Author: Nouman Ali Khan

Published: March 2017

Reviewer: Kai Whiting (Leader of Academy Book Club) and Yanti Hasim

Date reviewed: February 2017 (Special Reviewer Edition)

What Is The Book About?

Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective is one to enjoy digesting and pondering upon, as Khan has used his expertise in the Arabic language to help readers understand the deepest meaning of the Noble Qur’an. This knowledge is also supported with relevant examples and analogies that can be easily understood and enacted in our daily experiences and the situations we face as Muslims and Muslimahs. It really is as if Khan takes the words of Allah and gives the reader sincere advice directly from his heart.

The topics, in this thought-provoking book, are divided into five parts with two or three stories from the Qur’an and Seerah (biography of the Prophet ) in each. They range from personal affairs such as our connection with Allah through dua and how we should never think ill of our fellow Muslims to the professional, such as the importance of being moral and conscience of our behavior in our business dealings and financial earnings.

This book reminds us not just about the temporary nature of this life, but how we should nurture our heart so it’s ready for the Hereafter. It also touches upon the pertinent issues and challenges affecting the Muslim communities such as the issue of leadership, disunity in the Muslim Ummah and the unacceptable attitudes some Muslim communities have towards women and daughters, despite the beautiful teaching of Islam that call us to honor them.

Who Would Benefit from This Book?

We feel that this book is a must read for all Muslims – men and women, community leaders, married and single, young and old, even teenagers! For the Ummah, this book is a wake-up call that asks us all to re-evaluate and question our understanding of our deen and our personal connection to the book of Allah . Through such exploration, this book also guides us and helps us to realign our perspective so that our hearts are called to remember the temporary nature of this present world and to look and work towards jannah as our final destination.

This book is also an excellent resource for people who want to learn the essence and the real message of Islam. We can give it for people as a gift also in order to enlighten and open up the hearts that are waiting for the message and joy of Islam to fill them.

Quotes That Make You Think

So, if I find, and if you find yourself being lazy, then you have to ask whether or not your beliefs in the afterlife are concrete enough.

Contemporary culture asks us to think of death as the ultimate conclusion to what should be a hedonistic existence, while our deen teaches us that death is only the beginning of our true lives.

The real test of leadership is not when your followers are following you; the real test of leadership is when your followers disappoint you.

Our Key Personal Development & Productivity Takeaways

What we like the most about the book is how Khan makes enormous efforts to explain the meaning of important words or verses in the Qur’an so that the reader may actually understand and appreciate the message and beauty of their religion. Nowadays, the ongoing developments in technology and everything around us can easily distract us from our duties and purpose in life. It is as if our physical body is just going through the motions, and our hearts (and rooh (soul)) are dying.

This book reminds us of the moment when someone’s heart stops beating and how we immediately resuscitate him/her with a defibrillator. But where is that sense of urgency when our soul/rooh is dead, or weak? How many of us rush to the words of Allah that will not only bring our heart back to life but also open the door to Paradise?

Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective will rejuvenate your heart and realign your perspective as long as you are willing to commit to the Qur’an and your deen. You will be discovering novel aspects of this dunya and developing new ways to look at things. What can be more productive than that? It also constantly reminds us that while we dream for jannah, we need to also go through the struggles and hard work needed to earn it…

Call to Action

Enroll in the Academy now to join the ProductiveMuslim Book Club!

Have you placed an order for your copy of Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective? What are your ways to rejuvenate your heart? Share with us in the comments. Also, please, let us know if this review was helpful.

The post [Book Review] Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

As the Productive Muslim Academy continues to grow and consistently seek to reach greater heights, we’re in need of some more helping hands. We’re currently looking for volunteers in the following roles:

• Academy  Support Team Member
• Illustrator
• Social Media Assistant

Academy  Support Team Member

We are looking for a Customer Support Member to join our Academy Support Team. You will work in a growing team and report directly to the Productive Muslim Academy Director.

Job Description

• Answer emails directed to both ProductiveMuslim.com and Productive Muslim Academy
• Support the outbound communication efforts to increase member and reading engagement
• Support the admin duties in the Facebook group
• Come up with creative ideas and action plans to improve customer experience in the Academy
• Support social media assistant in their endeavours

Qualifications/Relevant Experience

• A fast internet connection is absolutely essential
• Experience in customer service/working with people (responding to emails/social media messages)
• Intermediate level knowledge and application in Excel (for database) and Word (writing of documents/editing)
• Ability to work in a team and under occasional pressure in order to meet deadlines
• Able to demonstrate a friendly demeanour, good communication skills and critical thinking
• Actively looking to learn and grow alongside team
• Willingness to complete courses in the Academy to understand and enhance customer experience
• Willingness and flexibility to donate a few hours per week for ProductiveMuslimAcademy.com projects

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who would add value to our work, therefore, the application process is designed specifically to select such individuals and people we consider to be best-fit with our team.

