After a brief lapse, you internally scream to yourself “STOP! I am supposed to be praying here!”

If this happens to you, then know that you’re not alone. The focus in prayer is becoming one of the challenges many Muslims face in today’s overly consuming world. I have had my share of distracted prayers for decades, so I do not intend to preach about khushu’ (humility and focus in prayer). I also don’t believe that with a secret recipe, a shortcut, and a “Khushu’ 101 Guide”, things will change in your life. So, instead, I’ll share two simple but powerful tips that benefited me greatly in bridging the gap between my work and spirituality daily.

Consulting The All-Knowing Regularly for Every Work Decision

So, this all started when I realized that one can make the precious istikhara (prayer of consulting Allah and seeking guidance) after each sunnah prayer. In other words, every optional nafil (voluntary) prayer done before or after the obligatory prayer can become an istikhara.

This is incredibly helpful because, at work, we’re constantly making decisions and choices. It can get overwhelming, this is why we may be distracted. So instead of being distracted from Allah , consult Him in whatever thing that is on your mind. Who better than the Knower of the past, present, and future to consult in all life matters?

Jabir reported, the Messenger of Allah used to teach us the istikharah in all matters as he would teach us a Surah of the Qur’an. He used to say:

“If any one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer, then say: (O Allaah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (then it should be mentioned by name) is good for me both in this world and in the Hereafter (or: in my religion, my livelihood and my affairs), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge it is bad for me and for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs (or: for me both in this world and the next), then turn me away from it, [and turn it away from me], and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.” [Bukhari]

Such powerful supplication, and truly helpful.

Our scholars mention that istikhara is not only about grandiose and crossroad-type decisions in life (i,.e. marriage, changing jobs, starting a new business, etc…). It also extends to all “small” and “minor” things, as simple as buying clothes or groceries. Knowing all of this, we should benefit from this great deal, and utilize the sunnah prayers (2-12 rak’ahs a day) to “delegate” daily decisions to the “istikhara department”.

We’re always thinking something along lines:

• Should I take an alternative freeway to avoid construction works, or will this make my commute much longer?
• Is it better to discuss this issue in our weekly review meeting or by email?
• Should I spend more time on technical details in my design review? Or is it better to keep it at a high level and defer the discussion to another peer-review?
• Is it better to take this training before I work on the project, or should I get some hands-on experience first?

So, basically, what istikhara is providing us is a framework to put the same questions that were distracting your prayer and interrupting your khushu into an actual opportunity of worship and spirituality as Allah loves for us and instructs us to ask Him and consult Him. This is making our prayer more connected to our daily lives, the RIGHT WAY! It is using a “divide-and-conquer” approach to the clutter in your mind and use your prayer as a springboard to get back to our cubes stronger and with clarity, focus, and renewed commitment to get that job done!

Action points:

[Before Salah] Start the habit of asking yourself or writing down: what am I praying istikhara for today?
[During work] what are the questions that I need to delegate for the upcoming dhuhur or asr sunnah prayers?

If It’s Not Consultation, then Ask for Help in EVERY Need

The main obligatory Surah (chapter of the Qur’an) we recite in every prayer is Surat al-Fatiha (The Opening). In this Surah that we repeat at least 17 times a day throughout the prayers, we tell Allah :

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” [Qur’an, Chapter 1: Verse 5]

This needs to come practically to life. It is actually a form of worship to ask Allah regularly for help. We become deprived of a major part of our daily spirituality if we don’t. The Prophet says:

“Verily supplication is worship.” [Related by the four Imams]

We always carry these boulders of unfinished tasks around, and they keep on bothering us during our work, daily commute, lunch, and unfortunately during the few minutes of communication with our Master.

But those same thoughts should inspire us to “upload” our concerns and present them to our Creator . The One who hears us and sees our life and fully knows our situation and has answers to all questions.

Remember this powerful verse about Allah :

“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” [Qur’an, Chapter 6: Verse 59]

Imagine asking Him for every need. This is the essence of prayer, to show our neediness to Him directly and establish a strong ongoing direct relationship.

The Prophet says:

“Let one of you ask his Lord for his every need, even until he asks Him for the strap of his sandal when it breaks.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi]

We need to have a deeper understanding of the value and role of prayer in our lives. We can use prayer as a platform to change our world, as a source of inspiration, means to increase in creativity, proper planning, and hard work to follow each prayer.

