by ProductiveMuslim on August 25, 2011
“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones…” [1].
As can be seen from the above verse, much importance has been given to the family in Islam. Therefore, this Ramadan, we must not neglect acts of worship which involve and benefit the family as a whole and instead take it as an opportunity to spend quality family time. Let us look at some of the ways through which we can engage with our family during Ramadan:
• Spending on family:
Are you frowning at the idea of Eid shopping? Eid shopping can be much more productive if you consider it an act of worship. Allah says what means:“Upon the father is the mothers’ provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable.” [2]. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Start with yourself and give charity to yourself. If there is anything left over, then (give) to your family. If there is anything left over from your family, then (give) to your relatives.” [3]. What are you waiting for? Charity begins at home. Start spending (with moderation though) on your family, right now!
• Feeding the spouse:
Why not make the time for Suhoor/Iftaar a little more special for your spouse? Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth.” [4].
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 16, 2011
Ramadan is a time of great reflection and provides many Muslims with spiritual renewal, and the opportunity to make and break habits, to do as many good deeds as we can. Yet, most of our days are spent either preparing meals, eating and sleeping, but during the month of fasting should we really be occupied with feasting?
There are some Muslims who spend all day and night preparing meals in the kitchen and not doing any Islam-orientated activities throughout the day. Alhamdulilah may those who do prepare meals during ramadan be rewarded for their time and efforts. However the whole day should not be spent focusing on the iftar meal. Ramadan is not about the food that we eat at the end of the day. Instead Ramadan should be a time to reflect, ponder and take action to purify ourselves engaging in worship and the remembrance of Allah (Exalted and Great is He). The key is to maintain a balance during the day so one portion of the day is spent preparing for iftar, and another should be spent on prayer, Quran, reflection, charity and other good deeds.
So this brings us to the question we often ask ourselves: Is there really a time for relaxation and leisure in Ramadan? Or is there really a need to relax during Ramadan?
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 15, 2011
…continued from Part 1
In the previous part of this series on how to effectively manage nuggets of time that
become available to you during Ramadan, we discussed the spiritual and physical dimension of how to make use of time. Below are some tips on ensuring you invest in socially productive activities too:
Social
1. Family Time
• Plan with your family some Islamic, educational ways to spend the time together. You may want to plan a quiz/competition with your neighbors and friends on Islamic knowledge for example.
• Teach verses from the Quran to the children, buy them DVDs that narrate the stories of the Prophets, share with them hadith. Be ready to answer their questions!
• Think about your previous Ramadan reunions. Did you indulge in backbiting and harbor hard feelings to your fellow Muslims? Were you able to rejoice together in the spirit of Ramadan? If not how can you improve the situation this year? Which activity could you do together that would foster harmony and good feelings?
• Use the times in which you feel weak to take care of other small household errands.
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 15, 2011
The concept of productivity is fundamental in business as in our personal lives. One of the best meanings of productivity is when we have decided and are determined to make the best of our lives to serve Allahu (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala; any other kind of productivity might make us proud in this life but won’t help us in the Hereafter.
During Ramadan we have an invaluable opportunity to increase our levels of productivity: we are given the possibility to gain in one day what it might have taken us an entire year to gain. Yet many of us still fail to use our time investing in the best of ourselves, so how do you think you can make the best use of your time during Ramadan?
Decide
Every action happens after a decision, either conscious or unconscious. So the first thing we should do is to DECIDE we are committed to make this Ramadan the most excellent Ramadan of our entire lives.
The Quran teaches us that the best of us is he who works for the Hereafter and takes care of his affair in this world. We need to be able to manage our spiritual, physical and social wellbeing not only throughout the year but also in ramadan.
Spiritual
1. Prepare yourself from Sha’aban.
If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised us to fast in the month before ramadan, there must be wisdom in it. Do you think that someone who makes sure to fast even before the advent of Ramadan will have difficulties in fasting during the month? We’ll be better prepared to stay away from our temptations and can focus more on acts of worship by ensuring next ramadan we plan ahead. By doing these extra voluntary fasts before Ramadan, we will inshaAllah be ready from the very start, avoiding the discomfort or physical shock of the first few days.
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 15, 2011
No matter how hard we try, each Ramadan we can easily ruin our good deeds and succumb to trivial arguments. In the article below you’ll learn how you can restrain yourself from getting into an argument this Ramadan, whether the man on the subway pushes past you or your family just drive you crazy during the day!
Fasting is your combat tool and the ultimate productivity technique to enhance our character, strengthen our sense of patience and generate a new found spiritual high. Allah swt does not need you to leave your food and drink if you do not strive to leave harmful character traits.
Outlined below are 5 Steps you can take to cool down before shaitan tries to trick you and make you miss out on multiple rewards.
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