Here’s how the application process will work:

1. Send a brief bio about yourself (Name, Age, Time Zone, and a small description (maximum 250 words) of why you want to volunteer for ProductiveMuslim.com to rossann@productivemuslim.com with the email title Academy Support Team Member.
2. You will then be sent a short test project which supports your application.
3. If successful, you’ll be invited for a short interview (10-15 minutes) with the team via Skype.
4. If recommended, the Director of the Productive Muslim Academy will have a final interview with you.
5. After the 2nd interview, you should receive a reply (yes or no) within 48 hours inshaAllah. This is where you’ll be invited to join our team on probation basis for 30 days.
6. Upon successful completion of your probation, you’ll be confirmed within our team and receive a welcome pack to ProductiveMuslim.com 

Illustrator

Job Description

You should be an illustrator with the skills and experience to:

• Support ProductiveMuslimAcademy.com in online/offline marketing campaigns by designing suitable posters, leaflets, online banners, social media covers, etc.
• Maintain the branding of ProductiveMuslim.com in all our online/print material.
• Provide design input/feedback into major website upgrades/redesigns
• Provide illustrations for our up and coming ebook series and our supporting material for the Academy
• Good communication skills and teamwork is a MUST given the nature of the role

Qualifications/Relevant Experience:

1. Intermediate/Advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.
2. Has an already existing portfolio of good quality work with some traditional art forms as well as digitalised art forms.
3. Ideally, someone with a design studio/career or experience
4. Willingness and flexibility to donate few hours for ProductiveMuslimAcademy.com projects
5. Please note that knowledge of Adobe InDesign is a plus

How to Apply?

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who would add value to our work, therefore, the application process is designed specifically to select such individuals and people we consider to be best-fit with our team.

Here’s how the application process will work:

1. Send a brief bio about yourself (Name, Age, Time Zone, Role you want to apply for) + a small description (maximum 250 words) of why you want to volunteer for ProductiveMuslim.com to kai@productivemuslim.com with the email title Illustrator Application.
2. You will then be sent a short test project which supports your application.
3. If successful, you’ll be invited for a short interview (10-15 minutes) with the Design Head via Skype.
4. If recommended, the Director of the Productive Muslim Academy will have a final interview with you.
5. After the 2nd interview, you should receive a reply (yes or no) within 48 hours inshaAllah. This is where you’ll be invited to join our team on probation basis for 30 days.
6. Upon successful completion of your probation, you’ll be confirmed within our team and receive a welcome pack to ProductiveMuslim.com.

Social Media Assistant

We are looking for a social media assistant to support our Academy Support Team. You will work in a growing team and report directly to the Productive Muslim Academy Director

Job Description

• Establish the Productive Muslim Academy as a brand on social media
• Help support our Academy Support Team respond to people on Twitter and Instagram
• Improve our Pinterest and Snapchat engagement
• Support our endeavours in our Facebook group and responding to member enquiries
• Help the Academy Director come up with strategic ways to increase engagement and number of followers on social media channels
• Respond to emails regarding social media communication and technical issues
• Good communication skills and teamwork is a MUST given the nature of the role

Qualifications/Relevant Experience

• Ability to engage with people on video and support communication channels
• Experience in customer service (responding to emails/social media messages)
• Proven track record in increasing social media engagement
• Experience in working with online platforms is desirable
• Strategic skills, including creative/innovative vision and critical thinking
• Ability to work under pressure to meet occasional deadlines
• Actively looking to learn and grow alongside team
• Willingness to complete courses in the Academy to understand and enhance customer experience
• Willingness and flexibility to donate a few hours per week for ProductiveMuslimAcademy.com projects

How to Apply?

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who would add value to our work, therefore, the application process is designed specifically to select such individuals and people we consider to be best-fit within our team.

Here’s how the application process will work:

1. Send a brief bio about yourself (Name, Age, Time Zone and a small description (maximum 250 words) of why you want to volunteer as the Social Media Assistant for ProductiveMuslim.com to kai@productivemuslim.com with the email title Social Media Assistant.
2. You will then be sent a short test project which supports your application.
3. If successful, you’ll be invited for a short interview (10-15 minutes) with the team.
4. If recommended, the Director of the Productive Muslim Academy will have a final interview with you.
5. After the 2nd interview, you should receive a reply (yes or no) within 48 hours inshaAllah. This is where you’ll be invited to join our team on probation basis for 30 days.
6. Upon successful completion of your probation, you’ll be confirmed within our team and receive a welcome pack to ProductiveMuslim.com.

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 10th February 2017 - we’re really interested for you to join us, apply early! We get a huge number of applications so unfortunately it may not be possible for us to reply to everyone. Please bear with us if we take time to contact you. If you don’t hear from us, try next time, inshaAllah!

F.A.Q.

1. Is this a paid position?

No, the position is an unpaid, voluntary one. The Productive Muslim and Productive Muslim Academy Teams are a big team of dedicated volunteers :)

2. Is there training? How is the training conducted?

Yes, there is training. The training will be held online by the team heads.

3. Where are you located?

Productive Muslim comprises a global team with members in countries including US, Canada, UK, UAE, France, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Portugal, India and Saudi Arabia. All our work is conducted online, hence you can be anywhere in the world to apply for the positions above – we do ask that you have regular access to a fast internet connection.

The post Volunteers Needed for ProM Academy! appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Published: 2016

Reviewer: Kai Whiting, Leader of Academy Book Club

Date reviewed: January 2016

What Is The Book About?

Written in a motivational style, CHANGE, is a faith-based guide on the dangers of pornography, the nature of addiction and how to beat it in small practical and concrete steps.

Whilst this book is not an easy read, it is an important one, especially if pornography has a grip upon your life or that of a loved one. It won’t take you long to read it at all, and in fact, the subsequent conversations that you should have in order to break free from pornography’s grasp will take much longer!

In any case, expect some serious soul-searching in an empowering and non-judgmental way.  Should you be brave enough to tackle this little secret and put pornography where it belongs – firmly in your past- this book will be of a great help.

Who Would Benefit From This Book?

This is the book I wish my father had given me in my late teens or early twenties, as it would have saved me from a lot of strife and guilt that remained tied to my neck – even after I said the Shahada and became Muslim back in 2011.

