religion. You should guard her in her religion and dignity, and protect her secrets, honour her family and her friends. I have seen many Muslim husbands in Pakistan and England who don’t respect their wives and their family and relatives. They torture their wives like an animal if their wives are barren or do not bring many expensive things in their dowry. As a wife, you have some duties and responsibilities towards your husband. Your duty is the good organization of your home. The house is your kingdom and you are its princess. You should protect your husband’s property and children, and should be honest and truthful to him. You should respect your husband and his family and relatives. In my family, some of my relatives are very obedient to their husbands and look after their children in the absence of their husbands. My mother is also one of them. For being a Muslim, you also have some obligations towards your other relatives such as aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law and others. You should help them in their needs whether that help is financial, emotional or social. You should speak to them very softly and respect them. According to the statement of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), you are not a Muslim, if you know that your neighbours are hungry and you eat whole heartedly. If your neighbours are not safe from your injurious conduct, you do not believe in Islam. A teacher has a great position in Islam. A teacher is called a spiritual father, because he is responsible for a sensible and educated society. It is your duty to respect your teacher as you respect and take care about your parents. I have never talked to my teachers harshly, because I have lots of respect in my heart for all of my relatives. According to the Koran and Sunnah, as a Muslim, you have to discharge your moral responsibility not only to your parents, children, relatives and neighbours, but also to the entire humankind, animals and trees and plants. Hunting of birds and animals for the sake of game is not permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants which yield fruit is forbidden unless there is a very serious need for it. Thus, on the basic moral characteristics, Islam builds a higher system of morality by virtue of which humankind can realize its greatest potential. Islam purifies the soul from selfishness, tyranny, shamelessness and indiscipline. In Islam, it is said that all individuals become responsible and accountable for their behaviour at the age of puberty. At that time, the Islamic teachings about modest dress apply to any person whether that person is male or female. Nothing should be seen of you except your face, feet and hands when you reach your age of puberty. Therefore, at this age, it is expected from you to adopt more modest styles of dress that do not expose too much. As a Muslim, I also act upon these teachings of Islam. According to Sunnah, all Muslim marriages should be simple and far away from false showing of wealth. Nowadays Muslims spend lots of money on marriages which is their waste of money. I have attended many marriages in which people use their money incorrectly. As a Muslim, you can give your money to the needy persons for the sake of Allah instead of wasting your money on unnecessary customs. I can conclude from this piece of writing that what I have set out to do, I have achieved it. My aim was to tell Muslims about the true meaning of Islam. I have not been completely successful in achieving my aim, because I had decided to write about Islamic months, Islamic education and Islamic miracles, but I could not include them in my piece of writing because of the word limit. It was not too difficult to do the research, because I got most of information from the internet and from my personal experience. I could not find suitable books for my topic, therefore I searched on the internet. I really enjoyed doing the extended writing, because I have learnt lots of things about Islam. I have learned lots of vocabulary. I have found out how to write a long essay and how to join paragraphs to each other. By finding information, I have found out that Islam is the second largest religion in the world. According to the estimation, the range of Muslims is from 0.7 to 1.2 billion worldwide. Bibliography: The Koran http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/index.shtml (9.02.05) http://www.hammoude.com/Islam.html (20.3.05) http://islam.about.com (28.03.05) http://www.carm.org/islam/faith_five_pillars.htm (28.03.05) http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm (6.04.05)

The Choice of Medea - 1315 Words

The Choice of Media Medea and her lack of control The story of Medea is a story of heartache, loss and death. A reader may portray Medea as a strong woman and then again portrayed as a crazy murderer. The question that arises often in conversation of this play is the question of Medea’s choice and lack of control. The play of Medea is delivered with obsessions and the love for Jason then turning to death, revenge and dishonor. The answer is very clear that Medea is a woman in total control of the actions done, and is willing to kill family and children for vengeance and satisfaction of a pay back. Medea’s root of anger and choices come from the love inside for Jason who causes the ultimate betrayal. Medea was truly in love with†¦show more content†¦The Nurse’s words and the Chorus’s words were brushed aside as Medea’s actions continued. Medea was given a choice just as any young women or man is given a choice at the time of heartache, betrayal or humility. The choice for anyone is to ch oose to show strength in walking away or fold to the feelings of vengeance and revenge. Medea made a clear minded choice to follow the hurt and the want of revenge to justify what happened to the life she once knew. Medea made the choice to poison the new wife and the children. The actions were thought of and acted upon and only a woman strong, clear minded and out for pure revenge could ever do these things. Medea spoke clearly of each detail as the dirty dead was set up â€Å"No let me have my way. They say the Gods themselves are moved by gifts, and gold does more with men than words.