by ProductiveMuslim on September 11, 2011
Fasting during Ramadan does not only consist of refraining from food and drink, rather we must also protect ourselves from using bad language, backbiting, lying, and anger.
Unfortunately, for many of us, refraining from food also means an increase in anger and irritability, causing us to say some things we probably do not mean to. Here are some tips on how we can control our tongues (applicableoutide of ramadan) and increase in patience both in our communication with others and within ourselves:
1. Think
The phrases “think before you speak” and “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” seemclichéd, but hold a lot of weight in the life of Muslims. It has sadly become common to be irritable when we are fasting, so we tend to snap quicker and say things we don’t really mean. In order to combat this, think about what you are about to say before you open your mouth. It sounds simple, but we have become so accustomed to speaking without thinking that words just seem to fly out of our mouths before we know it.
Tip: Try to take a couple moments before you speak to evaluate whether what you are about to say is beneficial or necessary. Use your hunger, weakness, tiredness (whatever it is that you’re feeling) to prevent you from opening your mouth unnecessarily!). Spend more time doing dhikr, or thinking, or contemplating than wasting time on unnecessary speech, which is not beneficial and potentially harmful.
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by ProductiveMuslim on September 11, 2011
The blessed month of Ramadan gives us tremendous opportunities to seek for forgiveness and ask for Allah’s mercy. Special prayers and excess charity becomes a norm in many households. However, once Ramadan comes to an end, some people go back to their old ways of skipping a few prayers, or delaying them and committing sins without a second thought.
Creating a Habit of Fasting After Ramadan
While the blessed month of Ramadan comes to an end, we can continue to engage in the beautiful ‘ibadah (act of worship) of fasting.
“Allah (the Exalted) said: Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward for it…” (SahihMuslim).
Fasting: A Muslim’s Shield
If you were given a shield to protect yourself from sins in this life, and Hell Fire in the next, you would on to it and not want to let go. This shield is fasting – let us not overlook it, but rather use this blessing, this gift given to us by Ar-Rahman.
The hadith quoted above continues: “…fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose Hands my soul is’ The unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.” (Sahih Muslim).
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 29, 2011
We didn’t want to leave you hanging after Ramadan with no productivity tips, so here are 10 tips to have a Productive Eid!
1. TAKBIR!
Keep reciting the Eid Takbir as much as you can wherever you go from the maghreb of the last day of Ramadan till the Eid Prayer! Recite the takbeer in the car, in the shopping malls, at home! Revive this Sunnah and truly feel the greatness of Islam.
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2. Prepare your Eid outfits early!
Maybe too late now but I hope you bought all your Eid clothes BEFORE Ramadan started! If not, don’t panic, try to find something reasonable in your wardrobe and don’t stress yourself with late night shopping on the night before Eid.
If you’ve bought your Eid clothes early, then prepare it the night before and place everything you need in one place (last thing you need is the early morning rush before Eid prayer and forgetting where you’ve put your new shoes!)
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 28, 2011
In the month of Ramadan, we have a crucial choice to make, you can have a year like any other or you can achieve ultimate happiness and success. How? Decide to live in the true spirit of Ramadan – all year round.
What is preventing us from living everyday with the same level of spirituality, self-control, and productivity we reach in Ramadan?Productivity, applied in an Islamic context, has a different, complete meaning. It implies living our lives in a manner that not only benefit us while we are in this earth, but that, by the mercy of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), will allow us to enter Paradise. Usually bad habits hinder us from that and Ramadan is our opportunity to break that downward spiral, to bring change to our lives and alter every dimension of our being.
So, how can we maintain good habits?
Know what are the habits that we should give up by Ramadan. Focus on the phrase “by Ramadan”. Be prepared to undertake this journey to instil your habit into your life. Don’t wait till the last day before Ramadan to eliminate undesired acts. Start thinking what you can do this very day to please Allah, to fight Shaytan. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) warned us: “Allah has no interest in any person’s abstention from eating and drinking, if that person does not give up lying and dishonest actions”.
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by ProductiveMuslim on August 27, 2011
The month of Ramadhan shall be over once again. But is Ramadhan really going to be over so soon or have we finished it already? The purpose of Ramadhan is to help us to get closer to Allah Almighty. The purpose of the long prayer vigils is so that it changes us internally to become tolerant and obedient beings. But have we become God conscious or have we just been more food conscious? Have the long nights of staying up has made us more spiritual or instead have we become more irritable?
There is still time to harvest the blessings of this Glorious Month, so let’s not give up too early!
Here’s a tool that I often use from the famous productivity system Getting Things Done (aka GTD), when perplexed or confused on what’s the best course of action to take. The tool is called the ‘Natural Planning Model.’
The Natural Planning Model is a series of questions that you can ask yourself to get to the best possible concrete actions you can take about any situation that you’re in.
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