So is this book only for Muslims? Whilst this book was certainly written for Muslims in mind, there are a lot of men and women of other walks of life who need to read it because they are suffering in shame, and even neglect, because of the effect porn has on the minds of those who consume it.

As a revert myself, I recommend it to fellow reverts who are new to Islam and who would like to leave behind some of the baggage that followed them into their reversion. Yes, the sins go away but some of the old behaviors do linger (unfortunately).

CHANGE will, in fact, bring about change if you are willing to put in the work and commit every day to never looking back. I am really glad I read it, as it helped me understand my journey and how I might help other productive Muslims and Muslimahs in their own journeys.

Quotes That Make You Think

“Temptation does not occur by chance. Satan intended it. But it is WE who open the doors.”

“You cannot win the battle of pornography on your own; however you MUST tell someone whom you trust.”

“Identify your sexual triggers and avoid them so that you will be on your way to break free from pornographic addiction.”

My Key Personal Development & Productivity Takeaways

Pornography casts a large web full of many knots that entrap you. Most people think that pornography only impacts their sex life and marriage intimacy. But it is far more insidious than that. As Muslims/Muslimahs, we know that watching pornography is far from what Allah desires for us. After we finish watching it, we will feel shameful and guilty, if not dirty… None of which are empowering states or helpful when it comes to being/remaining productive.

How can you be productive if you are going around hating yourself all day, after watching a video you know you shouldn’t have watched?

Apart from that, hiding addictions from your spouse is a downward spiral, and although they might not be able to put their finger on what exactly you do in secret, the signals you may be sending out may cause them to withdraw their love from you. Hardly a productive marriage, right?

Pornography also kills your creativity and playfulness – not just in the bedroom – but also at work, where you are called upon to solve complex problems that need creative solutions.

So, in other words, if you want to get productive, make sure pornography doesn’t get in the way. If it does, I fully recommend this book and the associated Productive Muslim Academy Beat It course as a good first step…

Call to Action

Don’t let pornography beat you! If you have a pornography addiction or know someone who does, NOW is the time to Beat It.

Join a Muslim community with none of the judgment you fear…Become a member of the Productive Muslim Academy and kick start your porn-free life with Wael Ibrahim’s NEW and EXCLUSIVE course Beat It!

Click here to view this video in Vimeo

The post ​[Book Review] CHANGE by Wael Ibrahim + Learn How to ‘Beat’ The Wrong Habit appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Author(s): Mohammed Faris

Published: 2016

Reviewer: Kai Whiting, Leader of Academy Book Club

What is the Book About?

This book, much like the articles published here on Productive Muslim, and taught in the Productive Muslim Academy courses, is well written and researched. It goes beyond the singularly focused “religious” aspects and calls the Ummah to faith-based action that builds upon the five pillars of Islam.

The Productive Muslim is, consequently, a thought-provoking and action-driven guide. It provides a holistic view of Islam to help Muslims and Muslimahs become more effective in their daily lives. It does this by combining Qur’anic references, the latest business and scientific research including that of Dr John Ratey, and productivity ninja Graham Allcott, along with good plain common sense.

It will thus help you set goals and establish habits by giving you practical tips and advice on how to begin your productivity journey.

The result after reading Faris’ book? If I am anything to go by, a Muslim who is not only more focused, professionally successful and effective, but who is ultimately more aware of Allah’s presence, calling and direction.

Who Would Benefit From This Book?

It goes without saying that anyone who has ever enjoyed a Productive Muslim article, the Productive Muslim Summit or anything else linked to Abu Productive should definitely go out and get this book – not least because of the Academy Book Club worksheets that help you get the most out of it!

So is this book only for Muslims? Whilst this book was certainly written for Muslims in mind, non-Muslims interested in understanding the essence of Islam away from attention grabbing headlines would also benefit from reading it because they will be better able to relate to the world around them. So I do think it is the kind of book you can discuss with the neighbours.

As a revert myself, I also recommend it to fellow reverts who are new to Islam and would like to integrate their western education with their new faith and interests. So if you know someone new to Islam, you could really benefit them by placing this book in their hands, insha’Allah.

Quotes That Make You Think

“It’s not our hard work and achievements that matter but our sincerity and whether Allah accepts it from us. This is not a call to relax, it’s actually a call to work even harder.”

“As Muslims we’ve become no different in our pursuit for productivity and economic growth at all costs. Our understanding of productivity and human well-being has become separated from our faith and values.”

“As Muslims, we believe that sleep is a blessing and like every blessing it should be used to thank Him through worship, not to disobey Him – by oversleeping and missing our prayers and responsibilities.”

Key Personal Development & Productivity Takeaways

There is a commonly held false idea that in order to be a good Muslim or Muslimah, one must solely focus on their religious duties as obligations to fulfill prior to death, rather than as part of a lifestyle.

Through this book, I learnt to see productivity as more than working hard. It is about integrating my skills and focusing on Allah as my Guide. I used to be productive because I thought it was the right thing to do. Now I know that it is part of my calling, which changes my perception and attitude.

Finally, this book helped me find a new and more complete appreciation as to how important it is to integrate Allah into that productivity, aside from taking a break five times a day to perform prayers. It made me a better Muslim and as a revert without a big community around me, it assured that there was a way I could integrate my identity and Western upbringing with Allah’s most beautiful faith. And, for that I will be eternally grateful.

Call to Action

If you already have a copy of this book, just send us at admin@productivemuslim.com a photo of it in your hands, or if you prefer the receipt, and I will personally ensure that you get the four Academy Book Club worksheets straight to your inbox – for FREE – even if you are not currently a member. How productive is that?

