BE PRODUCTIVE THIS RAMADHAN

I thought I would share some productivity advice for ramadhan courtesy of productive muslim.

SALAT

FAST

ZAKAT/SADAQA

These are a great series of short animations to remind us of the purpose of ramadan and avoiding ill practices.

May Allah Accept and forgive the brothers and sisters who produced these videos

Ameen

TIME FOR ACTION

Ok so you have analysed yourself you have reached your standing point (or at least thought about it).  Now you have a short time frame to act.  The shaytaan is your sworn enemy and he knows you could slip from his clutches so be sure he will be calling you to give up before you even start.   Come up with a simple plan for a deed or a course of deeds that are realistic and achievable and get cracking.

What you want?
When you want it done by?

Goals are dreams with a time limit so.....

DONT WASTE TIME

Today is all we have, Allah swears by the time of asr,

"by the time"
(103:1)

The word Asr in arabic comes from the root "aseer" to squeeze or squeezing.  Traditionally this was the part of the day with real hustle and bustle because everyone was rushing to get their work done before the darkness and hence danger of night took hold.  So we can understand Asr as the squeezing of the day, the final part of it.  If we view the journey of our souls this time, this 'Asr', is what we are living now.  Death is around the corner and until we realise this, we will not really internalise this fact.  We are in a state of emergency, this is the part of our existence that we really have to work in before the darkness of death overcomes us.

...."And say (O Muhammed) 'Do Deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.'.....(9:105)

You should contemplate on the shortness of life and how much you can do each day, so the time for action is now.  However small your acts of worship are, don't think they will not be seen by Allah.  Allah sees all that you do.

ACTION


"The importance of action is paramount - whether the act be a word, a character trait, or a physical action - it is important to bring out into the external world that good which is swimming within your complex internal world - to guide the outer through the inner. Those whose intentions are low, base, crude, and destructive work day and night to manifest their acquisitive, grasping intentions and ambitions in the world - why should those who seek the opposite leave it sleeping within themselves. "


" to impact the human and societal environment in positive, beneficial ways arising from what is best within oneself. Find what is best within yourself..."
Irshaad Hussain - Islam from the inside


Some people even take a momentous U-TURN, a leap of faith and go after their biggest goal straight away.  It depends on you, how much can you take? how much can you handle?

Do not restrict yourself, you can be better than you think because imaan is an achievable target and once you achieve some of it you will be thirsty for more.

You really have to grab hold of your why.. WHY AM I MUSLIM? WHY DO I ACCEPT THERE IS NONE WORTHY OF WORSHIP EXCEPT ALLAH? WHY? WHY? WHY?

You need to internalise this and ponder the creation and the glorious quran and get moving make a start today.  IF you have not raeached your standing point yet and don't have a  fear of allah, it is because you don't really know and understand who he is?  This is a disease of the heart that you are suffering, so you must take action and not wait another minute because death is closer than you think so read his book, ponder the creation and sincerely make dua.

How much do you want to avoid Hell fire?  How much do you want to taste the sweetness of faith that fills the heart with such serenity and peace that contentment and security is all you feel.  How much do you want to leave those evil deeds and how much do you want to be obedient to your creator?  The one that provides for you and maintains your health.  The one who created you and gave you the blessed gift of life.  The one who will take your life away and the one you will have to answer to for all you have done.  And the one that rewards with palaces with water features :)

TIME IS RUNNING OUT SO GET CRACKING

a good way to set goals and unleash your potential can be found here in a speech by tony robbins.

I tried the brainstorming it was great,  it really helped me to bring out goals I never knew I had.

All praise be to Allah alone!

Me to Myself - the Analysis of self

Me to Myself

This is a note from me to me in a different time and space.

I know you're there, I know your heart isn't dead.  BUT Your pulse is weak so engrossed and caught up in duniya you have forgotten your promise.  Remember what you promised Allah?  Remember the covenant you made?

(Surah al-A'raaf, 7:172-173).

Listen and read the surah here

I know you are there....

What are you chasing? why is it so important to buy that car? To go to that party? to get that job? to get that woman? what is so important? what are you chasing? Is it happiness? contentment? security? what is it? what fulfilment do you get from your life that is sooo important that you have forgotten your creator?

Break it down.  

You need to take a step back clear your mind and think about your life piece by piece, focus on the driving factors behind your life and your behaviour.

For instance, let’s think about your phone....phones get old, once you buy it, it will begin to depreciate and you will need to upgrade again after a while.  It is a continuous cycle of hoarding and piling up wealth and commodities.

BUT It isn’t the phone is it? You need to reflect and evaluate yourself.  Realign yourself.  And understand your inner conflict and how the evil of created things can play on those conflicts. 