Action item:

Things that usually inspire and motivate me are the fact that Allah is The One who:

 “created man! And taught him eloquence in speech” [Qur’an, Chapter 55: Verses 3-4]

And:

“taught by the pen! Taught man that which he did not know” [Qur’an, Chapter 96: Verses 4-5]

Always remember that in articulating your dua and being motivated to ask Allah for everything. Get into the habit of rephrasing and reframing the key questions at hand into dua statements. Here are some initial thoughts I have and always add to my dua’ list:

• O Allah, empower my speech so I can deliver my presentations eloquently within the allotted time.
• My Master, open the hearts of my peers to identify all the failure modes in this system
• O Allah, help our team negotiate this better deal and open our hearts to what’s best for our company, regardless of people’s inclinations and politics.

So, what are your most pressing work dua’s? Have you used istikhara and dua before to make major work decisions and they benefitted you greatly? Share with us your stories in the comments.

The post 2 Powerful Tips that Can Really Transform Your Prayer When Busy appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Sarah is like many young Muslim professionals out there who face this dilemma, this seeming battle between the different hats that they wear.

For some reason, Ramadan represents to them the “mother of all battles”, the Armageddon (maybe I should coin the word: Ramadanegeddon) between the spiritual wants and the materialistic obligations. While some people call this: “work-life balance”, I prefer to call it“work-life-faith” integration.

Back to Sarah, she happened to be listening to verses from Surat Al-Hashr while pulling into the company’s parking structure. Little did she know, probably due to some barriers that may exist today between our generation and the Qur’an, that the verses she was mindlessly listening to [59:18-24] actually carried what she needed to hear to solve her problems and put matters in perspective. 

Those verses provide a formula, a recipe, or a blueprint for becoming a truly productive and holistic human being. They lay out foundations of personal development from an Islamic point of view, with specific actionable items.

This is what we want to discuss in this article. 

But before we get to that, before you continue reading the words of a creation like myself, I invite you to listen to the words of the Creator, reflect on those verses, and then resume with this article…

Are you ready now? Then let’s explore some hidden gems in those verses, insha’Allah (God willing). 

Mindfulness of The Creator & the final destination puts life in perspective

The verses from the aforementioned Surah started by reminding the listeners to be mindful of The Creator and that He is watching one’s every move. He is there to guide and help. One is not aimlessly or purposelessly walking this earth alone. This mindfulness of the Creator is a great motivator to be humble, to seize every opportunity to do good, and to try and overcome conflicts or wrongdoings.

“O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow – and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” [Qur’an: Chapter 59, Verse 18]

While believing in God and acknowledging His existence is the foundation of faith, Islam urges us to go beyond that. It urges us to have a deep, mindful connection with Him, and to focus on our intentions and to dedicate everything that we do for Him. This goes beyond rituals to involve every aspect of our life, including our corporate work and the way we carry ourselves professionally.

Taqwa (or mindfulness of God) is a self-development factor. It requires one to be sincere and truthful and to make decisions accordingly.

When one is mindful, sincere and remembers the bigger picture of life and the afterlife, it becomes easier to make the right decisions at work and in life in general.

Also, Islam teaches us to treat the afterlife as though it is happening tomorrow, not sometime in the far future. This is a reality check. Treating every day as though it is your last truly puts life in perspective. You’d think about what legacy you want to leave behind; if this was your last email, your last meeting, your last report, the last time you hug a family member, the last time you pray… How would you do it differently?

From a productivity and life-planning standpoint, this ensures that we are managing our time properly for the right reasons, not just focusing on being effective with no meaning or greater goal.

Mindfulness of the hereafter becomes the fuel that burns inside your engine to better manage your time, focus and performance.

In short, being mindful of the final destination puts matters in perspective now and helps us make the most suitable moves every step of the way. 

Knowing your Creator helps you better know yourself

Understanding yourself becomes easier when you understand who created you and why. 

Probably, this is what Sarah -and many other professionals are missing-: they are confused about the separate roles and hats they wear throughout the week. The moment she swipes her badge to step into the building, it is as though she feels she must put her spiritual identity on hold.

Many sincere professionals who are faithful to their Islamic identity feel that they are obliged to leave that identity outside the workforce. By the time they step into their cube and log into their PC, they become another “head-count” on the project. By the time they start answering their emails and calling into their online meetings, they put their spirituality on the back burner, despite the huge feeling of guilt of not “worshipping Allah enough” during the precious moments of Ramadan.