The post ​[Book Review] The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

For many brothers and sisters, being a Muslim revert is not easy. In the early stages, there will be many questions and changes in life. This is certainly beneficial on the long term, but it may create instability in the short one. One thing for sure is that you won’t get far on your own. But who should you turn to? Well, I don’t know all the answers, but being a convert myself, I can tell you that I was once in your shoes. For those reading who are born into a Muslim family, this article is for you as well as it speaks into your role as ambassadors of Islam and productivity! Without purpose and productivity, the walk towards the straight path can be a very lonely one, but there is no reason it should be this way. Let’s get reminded of how to change that together.

The Productive Muslim Academy book for November 2016 is Never Eat Alone, which is essentially about enhancing your productivity by networking and building up your contacts and friends by supporting and growing with them.

Using this book as the backdrop, I would like to give new Muslims and born Muslims my tips on how to walk on the path of Allah together.

1. Engage with your old family and friendships through ‘halal’ means:

Embracing Islam does not begin with the Shahada and end with putting people into neat boxes labelled “Halal” and “Haram”, a term I like to define in English as “off-limits”. Your family and lifelong friends are important and -as long as they are not undertaking activities that would influence you negatively-, you can do your best to stand by them and engage with them. It is a form of dawah (inviting to the way of Allah) as long as you are influencing them positively and not being influenced negatively by them in terms of compromising or weakening your faith.

So long as there are no activities taking place that are displeasing to Allah or unlawful in any way, shape or form, then it should be okay. After all, it is essential to talk with your family and friends. Whilst boundaries will need to be drawn, battle lines don’t. Encourage important people in your life to participate in productive activities with you. In doing so, more people around you will see how you have changed and will be more willing to talk to you about your religion.

Even if you can gather to only eat together, you can share with them how this is part of your religion and the teaching of The Last Messenger of the Creator, Prophet Muhammad who says:

“Eat together and do not eat separately, for the blessing is in being together.” [Sunan ibn Majah]

This way, they can appreciate your faith in a new light and be intrigued to look further into it.

2. Cultivate new friendships:

It is likely that -as a new Muslim- you will be eager to make new friends. Remember as with all great friendships, they have to be grown and will take time to bring forth fruit.For those Productive Muslims reading this who have been Muslim for a while, please help a fellow brother or sister out. If you see a new Muslim at the mosque or in the street, talk to them! They will be ever so grateful. Don’t let others take advantage of them. You never know how your intervention may prevent a revert suffering from a faith crisis (not a nice feeling, believe me). Your job is not done after hearing them recite their Shahada! Please remember this.

3. Reading leads to productivity:

I have spoken on Productive Muslim about the value of reading, and I cannot highlight enough the importance of sitting down with a good book, especially when it comes to getting to know your own religion. Learn your Qur’an well, explore the tafseer (exegesis) and delve deeper into the Speech of The Creator. Also, when it comes to Islam and productivity, I can say with certainty that you are in the right place being on this site! I run the Productive Muslim Academy Book Club where we all do the same worksheets and participate in webinars together. So if you are a new Muslim and you are not sure where to turn, I advise you to investigate our Academy modules, including mine! Joining our book club is a great way to build up contacts and community as well… never read alone again!

4. The power of continuity and consistency:

If, as a new Muslim, you made it your goal in 2016 to pray ALL five prayers no matter where you are or to visit the mosque daily, then keep up the habit! It might be a little shock to your system to go the gym, pray and work a full-time job, but consistent communal prayer is a sure fire way of building community ties. If you dip in and out of your group prayers you will be losing out on countless opportunities to make friends and grow your professional network. If there is no mosque near you or you really cannot get there, make sure you reach out to some Muslim support groups. There is no excuse not to worship collectively!

The Prophet said : “…By Allah, if each of you prays in his house, you will have abandoned the Sunnah of your Prophet, and if you abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet you will go astray….” [Sunan ibn Majah]

This fourth step will take sacrifice! It might mean, as it did in my case, that you make it your business to know every mosque in the city or that you book appointments and work schedule (or even leisure activities) around prayer times but believe me, it is worth it. I just think of all the exercise and fat I burn cycling to the masjid. A consistent Muslim, convert or otherwise, is a productive one.

5. Seek help through patience and prayer:

The noble Qur’an says “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 153].

Being patient is as much about persevering with yourself as it is with others. There will be times where you don’t feel spiritual. You might even feel fed-up and irritable, having slipped up and lost your newly created habits, be it gym attendance, masjid attendance, reduction in the number of swear words you allow to pass your lips etc. You might feel completely and utterly unproductive. I invite you to pray about it and submit the issue to Allah . Make yourself accountable to a Muslim you trust of the same sex (i.e. not your wife or husband though they should know you are doing it and who with). Do this not to revel in the sin or poor behavior but to genuinely seek Allah’s Will on the matter. Ask your accountability partner to commit to doing dua for you too.

6. Welcome in new members of the mosque:

In the 21st century migration is common. At a big enough mosque, every week will bring new faces – converts and Muslims born to Muslim families. As a convert you cannot and shouldn’t expect others to come and help you out all the time. It is a two way street. There are others, who just like you are new (to the area or religion) and need friends to help them become productive and fulfilled! So considering the previous steps I have told you, reach out and say “Salam”. Whilst you might think you don’t know much about your religion, if you have been following Abu Productive’s advice you probably know a thing or two on productivity and can help others on that journey.

Now our Book Club…

As part of our commitment to productivity and personal development within an Islamic framework we at Productive Muslim have created a new Productive Muslim Academy course – the Academy Book Club in collaboration with QUAKE Books, where we release one book a month, provide worksheets, forum support, productivity challenges and activities along with an interactive webinar.