So if it’s not the material stuff... is it the self recognition?  Is it the ego?  The need to be critical, to be significant.  The need to be loved.  Is that what it is? It is your ego and how you perceive other people perceive you. What about how you appear to your creator?

I know when you are alone and you think about the creation and ponder about the universe and the creator.   At that time those worldly things don’t really matter.  

But as soon as you come back into your life the social pressures, begin to mount and it drives you in a direction, which you maybe didn't want to go down in the first place.  You are a confusing place.  There are so many walls and paths.   You get lost in your own self.  You don't know what you want.  Constantly in conflict.  An Internal conflict not knowing what really drives you.  Like an addict looking for those short term Highs trying all different types of drugs,  That emotional, physical, social fix that will get you by.  That recognition from that peer, that parent, that girl.  It is the most satisfying thing in the world to be appreciated and recognised for what you have done and the massage to your ego feels sooooo goood...to have that recognition.  You have to keep up appearances and be known as the man.  The effect you have on others whatever it may be makes you feel significant and critical.

Well I am sorry to tell you my friend you are losing. 

You experience growth but in nothing with real substance.  What a pitiful price you are selling your life for.  You have been given this opportunity put on this earth as a Muslim, as a mercy from the most merciful and you choose to chase these things?  That really....when you think about it.... has no benefit in what’s to come.  Your ego and desires become who you obey.  Your desires to be lazy, watch tv, sleep and eat useless junk.  That is who you obey,  You think you believe in la illaha ilallah?  You could be of those cast into the hell fire as the munafiqeen who will say "where we not with you?"  Were we not muslims too??? 

(Surah hadeed, 14)

Listen and read the Surah Here

It’s a scary thing. 


"Has the time not come for the believers to be affected by Allah's reminder?"


How are you so sure that you will not be thrown into the fire!!!! Do you even think about the fire?

I didn’t think so, your mind and your heart is clouded by thoughts of this duniya.  You need to find out what the hell fire is.   
(al-Ahzab, 33: 64-65)

Listen and read the Surah Here

You find no real fulfilment but yet you output to the world on various physical, emotional and even social networking platforms that YOUR LIFE IS GREAT.  It is so good to be you.  

You need to wake up.

Whatever I say to you, you won’t take it until you’re ready. Your heedlessness could be your downfall.

Why don’t you pray? You say it is good... but you just can’t be bothered can you? You cant overcome that desire to sleep, waste time anything except praying on time,  you need to look at why that is.

you think it is hard to pray.

You can do one here and there try and make jummah. Who knows it may be the deed that saves you from the hell fire remember... that Allah’s mercy is unimaginable.

But not fulfilling your basic obligations is a big risk.... you think it is hard. Your heart is dominated by the shaytaan your heart is upside down you think good deeds are hard and bad deeds are easy.

You need to consider why that is?  Take some time to reassess your goals and your driving factors.  

You believe the Quran is the truth, you believe in Allah and the last day, the unseen, the messengers and angels, the life to come.  You Believe in this.

All be it in a weak non committed form you still have that belief.  

BUT WHERE IS THE ACTION?

Now go back to the fundamentals of what you believe in and WHY you believe.  What is it that makes you believe?  Is it because your parents have a belief and that everyone else believes and it is just the way things are and it’s a convenient way of life?  

If that is it then no wonder you have no fulfilment and you chase these fake dreams because you have not really experienced the beautiful relationship between you and your creator and the peace that submission to him brings.  Just acknowledging him.  It takes a weight off your mind knowing that you are under his guardianship and he is testing you to reward you and give you the recognition you so desperately crave.

You need to strengthen your imaan it is weak and your soul is in jeopardy.  You need action believing in your heart is a good thing but if it is not strong enough you will never act upon it, it will never give you the satisfaction you crave.  Trust me, once you flee unto allah

(surah adh dhariyat 51:50)

Listen and read the Surah Here

 You will finally achieve the fulfilment and peace you need.  All other aspects of your life will start to align themselves.  All you have to do is take that one step.  If you repair your relationship with Allah, he will repair everything else [Imam ahmad]

REMEMBER MAKE DUA MAKE DUA MAKE DUA.  Ask your lord to keep you close to him

ALL MIGHT AND GLORY IS FOR ALLAH, ALL PRAISE AND POWER IS FOR ALLAH, NONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE WORSHIPED EXCEPT ALLAH.

may peace and blessings be on his slave and messneger Muhammed   salallahu alayhi wa salllam the best of all creation.

thanks for reading

Jazakomullahu wa Khairan