In ayah 19, Allah cautions us from forgetting Him because this will result in forgetting who we really are.

“And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 59, Verse 19]

The ayah is not talking about forgetting our materialistic identity (name, address…etc)  but our spiritual eternal purpose: that we are servants of God who are entrusted to take care of His earth. When our life becomes centered around our basic survival goals only (eat, sleep, procreate, fulfill urges, consume…etc) this is when we feel a major spiritual void. 

So, when one is constantly conscious of his/her spiritual needs and is connecting with the Source of this spirit throughout the day, this helps one feel more at ease and accomplished. Connecting spiritually with Allah is not just about the prayer moments, but the way we carry ourselves throughout the day, how we treat other, how we treat our families, how we put up with harm and favors peace over war in workplace for example, how we are patient with our children… all of these are acts of worship that are rewarded and make you a better person.

Faith is not just about locking oneself in for worship.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah said:

“The believer who mixes with people and bears their harm with patience will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and does not put up with their harm.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

So, when everything is connected to Him, this is when one will experience balance and fulfillment.

Understanding the bigger picture facilitates taking the right decisions now

The verses in the Surah then paints a bigger picture that one needs to understand and works towards. 

“Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of Paradise. The companions of Paradise – they are the attainers [of success].” [Qur’an, Chapter 59, Verse 20]

It is easy to lose sight of the bigger goals and aspirations when drowning in daily activities. Therefore the Qur’an invites us to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

This way, the mother who is changing the diapers for her baby boy and putting him to sleep should reflect on how this future leader will cleanse the world from all the greed and corruption. The project manager who is preparing a project health chart to his management should keep an eye on how this project will make our world greener, smarter, and safer. And on top of all that, all professionals and parents should realize that what they are doing at the moment will show up on their portfolio of deeds that will be presented before Allah one day. This is when we will realize that dwelling in paradise eternally is a goal that is worth the momentary struggle we may be experiencing. 

The Qur’an breaks one’s ego and breaks down barriers

The work-life-faith integration mindset requires feeding our souls with the Qur’an constantly, and this is especially more effective in Ramadan as we reduce our consumption of food. It is starving our bodies to feed our souls, this is a way to eliminate distractions, increase humility and heightens the sense of consciousness and reflection. 

“If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah . And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.” [Qur’an: Chapter 59, Verse 21]

The interesting part of this verse is how the Divine speech of Allah is not always about commanding us to do something, but it gives us examples so that we can reflect our own lives and derive beneficial action points to become better. 

If we consider Sarah’s example and her challenges as a working mother during Ramadan, the verses are providing comfort that:

• This Qur’an, and the Words and Power of Allah , can humble mountains so it can break barriers and build bridges between the different elements of one’s life.
• This Qur’an can inspire families, communities, and the entire world to live the best version of themselves.
• This Qur’an can cause real change in people’s behavior and habits, and bring out the hidden talents in our communities to the entire world.  

The Surah then ends in a beautiful way and provides a powerful and crucial element for human development.

Constantly reviving one’s spirit through connecting with The Names of Allah

We know that Allah has introduced Himself to His creations through His Beautiful Names and Attributes. He taught us many of His Names and encouraged us to worship Him through them.

“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them…” [Qur’an: Chapter 7, Verse 180]

Most ayahs in the Qur’an mention 2-3 names of Allah at a time, but in this Surah, the ending verses carried up to 17 Names of Allah !

“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.

 He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise..” [Qur’an: Chapter 59, Verse 22-24]

So, for those who ask: how can we revive our faith and boost spiritual productivity? It is first and foremost through getting to know Allah on a deep level, and connecting with Him while we are writing that email, or presenting that project status report or doing anything else throughout the day. 

The verses encourage us to reflect on the Names of Allah , and the various Names may be used by different people at different moments in their lives, depending on their particular needs and situations, for example:

• The accountant who just graduated from college and who is looking for the first employment should constantly call on to Allah’s Name, Ar-Razzaq, Al-Karim (The One who provides, the unimaginably Generous Master).
• The person who is trying to resist peer pressure, or quit bad habits, and get out of the cycle of sin-guilt-sin-guilt should connect with the Name of Allah At-Tawwab, Al-Ghafour, Al ‘Afoww (The One who accepts repentance, the One who Forgives and pardons His servants constantly).
• The parent who is concerned about the future of his/her daughter, about their faith, identity, and manners, should connect with Allah’s Name Al-Hadi, (The One who guides and shows His servants the way and helps them stay on it).
• The community member who is reflecting on the situation of our Ummah should reflect on the name of Allah  Al-Aziz, Al-Qaweyy, (The Mighty and Incomparably eternally Strong) and how this can change our condition whenever He wills. 

