12 Super Sunnahs We Should Seriously Begin to Follow

Quick question to refresh our minds: who was Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)? As Muslims, we believe he was the last and final messenger of the Creator to mankind. His life is an example for generations after generations until the end of time on how to live in a pure and humble way, with the worship of Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) the Creator as our purpose and pivotal role.

The word “sunnah” is used to describe the life and teachings of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). The sunnah is an ultimate guidance for leading a productive, successful life. Sometimes we neglect the sunnah, however, and we find ourselves googling “how to be successful/smart/productive”, while the sunnah of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) has provided us with gems on how to do just that. Better yet, the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“Whoever revives my Sunnah then he has loved me. And whoever loved me, he shall be with me in Paradise.” [Tirmidhi]

Not only for our personal gain but out of love for our beloved Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), we should try to live our life by the sunnah as much as possible. We should be active in learning about the life of the final messenger to mankind ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). While engaging in knowing about the life of a person, your love and respect for him grow. Similarly, when learning about the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), you will find hundreds of stories, attributes and habits that will be beneficial for your life if implemented, In sha Allah.

In this article, we will discuss 12 sunnahs of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) that we must aim to revive, In sha Allah, in hopes of increasing our productivity, and seeking the company of the beloved Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) in the Hereafter.

1. Sleeping and waking up early

Our sleeping pattern plays a great role in our ability to function effectively during the day. The hours after Fajr are among the most blessed of the day. Starting the day off by praying the morning salah sets you in the right frame of mind to be the best you can be throughout the day. However, in order to rise in the early hours it is imperative to sleep early as your body requires an adequate amount of rest.

Aisha raḍyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her) said about the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him):

“He used to sleep early at night, and get up in its last part to pray, and then return to his bed.” [Bukhari]

When you have a million things to do, it is easy to fall into a horrible cycle of sleeping late and waking up late. Due to our failure to wake up early, one day extends into the next in order to finish your list of tasks. Break that cycle today! Wake up early and sleep early to be the strong, successful you that you want to be, In sha Allah.

2. Having a pleasant smile always

Ibn Jaz reports: “I have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).”[Tirmidhi]

Smiling has been shown to increase the natural antidepressant hormone, serotonin, causing the one who wears a smile to be happier. We underestimate the power of a smile on both ourselves and those around us. This characteristic is highly contagious and plays a massive role in building relationships with those around you. A positive mind and attitude is irreplaceable in the quest to be productive and achieve your goals in life. Smiling is a simple, inexpensive act that helps lift your mood and make you feel more grateful and content since our Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was seen frequently doing it. So, let’s follow along this great sunnah. Consciously take note of your usual facial expression: is your normal expression a happy one or do you always appear sad, exhausted, preoccupied or frustrated? It will take a bit of regular effort, but you can cut down on the frowning, smile more often and spread joy and peace around you as the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) instructed.

3. Using the siwak

Abu Hurairah raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“If it were not that it would be difficult on my nation, then I would have ordered them to use the siwak for each prayer.” [Tirmidhi]

This hadith indicates the view of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) towards the siwak. Siwak comes from the Salvadora persica tree and has many anti-bacterial qualities, making it a great way to maintain hygiene of the mouth. It can be said, given how often the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would have liked us to use the siwak, that there is a big emphasis on maintaining oral hygiene. It is narrated that the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would use siwak upon waking. The teeth are delicate and when problems occur can cause tremendous amount of pain, so this sunnah introduces preventative measures against a problem that can have you rolled up in bed for days. Siwak is easily purchasable and relatively cheap, making it an easy sunnah to uphold. It keeps the mouth clean and fresh naturally and effortlessly all the time.

Abdur-Rahman bin Abu ‘Atiq said: “My father told me: ‘I heard ‘Aishah say, (narrating) from the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him): “Siwak is a means of purification for the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord.” [Sunan an-Nasa’i]

4. Oiling hair

I heard Jabir bin Samurah being asked about the grey hairs of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). He said: ‘If he put oil on his head they could not be seen, but if he did not put oil on his head, they could be seen.'” [An-Nasa’i]