November 2016’s book is Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone and as you might have guessed, it will help you build up your connections and community in order to be a happier more productive Muslim or Muslimah! So if you are interested in answering the following questions and improving your connection with God, insha’Allah, then we invite you to join us in the Productive Muslim Academy Book Club in collaboration with QUAKE Books:

Do I really know the people in my extended family, mosque or workplace, or do I just greet them as I go through the motions of being polite? What opportunities may I be missing out on as a result?

What is my role in the world as a Muslim who wants to build a mutually beneficial network as a “giver” and NOT just a “taker”?

Share with us your thoughts. Also, check out the QUAKE Books’ review of Never Eat Alone here or ask me a question below. I will get back to you! For the Book Club FAQ list, please see here.

The post ​Six Tips for the Productive Revert and How You Can Help appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

This is achieved by learning how to do what is essential. And how do you know as a Muslim/Muslimah what is essential for you? By praying consistently and having a clear purpose.

In Islam, prayer – both Salah and Dua – is a mindful connection with Allah . It should never be about just going through the physical rituals. Rather, it should prepare you to meet with your purpose.

Purpose is obtained by gaining knowledge about the world, working out where your interests and strengths lie and how they can be best applied to a problem you want to solve. Trust me when I say, this will become clearer as you read more books, such as the ones Abu Productive and I choose for the Productive Muslim Academy Book Club, and which I review on my site, QUAKE Books.

Priorities help us achieve our purpose, because they are a set of actions we must become accustomed to, whilst forsaking other things that we could do equally well, but which don’t align with our end goals.

This links back to the idea of focusing on and doing what is essential. Knowing what our priorities should be and how to dedicate time to them through consistent prayer and practice are significant steps in staying close to Allah .

This is, in short, why reading is so important. It is an exercise of discipline over distractions, which are things that aren’t essential and shouldn’t be prioritised on a regular basis because they fritter away our attention and move us away from the path that Allah intended for us.

Persistence is the discipline of practicing even when you don’t feel like it or when you don’t see change. Over time, it enables you to process your thoughts and actions better, given that neurons that fire together, wire together. It is something that needs to be learnt and established. In my experience, it is an attitude and action plan that is developed by copying the routine of our beloved Prophet and other good role models (Muslim and non-Muslim) who have led the way before us.

These 5 P’s naturally create the sixth one: productivity, which is the successful converging of disciplined attention and action when it comes to doing the essential. That is, the few things Allah has asked us to do. And of course, ProductiveMuslim.com is all about productivity, isn’t it? So what better way to help with productivity than support you in the art of practicing the essential – which as you might have guessed, is what October’s book in our Academy book club is all about…

So, Our Productive Muslim Academy Book Club…

To keep you focused on the essential, we will be working our way through Essentialism by Greg McKeown the whole month of October! It will help you lock onto the essential, which will give you more time, not tasks! How productive and cool is that? So, whether you are busy mum with a couple of kids, a university student, an entrepreneur or rushing around looking for work, as long as you would like to practice the art of the essential, and become comfortable with the concept of “doing less but better”, this book is for you!

As always, Academy members will have access to a tailor-made weekly worksheet, book club challenges, a monthly book club webinar and Academy support. So if you are interested in answering the following questions and improving your connection with Allah , then we invite you to join us in the Productive Muslim Academy Book Club in collaboration with QUAKE Books:

• Am I consciously acting out my choices or am I just going through the motions to please others?
• What is my role in the world as a Muslim who wants to focus on the “essential”?
• Do I celebrate the power of choice? Or do I surrender my choices to other people’s needs without asking myself: is this really my responsibility, and if it is, to what extent is it my responsibility?

Share with us your thoughts. Also, check out the QUAKE Books’ review of Essentialism here or ask me a question below and I will get back to you! For the Book Club FAQ list, please click here.

The post ​The Art of Doing the Essential On the Road to Productivity appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

If there is one thing that separates a Muslim or Muslimah from Allah it is their ego! Whatever journey you are going on, ego always seems to want to travel with you. Here at Productive Muslim, as we reflect on Hajj, I aim to show you why you need to leave this kind of baggage at home.

Hajj is once more upon us and the checklist is out, as you decide what needs to be taken with you on the holiest of pilgrimages. You have gone through the useful Productive Muslim Tips for a Productive Hajj and what every Productive Muslim Should Pack articles. Twice, maybe. Qur’an, check. Travel prayer mat, check. Miswak, check. Ego, check. Uh-oh, that wasn’t supposed to be there! So you unpack everything and re-do your luggage again. Sunglasses, check. Perfume-free soap, check. Ego, check! It is that one piece of baggage we could do without! But it is still there and far from helpful when it comes to avoiding misconduct and arguments as instructed by Allah in the Noble Quran, “And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is [God-consciousness/righteousness]…” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 197]

So what is Ego?

What Western thinkers refer to as “ego” we -in Islamic terms- refer to as an-nafs-ul-‘ammarah, mixed with a reasonable dose of kibr (arrogance or superiority over others; pride). Now, I am not saying that we Muslims purposefully strut around with our ego on the high street or on the plane to Mecca, but if there is one thing that separates a Muslim or Muslimah from God it is their ego. So, in other words, it is better to acknowledge the existence of ego, especially if you are anything like me, fervently denying that you have a problem, especially when compared to a whole host of Muslims and non-Muslims you could name!