So, my personal advice to Sarah and all young professionals who are looking to reignite that love in their hearts for the Qur’an and Allah , focus on 2-3 Names of Allah and include them in your daily dua. Use every opportunity, every ayah that you read and every Islamic reminder that you watch to connect with God’s Names and Attributes that relate and speak to your situation.

By the Will and Help of Allah , the One who guides, Al-Hadi, the ultimately wise, Al-Hakeem, the walls between your spiritual, social, and professional self will be removed. You will be a full-time worshipper of your Master, and you will fulfill every role in your life with your heart and mind constantly reassured, because “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Qur’an, Chapter 13, Verse 28]

In the comments section, I appreciate if you can share your input and reflections on the top 3 Names of Allah that relate to your particular situation and life challenges. Tell us, how does connecting with the Names of Allah boost your productivity? 

The post How Faith Can Help You Strike Work-Life Balance: Qur’anic Inspiration for Self-Development appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

For Muslims, we understand that the worldly life (dunya, i.e. lowly, inferior present life) is nothing but a short stop, a resting area for our souls to “fill up” some fuel in their long journey towards our destination – the Hereafter.

One day, the Messenger of Allah woke up after sleeping on a straw mat with a lot of red marks left on his body. A companion, Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud , was touched by the simple and humble life that Prophet Muhammad led, and immediately said, “O Messenger of Allah ! We could’ve easily prepared a soft bed for you.” He replied, “Why would I pay attention to the glitter of this world? I am none but a traveler who found a tree and took a small rest under its shade, then went away and left it.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi]

So we all agree that we are on a journey, but do we know exactly the details of the different stations and stops of this trip? I am definite that you know some of them, but having a complete picture of the itinerary to the afterlife from the Islamic perspective will help you plan well for this trip, give you the motivation to become more productive, and build your understanding of Akhirah-Oriented Productivity.

(This map is extracted and translated from a small booklet prepared by Dr. Jassem Al Mutawwa. Please note that the exact order of these blocks is not definite, but it is done with the best of the author’s analysis and compilation of different authentic narrations. In addition, I don’t plan to discuss each of those segments in detail; if you would like insight into each of the stages, join me at Productive Muslim academy’s upcoming course “Productivity with an Akhirah Mindset: Beginning with the Very End in Mind”.)

You = Your Soul

I want you to consider the “you are here” icon on the map before we jump into the individual stops of the journey, and answer a fundamental question: “Who am I? Really, who am I?!” Not your name, your degrees, your profession, your family name, your citizenship or nationality – think further than this.

According to Islamic principles, you are a soul, a nafs, or a ruh. Without getting into any philosophical arguments, Islam tells us that you are a soul that is “renting” a body for a temporary usage in the dunya stage. Your soul will stay till the end of time, but you will return your body once your contract in this world expires. This paradigm is at the core of Akhirah-Mindset-Productivity and will really help us understand and direct the usage of our energy, our focus, and our time.

The world of particles (Al-Tharr)

Unfortunately, this step is absent from the common Muslim approach to the afterlife, and many consider the first step in this journey to be the dunya or the grave. In my humble opinion, including this step is a major ingredient in our understanding of akhirah and productivity as it

• enforces the notion of the soul being our true reality, even when no “body” was attached.
• shapes our perception of time, and tells us that the journey has already started; it is not something happening at an unknown time in the future.

But what is the world of Al-Tharr really? It is the stage when all the souls were gathered in front of Allah , and the fitrah (pre-disposition and inclination towards the faith) was “installed” into each human soul; it is when the operating system of imaan was “booted” into the very being of our existence. Allah refers to this stage in the Qur’an:

And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.” [Qur’an: Chapter 7, Verse 172]

In addition, our spiritual focus, our default “factory setting” in life is well defined in the world of Al-Tharr: it is that of faith, love, and devotion to God. We should not belittle ourselves, have an excessive amount of guilt, and assume that we are evil beings who will never change and will never improve. We are not born into “original sin” as some religions preach, and we are not filthy and driven by desires as other philosophies teach. At the core of “us” is a beautiful, honored, and pure soul that recognizes God as the ultimate authority, but may get affected by the friends, family, and the environment.

