The Productive Muslim: Where faith meets productivity

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The title of the Productive Muslim is very clear. The book is all about being a practicing Muslim and how to increase productivity while doing so. The core of this book is divided into three main sections: Spiritual Productivity, Physical Productivity and Social Productivity. May 4 [When You Work for Allah’s Sake – Part 3] How to Properly Wrap Up Your Volunteering Project (67 Comments)

I’m a firm believer that Barakah is not a lost treasure, rather, it’s right in front of our eyes! This treasure is only available and ready to be handed over to the one who works for it. Below, I list some of the sources of Barakah. It’s not an exhaustive list, therefore, I do hope you can contribute to it with your comments inshaAllah so we can all share and extend our understanding of this great treasure at ProductiveMuslim.com! 1. Good Intentions Jul 24 [ProductiveRamadan Online Tips]: Episode 27 – Last Appeal from ProductiveMuslim (0 Comments)May 30 [Aiming for an Awesome Ramadan Series – Part 5] From Planning For Ramadan to Planning Your Entire Year (34 Comments) Therefore, one can easily conclude that living an idle life is far from what Allah has expected from us. Allah (SWT) in the Quran encourages people not to waste even a single moment in their life when He says, "So when you are done, appoint, and supplicate your Lord." (94: 7 – 8) Dec 6 Barakah Culture vs. Hustle Culture: How to Win More Days Without Losing Your Soul (5 Comments)

Understanding which areas of your life will be affected by a decision helps you think through ways to mitigate the impact of a decision and/or have relevant conversations with those who’ll be affected so you can better agree on how best to manage the impact of a decision. Which part of this decision is my nafs (self) attached to and why? Allah says in the Quran: “And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose. Verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (Surah Al-Talaq, verses 3) Imam Ali (AS) states that one of the main reasons for prejudice is “ignorance”. He explains that “As for Satan, he felt proud over Adam because of his origin and taunted him about his creation since he said, "I am of fire while you are of clay." And in the same way “the rich among the prosperous communities have been feeling vanity because of their riches, as (Allah) said: And said they: "We are more (than you) in wealth and in children, and we shall not be chastised." (Qur'an, 34:35)” [3] It is vital to keep in mind that we are not going to live in this world forever. We are here for a short time, and we need to prepare for the real life as mentioned in the Quran: "The life of this world is nothing but diversion and play, but the abode of the Hereafter is indeed Life (itself), had they known!" (29:64). Therefore, if we live every moment of our life knowing that we are traveling to the real world any moment, then we will try our best to make the best out of our time, energy, and talents. Jul 1 [ProductiveRamadan Online Tips]: Episode 4 – Sleep Management during Ramadan – Part 1: The Challenge (with Arabic Subtitles) (16 Comments)

Your nafs is a subtle substance that comes into existence when our souls and bodies meet in this world. It is the part of us that has desires, likes and dislikes, and particular inclinations based on pleasure and pain. As Dr. Abdallah Rothman outlines in this article, while the nafs is not bad in and of itself, it has the tendency to lead us away from Allah SWT because it tends to be attached to this world. Our challenge – as spiritual beings – is to train and discipline the nafs to turn towards Allah and not be connected to this temporal world so that it can be successful in the hereafter. Procrastinators do not appreciate time nor the means and the opportunities that Allah gives them to be productive. Each day has its own share of work and each time has its own share of obligations. Therefore, in the Prophet’s life, there was no such thing as idle time. Use every single opportunity to do good. Don’t wait to ‘get old’ to fix your life. If you are not willing to live a purpose-driven, productive life now, then how do you expect to live such a life when you are old? 5. Honoring the Time of Others A scholar also said of the one who eats Haram, that his limbs will disobey Allah whether he likes it or not, and that the one who eats Halal and seeks Halal income, his limbs will also do good and will be given the permission to seek goodness. Faris essentially views productivity as a product of three factors: Focus, Time, and Energy. The book goes into a lot more detail, but I won’t spoil it for the readers of this review. After settling on a definition, Faris sets about understanding how to maximise productivity in light of Islamic guidance. The author has a genuinely original perspective on this area, a rare feat considering how saturated the market is.

By an act of mercy from God, you [Prophet] were gentle in your dealings with them- had you been harsh, or hard-hearted, they would have dispersed and left you- so pardon them and ask forgiveness for them. Consult with them about matters, then, when you have decided on a course of action, put your trust in God: God loves those who put their trust in Him.” Quran 3:159 Abu Wa’il reported: ‘Ammar delivered to us the sermon. It was short and eloquent. When he (Ammir) descended (from the pulpit) we said to him: Abd al-Yaqzn, you have delivered a short and eloquent sermon. Would that you had lengthened (the sermon). He said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah as saying: The lengthening of prayer by a man and the shortness of the sermon is the sign of his understanding (of faith). So lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon, for there is charm (in precise) expression. [ Muslim] In the Arabic text, the word that is used for “vanity” is Al-asbiyyah and Al-Lijajah, which means prejudice in Islam. Indeed, most of the times it is vanity and pride that makes people think they are better than others. As a result, they classify people and discriminate between different groups of people. Indecent Prejudices Therefore, keep a "to-do list" of your goals and plans for your years, months, weeks, and days. That will help you find less time in front of the TV, thinking that there is nothing else left to be done. Congratulations, you’ve made a decision in line with prophetic guidance, and insha’Allah you’ll have no regrets regardless of the outcome. Questions about the Istikharah Notepad?May 21 Guilty of Spending Too Much Time on Facebook? Spend it Productively with Productive Muslim! (26 Comments) Social productivity is another crucial aspect covered in the book, focusing on managing social energy, developing meaningful connections, and utilizing time effectively in social interactions. The author emphasizes the importance of sustaining social efforts and fostering positive relationships within the Muslim community and beyond. Mar 30 [Doodle of the Month] 12 Tips from the Sunnah to Communicate Effectively With Others (80 Comments)

Apr 5 Striving to Achieve a Productive and Peaceful Relationship with Your Mother-in-Law (Part 2) (30 Comments) Again, the purpose of this question is not to ‘judge’ what your nafs likes or dislikes, but simply to reflect and understand what your nafs is attached to so you can make better spiritually-intelligent decisions. How do I currently feel about this decision?Jul 7 [ProductiveRamadan Online Tips]: Episode 10 – Focus Management – Part 4: Focus during Salah (12 Comments) The first thing that stands out about this book is the simple language used. Every concept is explained in the easiest manner, making it accessible to any reader. The second thing that I loved about this book is the illustrative summaries at the end of each chapter that helps you revise and remember the core points. The first few questions in the Istikharah Notepad are designed to help you clearly think through the decisions. Here’s a breakdown of each question and how it can help you: What decision do I need to make?