I mean who hasn’t ever got angry, felt a little jealous, annoyed even, when someone else got promoted, got that bigger house, better school or university grades, or seemingly nicer husband? It is perfectly human to complain about such things, right? Well, there are somethings that I shouldn’t have to do, right? This has nothing to do with ego, right? Wrong! And if that’s what you have been saying since your friend or spouse emailed you this article to read, wave to your ego for me because he or she is sitting on your lap, which means you came face to face and lost the battle… again!

No wonder the fight against ego is the greatest struggle (Jihad al-Akbar) that a Muslim can endure. It is also why Hajj is a pillar of our faith and a testament to Allah which demonstrates that we prefer Him over our egos.

Flattening an Inflated Ego with Every Hajj Step

In Hajj, we Muslims set out to enhance our Taqwa, to return to a purified state at one with our Creator, more aware of His Divine Nature and Presence. We are reminded on this pilgrimage of the trials of the great men and women of Islam who sacrificed their sense of self for a profound belief in God.

For evidence of this, take the re-enactment of Hajar’s exhausting and repeated run through the two hills, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, in search for water for her baby Ismail, barefoot and alone in the desert. It is in performing the Sa’ee that we can come to appreciate how that it was only in the shedding of her ego that Hajar found her courage and faith, which led to the appearance of the Zamzam well. We are further reminded of ego’s power, human fragility and sinfulness when we shave or cut a lock of our hair on the final day of Hajj, following the completion of ramī al-jamarāt (the Stoning of the Devil).

Ego, like our hair, will grow back. To stop both from becoming unruly and tangled, they need a frequent trim and a daily brush or comb. Hajj is the ultimate conditioner. If applied right, it will make ego more manageable. It won’t, however, remove it completely. For that you need Tazkiah, specifically tazkiyatul -nafs or “purification of the self”.

Experience Tazkiah and Be Transformed

Tazkiah is the conscious act of remembering one’s position compared to the greatness of Allah . This is by definition the surrendering of the self and removal of one’s ego. It is achieved by regular training and acting as if God was right there in front of you, observing your every move, knowing your every thought. In His Divine Presence there is no room for ego, only authenticity and God-driven change. So besides Hajj, how can you experience the transformative effects of minimising your ego?

• Adherence to Salah – not when it is convenient to you but when Allah calls (yes, even when you are on holiday).
• Dhikr either with the Qur’an, in the form of Tasbih (short recitation) or meditation, as this helps you remember/reflect on His glory and reduces self-centered thought patterns.
• Fasting and zakat – by saying “no” to your body and its power over you, you are controlling your worldly desires and demonstrating to yourself that money and sex do not rule you. Investing money in other people, for their sake, and not yours, is also a good way of giving back to your community, which if done right will cut your ego down to size. Be careful however, not to do it for show!
• Frequent voluntary work – putting others before yourself and dedicating a regular slot to community work reminds us Muslims of our position and role in society. It can be a very humbling experience because it can teach us many things that we wouldn’t know or come into contact with otherwise. In giving up our time, or even in donating blood, we feel empathy, a strong sense of connection with other people and the world around us. Where there is empathy there can be no ego.
• Admit you are wrong and apologise – so many people will never admit to the people they love the most that they are/were wrong. Fewer still apologise. Not only is that utter nonsense, it is a case of putting your ego before your spouse’s or children’s feelings. Not good and definitely not Islamic.
• Investing in your health –this can be as simple as going to the gym instead of eating that second slice of cake. It could mean going to regular health check-ups with the dentist like Private Dentist Cardiff or doctor, who will often remind us of our physical weaknesses and why pride comes before a fall or a serious illness! You can enhance your oral health with the best Ashburn dentist near me.
• Personal development reading – making time to read is a great investment and a sure fire way to win the ego war, precisely because it is in reading that we begin to realise just how little we actually know. Many people tell me they don’t like reading when actually don’t mind reading but don’t like what they read because it threatens their comfort zone! Here at Productive Muslim, we are all about helping you venture out of your comforts in the name of productivity gains! Hence…

…Our Book Club!

As part of our commitment to productivity and personal development within an Islamic framework we at Productive Muslim have created a new Productive Muslim Academy course – the Academy Book Club in collaboration with QUAKE Books, where we release one book a month, provide worksheets, forum support, productivity challenges and activities along with an interactive webinar.

September 2016’s book is Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy and as you might have guessed, it will help you fight your ego, even if you are not going to Hajj this year. So if you are interested in answering the following questions and improving your connection with God, insha’Allah, then we invite you to join us in the Productive Muslim Academy Book Club in collaboration with QUAKE Books:

“What am I missing right now that a more humble person might see?”

“Why does perfecting your family life regularly lead to success in your professional career, but rarely the other way around?”

“Why do strong feelings of anger and hate fail to accomplish anything valuable?”

Share with us your thoughts. Also, check out the QUAKE Books’ review of Ego is the Enemy here or ask me a question below. I will get back to you! For the Book Club FAQ list, please see here.

The post ​The One Thing You MUST Leave Behind When Going to Hajj appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

They say a clever man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. How many books have you read and learned from? Most people say that they don’t have time to read, but that is because they haven’t discovered that reading is a time machine!

Just one book may save you up to 59 years of your life. It could tell you the wrong path before you ever went down it. How productive is that! It is little wonder then that the Productive Muslim Academy is launching a book club in collaboration with QUAKE Books, the book review site that doesn’t ask whether a book was “good” or “bad” , rather “how much did it shake you?”

Allah’s first revelation to Prophet Muhammad was what is now the first five verses of Surat Al-’Alaq [Chapter 96 of the Noble Qur’an]. It laid down the foundation of the Islamic belief system; it shook our dearest Prophet to the core. So what did Allah say?