The world of the womb

So our parents meet, and the intimacy between them results in a sperm that is injected into the womb of our mothers. In many places of the Qur’an, Allah reminds people of their humble beginnings:

“Did We not create you from a liquid disdained (semen, etc.)? And We placed it in a firm lodging” [Qur’an: Chapter 77, Verse 20-21]

Later on, particularly after 120 days of conception, the marriage between the body and the soul occurs, and a more developed version of “us” is being prepared for the dunya stage, the Messenger of Allah said,

“The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a drop. Then he becomes a clot of blood for a like period. Then a morsel of flesh for a like period. Afterwards an angel is sent to him, who blows the breath of life and writes down four realities of his upcoming life: his means of livelihood (rizq), his life span, his actions and deeds, and whether he will end up in eternal happiness in paradise or everlasting misery in hell fire.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

How does this affect productivity?

• A key element for social productivity is to be humble in front of Allah and towards other human beings. Our simple beginnings from a sperm should keep us in our place and destroy our ego and pride.
• Our rizq (sustenance), in addition to the major life-changing events in our lives, are already written. We should place our trust in Allah (tawakkul), focus the effort on what’s within our control, and avoid wasting spiritual energy by being concerned about things that are pre-ordained for us. Allah specifically teaches us in the Qur’an that this axiom of faith aims at clearing our minds from negative feelings:

“In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful,” [Quran: Chapter 57, Verse 23]

• Our “birthday” is basically a transition between the stage of the womb to the dunya. In contrast, when we die we are basically transitioning to the afterlife. The analogy between these two moments is a strong reminder for believers to direct their time, focus and energy so that they leave this world while earning the pleasure of Allah . Zain Al-Abedeen the famous scholar and poet once said:

Son of Adam, on the day you were born, you were crying,
But those around you were full of joy and happiness.
So work hard for a day, when people around you are in weeping,
That you will be the one excited with cheerfulness.

Look out for the next installment to discuss more stages to the afterlife, and how we can link them to productivity.

What are the ways you are planning for the Hereafter? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

The post The Itinerary to the Afterlife appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Imagine, while working on a term paper that is due next week, you get a phone call from your doctor, telling you that you only have a couple more days to live and that you need to start packing up your luggage in preparation for your long journey to the afterlife… what would you do?

Ok, I just said IMAGINE! May Allah  protect you and your loved ones and grant you a long life that is full of health, wealth, and imaan, ameen!

So back to our example: You freak out, start calling friends (or posting goodbye notes on social media) and seek their forgiveness; you may rush to do wudhu and start praying and probably make up the ones you missed. You check your wallet and your bank account and start sending donations left and right; you jump to your Qur’an – it has been a while since you last opened it – and begin reading profusely…

While rushing around, you try to remember if you owe money, books, or ANYTHING to your friends, knowing that the amaanah (trust) and the rights of people are no joking matters when it comes to departing from this world.

I usually give this scenario to my students and enjoy their creative answers on what goes on the “bucket list” of deeds for a believer in his/her final moments. I don’t disagree that all of the above are important, especially charity since it is explicitly mentioned as one of the deeds that you would wish to do at the moment of death, as Allah says,

“And spend, in the way of Allah, from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.'” [Qur’an: Chapter 63, Verse 10]

What is Akhirah-Oriented Productivity?

There is a unanimous agreement among all of those whom I asked that finishing assignments, or term paper, or any dunya (worldly) work does not make it to the bucket list. We have this dunya–akhirah dichotomy that assumes we should separate our Hereafter affairs from our worldly efforts. We think we’re either in worship OR studying. We are either seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) by volunteering in an “Islamic” nonprofit setting OR we are trying to work on our resume or planning our next business venture.

The separation between our worldly goals and akhirah aspirations is one of the reasons why our Ummah has been behind for so long, after being the leading Ummah in the past. This separation is causing a lot of people to look down to religiosity and staying away from Muslim organizations and religious people. This separation is becoming a drug that some young Muslims resort to in order to justify their incompetence and their laziness.