The act of oiling is something many of us do not recognise to be a part of the sunnah. This hadith alludes to the idea of using oil to prevent grey hairs being visible, highlighting that the sunnah of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) encompasses every aspect of life. Oiling hair on a regular basis prevent hair loss and greying, promotes strong and lustrous hair by strengthening hair protein and rejuvenates and relaxes the mind by soothing the brain’s nerves and capillaries. We seek all this by spending a great deal of money at hairdressers and spas, yet this simple sunnah can save us a great deal of money, time and effort whilst we continue to live like our beloved Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

5. Maintaining the 1/3rd rule in eating

Miqdam bin Madikarib said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) say:

‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.’” [Ibn Majah]

It is an underestimated fact that food has a dramatic effect on your body’s and brain’s performance. This hadith clearly highlights that overeating is a reprehensible quality we should stay away from. However, it is also important to remember that undereating is equally as harmful to a person. In order to function, we need to have a balanced outlook towards our meals; your level of food consumption should not leave you feeling tired or bloated as this is a state that leads to laziness, which is a vice we seek refuge in Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) from.

Can you conquer the world by sleeping? No. So, eat a nutritious, balanced meal that is sufficient in suppressing your hunger.

6. Speaking good or keeping silent

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“He who believes in Allah and the Hereafter, if he witnesses any matter he should talk in good terms about it or keep quiet.” [Muslim]

We often find ourselves in situations where we sit and talk about things that do not concern us. We waste precious minutes, even hours, just by talking about matters that will not increase us in knowledge, character or anything for that matter. When speaking ill of a person or situation, the conversation becomes elongated, sadly due to the desire to gossip. The beauty of this particular sunnah is that it will help you save time and reduce the amount of energy used to contemplate over irrelevant matters being discussed. This energy and time could be well spent on something beneficial, such as reading Qur’an or doing vital tasks, or only speaking things that benefit oneself and others in dunya and akhirah.

7. Doing hijama (cupping)

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“If there is any healing in your medicines, then it is in cupping, a gulp of honey or branding with fire (cauterization) that suits the ailment, but I don’t like to be (cauterized) branded with fire.” [Bukhari]

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would be cupped on a regular basis. This form of treatment has been used throughout history in a number of countries. The benefits of cupping are vast, including the removal of toxins within the blood. Studies have shown cupping to be beneficial in the treatment of migraines, fertility and joint pains. This can be taken as a therapeutic measure against stress, helping to relieve a person of thoughts that impinge on their ability to complete their daily tasks.

8. Visiting the sick

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and set free the captives.” [Bukhari]

The concept of looking out for others is found throughout the teachings of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). Sadly, we are regularly aware of people within our circle of acquaintances who are tested with an illness, big or small. Visiting and spending time with them has two major benefits. You demonstrate love towards another, instantly tightening the bonds of kinship/friendship. Also, to see someone who is unable to function as well as they normally can, is a strong reminder to us all of the blessing of health that we currently have and take for granted. The next time you hear of someone who is ill, try your best to go beyond sending them a ‘get well soon’ and practice a forgotten sunnah: make the effort to be physically present and comfort them.

9. Sitting when eating/drinking

It was narrated from Anas raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him): “The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) prohibited that a man should drink while standing.” (Qatadah said) So it was said: “And eating?” He (Anas) said: “That is worse.” [Tirmidhi]

Those who stand to eat or drink always look like they are in a rush. Sitting down to eat slows a person in their eating habits, reducing the amount they are likely to eat and the unhealthy speed by which they do so. As mentioned above, eating consciously prevents a person from becoming fatigued due to their stomach size. Importantly, eating together as a family, which requires you to sit, is a crucial way to build relationships.

10. Sleeping on your right side

“When Allah’s Messenger ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) went to bed, he used to sleep on his right side.”[Bukhari]

One of the main points to consider when a person wants to have a productive, blessed day is to look at how you go to sleep. The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was the most successful in how he spent his days; the way in which he took to his sleep plays a role in helping him to be like this. Following in his footsteps is the key to unlocking a fruitful morning.

11. Saying Salam/Bismillah before entering a house

The Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: ‘You will find nowhere to spend the night and no dinner.’ But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says (to his followers); ‘You have found (a place) to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: ‘You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food.”‘ [Muslim]

None of us want shaytan to enter our homes; we are aware of the distractions he creates to lead to our destruction. That being said, it is fundamentally important to seek refuge from his evil ways. Upon entering our homes, it is crucial to utter the Name of Allah to prevent our doors being open for him. shaytan is an enemy of productivity and success; his ultimate goal is to see us fail in our journey to develop a relationship with Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He). Take the measures, as given in the sunnah, against him because he will squeeze into whatever gap visible to him. Never let the enemy win!