†( Euripides 710) Jason falls for this begging and convincing act of gifts by Medea. Medea pouting and reeling Jason in with kind words yet deceiving results is the ultimate mind game. Jason could be considered a fool to fall for the gift of children, clothes and a blessing from the heart that Medea offers. Jason doesn’t believe that Medea could do the unthinkable. Medea’s wor ds soft and convincing thought out and bold. Jason wanting nothing more than to live a life filled with royalty, love and the women and children blessed after this day. Medea wanting nothing moreShow MoreRelated Fate in Medea Essay example872 Words   |  4 PagesObservation and Interpretation: Throughout the text, fate and the gods are blamed for the cause of the problems, however subsequent choices made later on by the characters appear to be free will, however are actually influenced by fate and the gods. So what?: This makes the audience blame the gods for the overall out come, but still blame the main character for her choices. Quotes: P48 l. 1014-1015 â€Å"The gods/ And my evil-hearted plots have led to this.† P39 l. 717 â€Å"What good luck chanceRead MoreMedeo is a Play Based on the Myth of Jason and Medea Written by Euripides1248 Words   |  5 PagesMedea is a play based on the myth of Jason and Medea written by Euripides. 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Euripides utilizes characters such as the all women choir, King Creon, Medea and others to convey his perception of what is his modernRead More, Apollonius Of RhodesThe Argonautika, And Ovids Metamorphoses1253 Words   |  6 PagesAll based on the same myth of Jason and Medea, Euripides Medea, Apollonius of Rhodes the Argonautika, and Ovids Metamorphoses each describe a unique version of the same character. The initial characterization of Medea in Euripides play serves as the basis in which both Apollonius and Ovid base their interpretation of Medea. Although each, in its own defining events, shape a similar Medea who overcomes similar difficulties, the execution of each cal ls for a different interpretation of the womanRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Euripides Medea1593 Words   |  7 PagesEuripides’ Medea is considered, according to Aristotle’s Poetics, a tragedy. The play centers on Medea, an outsider and wife to Jason, who seeks to punish Jason for taking another wife. The play is considered a tragedy because it contains the three unities as well as the six elements of drama mentioned by Aristotle. Despite the fact that the does the play fits the criteria of what Aristotle considers tragedy, however, Medea is actually not a tragedy but tells the story about a successful revengeRead More Euripides Medea Essay1038 Words   |  5 PagesEuripides Medea Medea is the tragic tale of a woman scorned. It was written in 431 B.C. by the Greek playwright, Euripides. Eruipides was the first Greek poet to suffer the fate of so many of the great modern writers: rejected by most of his contemporaries (he rarely won first prize and was the favorite target for the scurrilous humor of the comic poets), he was universally admired and revered by the Greeks of the centuries that followed his death(Norton Anthology;). Euripides showedRead MoreHomeric Rage and Heroism Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesAfter reading the ancient Greek stories entitled The Iliad and Medea, authored by Homer and Euripides, respectively, I realized a startling and disturbing truth involving society during ancient Greek times. It seems as though no matter how similar the circumstances, or how similar the action undertaken and the reason for undertaking such an action, women in ancient Greek society were never, ever, regarded as being heroic. While a man who chose to commit selfishly rageful atrocities during thisRead MoreSophocles Euripides Antigone1310 Words   |  6 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, and in Euripides’ Medea, the Greek authors take on the topic of justice. Each playwright addresses the issue of injustices suffered by women and the concept of natural law. In both tragedies, the female leads seek justice after natural laws had been broken, but they ultimately break th e natural law themselves, resulting in more injustice. During Medea s first long speech (lines 212 - 271), she declares that women are stricken with the most wretched existence on earth.Read MoreThe Gendered Struggle: Comparing and Contrasting between Masculine and Feminine Perceptions of Honor in Two Cultures1597 Words   |  7 PagesThe comparisons between Medea and Hamlet are numerous. Both are stories about revenge that end in the controversial main character sacrificing everything in order to preserve one of the most important markers of identity of their time: honor. Medea was a controversial character in ancient times not only because of her filicide, but because she asserted that women have honor, an idea that was not the norm in Greece. In sharp contrast to her is Hamlet, the tragic hero that was honor-bound by his societyRead MoreWomen in a Male Dominated Society and the Example of Eve and Medea987 Words   |  4 Pagesexclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine cond uct from a masculine point of view† (Isben). In literature, two prominent stories involving women stand out and these are the stories of Eve and Medea. Both of these women went through a conflict within their society where they were judged by their peers. Their judgments were in a situation where they were ruled by a masculine overtone. Throughout history, women have always been viewed differently