After first meeting Br. Abu Productive (Mohammed Faris, CEO of ProductiveMuslim), this inspired me to start writing and sharing my reflections on ‘Akhirah Oriented Productivity‘. As the name implies, it is a lens that helps a Muslim keep his eyes on the Akhirah (afterlife) while moving his feet and hands in the dunya (worldly present life). When we reflect on death, it is normal to feel that strong desire to make changes in our lives. In sha Allah this article will help you take that desire and convert it to useful energy, which spins your wheels effectively and efficiently in this world. Additionally, for a meaningful way to keep a loved one close, consider jewellery designed for cremation ashes to honor their memory and carry a part of them with you. 

Finish Planting Your Seed

The following hadith is the foundation of the akhirah-oriented productivity; it gives us the correct action items that a believer should have after being reminded about death and the afterlife. Prophet Muhammad said:

“If the Final Hour comes while you have a palm-cutting in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

Think about it for a second: what are the images that are painted in our minds when we hear about the start of the Day of Judgment?

• The sun rising from the west,
• The angel Israfil blowing into the horn (by the way, he has been in a position ready to blow that horn since the time of the prophet Muhammad ),
• The earth shaking, the moon and the sun colliding with each other, mountains set into random motion…

Despite all that, our beautiful religion teaches us to finish planting our seed; one might argue: but most likely no one will eat from that tree! No one will live to be shaded under it or even look at how beautiful it is! Probably no oxygen will be left and no sun will be around to nurture that tree! Again Islam is teaching us: do your part.  You are to be judged by how “productive” you were in planting your seeds and won’t be held accountable for the actual fruits.

You may be wondering right now: “OK I get it; I need to plant as many seeds as possible to prepare myself for the Akhirah!” But what kind of seed should I aim for? And where should I start? Is there anyone from our Muslim history who kept on planting the seeds until his/her final moment?

Seek Knowledge Until the Last Breath

Story Time! My favorite story in this regards is that of Abu Yusuf Al-Qhadi, who is the most famous student of Imam Abu Hunaifa and a “founding father” of the Hanafi school of thought. It is narrated that when he was on his death bed, and he was struggling with the pains of death, a group of people was visiting him, and you can assume they were students of knowledge themselves. He asked them:

“If someone is performing hajj, and reached the stage of Rami al Jamarat (throwing the stones during the first three days of Eid), is it better for him to do so while walking or while riding on an animal?”

The others were amazed by his dedication, and they replied: “May Allah forgive you, Abu Yusuf! Even in the last breath of your life, you are asking us about this ruling?”

He answered, “I’d rather meet Allah (swt) while knowing the answer to this question, instead of meeting Him with ignorance about it.”

It will never be possible to gain all the knowledge about our religion in our lifetime, but we should all aim to be seekers of knowledge, so we can die as one, in sha Allah. Attend weekly classes at your local mosque, enrol onto an online course or simply look for a class playlist on YouTube.

Baby Steps Towards an Akhirah Oriented Productivity

I will leave you with some practical tips on how the akhira can help us become more productive:

• When you plan your day or write a to-do list, start with the most critical task (as they say: eat your frog) knowing that you may not live to finish your day and complete all your other tasks.
• If any item on your busy schedule causes you to delay the essentials (the five daily prayers, serving your parents, etc.), then don’t bother with trying to be productive on other things, because you are definitely planting the wrong seed.
• When posting on social media, remember that you are leaving your footprint in this world; try as much as you can not to leave an embarrassing one.
• Perform a self-assessment after listening to a lecture about the afterlife: did the emotional energy and the tears translate into more action, or more depression and helplessness? Try to quantify the outcome and use specific examples, numbers, and incidents.
• Always have a sincere intention and a purpose in your actions. This will, in sha Allah, turn your 9-5 job, weekends, hours of sleep, and fun moments and leisure time to pure ibadah time.

وما من كاتب إلا سيفنى و يبقي الدهر ما كتبت يداه

فلا تكتب بخطك غير شيء يسرك يوم القيامة أن تلقاه

“People walking on this earth are writers who will eventually perish,
But the days will keep what they have written,
So make sure that whatever you write and leave behind,
Will be a source of pride on the day of resurrection.”

I hope this article motivated you to increase your akhirah-oriented productivity, in sha Allah. What are your action items to enhance your akhirah-oriented productivity? Share them with the Ummah in the comments below!

The post ​If I Had A Couple More Days to Live… appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.