“Read in the name of your Lord who created -Created man from a clinging substance.  Read, and your Lord is the most Generous – Who taught by the pen – Taught man that which he knew not.” [Qur’an: Chapter 96: Verses 1-5]

So yes, what was Allah’s first command and Angel Gabriel’s first instructions in the Cave of Hira? “Iqra”,  translated as recite or read. So what was Muhammad’s first task as our prophet? Yes that’s right. Iqra. To read.

We all know we should read as Muslims. We all instinctively know that reading is somehow good for us. We know that reading provides us with ilm (knowledge) and that the pen and book are absolutely fundamental to our straight path towards Allah .

Despite this consensus amongst the Ummah, I would be a wealthy man indeed if I charged a dollar (or a pound, or a euro) every time I heard the phrase “But I don’t have time to read” or “if I had time to read” or “when I retire/go on holiday I will read but I can’t right now, I don’t have time.”

The problem with these types of responses is that not only are they terrible excuses, but they are also among the greatest lies that shaytan keeps on our lips, without ever breaking a sweat.  Simply put, not having time to read is a sure fire way to remain unproductive, unfulfilled and unhappy.

Perhaps, you- my dearest brothers and sisters- think I am exaggerating. But I can assure you that I am not. I will let you in on a little known secret, one that will change your life, the way you view your religion, your family and your job.

Reading is a time machine

It is. It takes you back in time, to another place different to your own, compresses your timeline and gives you it back further down the line. The Lord is indeed most Generous… right?

Before you switch internet tabs or google something else, think about it. What must be learned and experienced in a lifetime of say 60 years, or more, can be written down in a year or two and read in a week. If you really want what you read to be integrated into your mindset and day-to-day activities, most of the effort will take between 30 days and six months. The jury is still out on the exact number of months needed but even with the most conservative of estimates that is still a saving of 59 years.

How productive is that? And that is just one book. Imagine the possibilities if you read one book a month…

Told you, reading is a time machine.

Communicating more precisely

Continuously spending time with a book will help you communicate more precisely with your spouse, children, parents and colleagues. By expanding your vocabulary, you can express meanings that will help you become more effective at home and at work. Deep reading will help you exercise discipline over distractions that fritter away your attention. It will enable you to process your thoughts and actions better, given that neurons that fire together, wire together. It will make you more productive and more successful.

Getting the answers you need

Reading helps you scratch your own itch. Instead of asking the same questions over and over and getting the same answers from the same people, you can grab a book (physical, e-book or even audio) written by someone who has trodden the path before you, who has experienced what you are going through and come out successfully of the other side.

Saving a lot of time

Reading the right book represents massive gains in time-saving and productivity, not to mention ease. Life is not meant to be hard, so why make it harder on yourself when Allah makes it simple. Why go through the brambles if someone has cut a path? In addition, the ability to build on the foundations laid by someone else can provide a sense of vigour, purpose and vision.

The Book Club!

So now that we’ve established why reading is the epitome of productivity, the next most important question is what should you read?

Well, Productive Muslim has made that easy for you by teaming up with me, Kai Whiting, a fellow productive Muslim, and founder of QUAKE Books. Together we will bring to your attention a book per month to read and discuss, with challenges to work on within the Productive Muslim Academy’s new Book Club. [You can join the academy to learn more about that, and get even more gems on mastering life and productivity]. 

The first book in this series is, in my opinion, THE productivity book especially written for us Muslims, that is Mohammed Faris’ The Productive Muslim, which I reviewed here, if you are still looking to buy or borrow a copy.

If you have already got one and you want to double down on your productivity, please join us this August 1st for the first week of the rest of your reading life. Enrollment in the book club comes with activity worksheets/timetable and a monthly webinar providing you with a chance to ask questions and get answers, to ensure you get the most out of your learning, insha’Allah.

And if you have any questions for me right now, just post them below and I will be very happy to respond. I hope to see you all in my time machine, anytime soon!

FAQ: ProductiveMuslim Academy Book Club in Collaboration with QUAKE Books

How many books will feature in the Book Club?

We will review 12 books in total per year. That is one per month. The book selected will support the monthly theme being developed by Productive Muslim. There will be supplementary material to support what you are reading and to help you grow. This includes a webinar at the end of the month and weekly timetable worksheets and questions. Some of the supplementary material will be covered in other Productive Muslim Academy courses. This will be clearly stated in the worksheet for the week.

Does that mean that the Book Club is only available to Productive Muslim Academy Subscribers?

Yes, the Book Club is only available to Productive Muslim Academy subscribers. This is because the lessons learnt and the discussions held in the Book Club relate to the other modules in the Academy, which will accelerate and balance your learning.

Is there a monthly subscription to join the Book Club?

If you are already a member of the Productive Muslim Academy, you will get the Book Club as part of your package. If not, the monthly subscription is that of the Productive Muslim Academy charge.

How will I know if I like the book on offer?

I will review all books on QUAKE Books prior to offering them in the Productive Muslim Academy. An example of which is for our August book The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris, aka Abu Productive. Please note that the QUAKE Books book reviews are not written for a Muslim audience, although of course as a Muslim I do write from a Muslim perspective. They do not represent the views and/or opinion of Productive Muslim and are my own.

If I subscribe to the Productive Muslim Academy and join the Book Club, will you provide the book free of charge?

No, we will not provide the book free of charge. Being an avid reader and a productive Muslim myself, I think it is important to take responsibility for your reading and learning. Part of this responsibility is choosing to invest in your development. We do announce the book on the Facebook platform and on the Productive Muslim website, in advance, which gives you the opportunity to request it from your library if cost is particularly prohibitive.