12. Untying the three knots

Waking up for Fajr is a battle many of us have experienced or are experiencing. The hours of the morning, as mentioned above, are a blessed time for being productive in studying and completing various tasks. The sad reality is, many of us miss out on this because we fail to wake up for Fajr on time.

Allah’s Messenger ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, ‘The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,’ If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and in good spirits, otherwise he gets up in low spirits and lethargic.” [Bukhari]

This hadith sets out the plan of action to be successful: wake up, praise Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He), perform wudu and pray fajr. Being lively and in good spirits are the perfect ingredients to having a productive day, and this is what you will achieve when you follow this sunnah, In sha Allah.

How blessed are we that our religion teaches us about all the ingredients of a successful life? Alhamdulillah!

Tell us, do you think you can easily incorporate all these sunnahs in your life? What other sunnahs can you think of that can help increase our productivity?

Source: productivemuslim.com

5 time management tips for Muslims

“By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily mankind is in loss, Except those who have faith, and do righteous good deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.”(The Qur’aan 103:1-3)

It’s the beginning of your work day; you sit down at your computer to start a project that you are already days behind on. The phone rings. You talk to your co-worker for twenty minutes about an event you are planning for the weekend. After you hang up you decide to check your Facebook status, respond to a few emails, and head to the break room for a snack. Before you know it, it’s been two hours and you still haven’t gotten any work done on your project. And now you have a pile of work you need to get done in addition to your project, and not nearly enough time to do it. Sound familiar? If it does, you are in major need of a time management makeover.

The first thing you should be aware of is: you must manage your time. Time keeps on moving no matter what you do. You have 24 hours, 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds each day to use how you will. To say manage implies that you have some control over it, which you do. While you can’t control getting more time in a day, you can control what you do with the 24 hours that you have- inshAllaah.

Charles Bruxton once said, “You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” These tips are designed to help you make more time for yourself. Whether you choose to use it to get more work done, spend more time with the family or enjoy a book while swinging in a hammock is up to you.

Here are 5 tips to help you use your time wisely, be more productive and as a result feel happier and less stressed as a Muslim.

1. Know where you time is going: If you want to fix your time-leak you need to find out where the problem is. The easiest way to do this is to sit down with a pen and paper and map out your day. You have 24 hours; write down how you think you spend them. The easiest way to do this is to create a simple chart blocking out hours you spend doing certain activities. A sample daily chart may look something like this:

Sleeping: 8 hours
Eating (including prep) 2 hours
Work: 8 hours
Travel: 1 hour
Salah: 1 hour
Exercise: 1 hour
Shower/dress: 1 hour
Other: 3 hours
TOTAL: 24 hours

Your times will vary according to your personal schedule and priorities. Now that you have a vague idea of where your time is spent it’s time to get more specific. You need to write down exactly where you time goes.

For example, you know you spend 8 hours at work, but you’re not getting everything done. Why? Take a notebook with you to the office and make note of everything you do and how much time you spend doing it. Write down every coffee break, Facebook perusal, water cooler discussion and projects. At the end of the day, you may be surprised at how much time you spend doing unimportant things because you get distracted.

“There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” (Bukhari 8/421)

2. Set goals: What is your ultimate goal? As Muslims everything we do if we do it for the sake of Allaah subhana wa Tala- it counts as ibidah for us. Do you want to have more time at the end of the day to relax or more time to spend with your family without feeling guilty? Maybe you work from home and you’d like to get more work done to increase your income, so you need to be more productive. Whatever your goal is, learning to use your time more efficiently will help. Write down your goal and post it where you can see it. When you start to get distracted look at your goal and remind yourself to focus. If you want to add Qur’aan during the day, but have no time for it, maybe you can add 30 minutes while driving to work, and 30 minutes while driving back home, inshAllaah.

Creating goals can be an effective way to stay on task. When we consistently remind ourselves why we need to make a change, we are more likely to stick to our plan.

Along with creating other goals you can create specific time-management goals. For example, set a goal of only checking your Twitter feed after you have completed a certain project or after working for a certain amount of time. Reward yourself when you meet a goal inshAllaah.

3. Begin everything with Bismillah, and start and end your day with a plan: Take 20 to 30 minutes every morning to write down what you need to do for the day. Prioritize your list. By making a list of everything you need to get done first thing in the morning, you get your brain on track. At the end of the day take anything that is left over and write it on your list for the next day. Every morning you’ll be adding to the list of leftover items from the day before. If you can, put these left over items at the top of your list so that you don’t have a short list of things that keep tagging along with you week after week.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said

“Get hold of 5 things before 5 things happen: your youth before old age, your health before sickness, your riches before poverty, your leisure before business and your life before death.” (Tirmidhi)

4. Prioritize your list: List the top six things that you must get done for the day. For some people listing more than six things can be overwhelming. Rank the items on your list from the most important to the least important and tackle them in order. When you get one thing done move on to the next, until you get through your list. You may or may not be able to get everything on your list done. If you don’t finish all six items move the remaining items to the next day and rank them accordingly.

5. Schedule email and phone calls: Set time limits for the projects you are working on and set aside specific time to handle smaller tasks, such as checking your email or returning phone calls. Checking your email every five minutes and answering the phone every time it rings can be real time –suckers. Ignore your phone and return the calls at a later time, unless you are waiting for a call that is vital to one of your projects.

The most important thing to remember is that you choose what to do with your time. You need to choose what is most important, and it’s not always going to be work. For me and my family it making sure we are doing ibidah and remembering Allaah in everything we do, inshAllaah.

According to John Hall Gladstone: “To comprehend a man’s life, it is necessary to know not merely what he does but also what he purposely leaves undone. There is a limit to the work that can be got out of a human body or a human brain, and he is a wise man who wastes no energy on pursuits for which he is not fitted; and he is still wiser who, from among the things he can do well, chooses and resolutely follows the best.” I pray that this article was beneficial to you, and that you will inshAllaah use it in your life.

Source: muslimvillage.com/

Earning vs Living

In 1923, nine of the wealthiest people in the world met at Chicago's Edge Water Beach Hotel .

Their combined wealth, it is estimated, exceeded the wealth of the government of the United States at that time. These men certainly knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth. Attending the meeting were the following men:

1. The president of the largest steel company,

2. The president of the largest utility company,

3. The president of the largest gas company,

4. The president of the New York Stock Exchange,

5. The president of the Bank of International Settlements,

6. The greatest wheat speculator,

7. The greatest bear on Wall Street,

8. The head of the World's greatest monopoly &

9. A member of President Harding's cabinet.

That's a pretty impressive line-up of people by anyone's yardstick.

Yet, 25 years later, where were those nine industrial giants?

Let’s examine what happened to them 25 years later.
1. The President of the then largest steel company (Bethlehem Steel Corp), Charles M Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt.

2. The President of the then largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane.

3. One of the greatest commodity traders (Wheat Speculator), Arthur Cutten, died insolvent.

4. The then President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was sent to jail.

5. The member of the US President’s Cabinet (the member of President Harding's cabinet), Albert Fall, was pardoned from jail just to be able to go home and die in peace.

6. The greatest “bear” on Wall Street, Jesse Livermore committed suicide.

7. The President of the then world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, committed suicide.

8. The President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed Suicide.

9. The president of the largest utility company, Samuel Insull, died penniless.

What they forgot was how to "make" life while they got busy making money!

Money in itself is not evil; it provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy. Money is only a medium of exchange.

We need two kinds of education:

a) One that teaches us how to make a living

and

b) One that teaches us how to live.
..........

There are many of us who are so engrossed in our professional material life that we neglect our family, health, social and most important spiritual responsibilities.

If asked why we do this, we would reply that "We are doing it for our family".
Yet, our kids are sleeping when we leave home. They are sleeping when we come back home!! Twenty years later, we’ll turn back, and they’ll all be gone, to pursue their own dreams and their own lives.

Without water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water, but if the water gets into the ship, the ship will face existential problems. What was once a means of living for the ship will now become a means of destruction.

Similarly we live in a time where earning is a necessity but let not the earning enter our hearts, for what was once a means of living will surely become a means of destruction for us as well.

So take a moment and ask yourself……….
Has the water entered my ship?

I hope Not!
Long message... Worth reading..