Where can I buy the book?

I have placed links on all QUAKE Books reviews to enable you to buy the book on Amazon from various countries. I suggest that you may also request it from local bookstores or the library using the books ISBN.

Can I join the Book Club halfway through the month?

Of course, all the material will be available in the Book Club module within the Academy, allowing you to read at your own pace and to catch up if necessary. Of course you will get the most benefit by reading alongside us, but that is certainly not a reason to put your reading off!

I have another question that is not answered here:

No problem, you may ask me here.

The post How Reading Can Change Your Productivity Game appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

This article was written by a British revert, living and working as an academic and freelance journalist in Bogota, Colombia. He first wrote for Productive Muslim in August 2013, following his first and second Ramadan, spent on his own, in Spain and Poland in 2013, and in Spain and China in 2012. Now in 2014, and perhaps in the strangest of places, he has found a community of Muslims at Bogota’s Mequita Estambul. They instruct and care for him in the gentle manner of the Prophet Muhammad . Those at the mosque are, however, not without their daily struggle (and blessings), as they too, try to be productive Muslims, very much on their own. This is their story, told through the words of their Egyptian sheikh Abu Hasan, as well as the mosque director, Carlos Sánchez, his wife Nur, and their son Jamid Said, who having learnt Arabic at an Islamic school in Trinidad and Tobago, translates Friday prayers into Spanish.

Kai: Could you tell the readers at Productive Muslim a little about our mosque?

Abu Hasan: We are a Sunni mosque that caters to the needs of both women and men. The women pray upstairs and the men downstairs, in rooms of equal size. The mosque was established, as a concept, 33 years ago by the director, Carlos Sánchez. It physically began as an office with 10 people and continued to grow until it reached what it is today. About 80-100 people come through our doors on a weekly basis, most of whom come to attend Friday prayers. The gender split is 50/50. Children come with their parents. Most of our congregation is composed of Colombian nationals, but many like you and me, come from further afield. I came here 12 months ago. Before coming to Colombia, I was an Islamic teacher and the leader of a mosque in my home country. I was asked to come to Mezquita Estambul by my government as Carlos, the director of the mosque, had requested that an Egyptian come to Colombia to lead and teach the Muslim community in Bogota. My government then elected me because I had scored highly on my Imam tests. I wanted to go because it was a unique opportunity to travel and practise da’wah (the call to Islam, proselytising) in a non-Muslim country. I wanted to learn about other countries, languages and people.

Nur: We became recognised as followers of Islam by the Colombian government in 1997. At that point, we were a small Islamic centre. We converted our space into a mosque, so to speak, about 8 years ago when we moved to a bigger premise in Calle 45a 14-81. Please tell your readers our address, just in case any of them would like to visit us!

Carlos: I have been practising da’wah for 33 years. I established the current mosque as an idea 18 years ago, as the one we went to before was not growing nor going in the direction we thought was closest to the Prophet’s sunnah (the “path” or “example” of the Prophet Muhammad, i.e., what the Prophet did or said or agreed to during his life) . Firstly, its location, along with the traffic of Bogota, meant that the brothers and sisters could not get there. We also had the problem that there were levels of discrimination between the small community of Middle Eastern immigrants and the Colombians. There was, for example, a refusal to speak Spanish and that caused a major communication problem. There was also the additional problem of erratic opening times, which meant the community was unable to grow. The only definite opening was on Friday for jumu’ah (Friday prayer). So I decided to offer a mosque in my office, where I still work. Various people came and we really needed a more suitable place. Nine years ago, some Turkish Muslims offered the Bogota community the money to buy a suitable location. The congregation of my office slowly moved to the new home. The first Friday we only had four men (Jamid, my son, and me, along with two more). Word spread and although we had some issues with jealousy and unnecessary conflict with those we had left, by Allah’s grace, we grew! Every believer is free to come at every prayer time and speak their language, Spanish of course! The later addition of two mosques have changed things radically.

Now we have a sizeable place of worship, where we build our community. If any brother or sister needs help, we try to feed them or give them a place to sleep, even with the few resources we have. All in the name of Allah of course!

Kai: What are your roles and responsibilities in the mosque?

Carlos: My wife and I are dedicated full-time lawyers, yet our commitment to Islam leads us to prioritize community needs. I engage with men seeking guidance or answers, while my wife supports and advises women. Additionally, I address invitations from universities and schools to speak about Islam. We manage our professional responsibilities with the support of an attorney marketing agency, ensuring our outreach efforts effectively reach those seeking legal assistance or knowledge about our faith.

Nur: My main role is da’wah with the women. I also organise the kitchen and food every Friday and help my husband with the finances.

Abu Hasan: Now that my Spanish is improving, I help Carlos and Nur with da’wah at the schools and universities. My wife and I live in the mosque with Jamid and we all help with cleaning and maintenance.

Jamid Said: I am the official translator. I help with the conferences at the universities and schools. I also translate when we have visitors from Malaysia or Pakistan, for example, since I speak Arabic, English and Spanish.

Kai: How does the community maintain its spiritual and productive activities that form the basis of the siratul mustaqeem (straight path)?

Nur: After khutbah (the sermon at jumu’ah prayer), all the women come together to discuss Islamic topics. The women who have known Islam longer share their knowledge with those who have only just taken their shahada (Islamic declaration of faith). It is important that we, collectively as women, know our religion and that we are not ignorant. As women, the way we dress in Colombia with the hijab (literally ‘cover’) and long clothes gives us an excellent opportunity to do da’wah. The people of Bogota are very inquisitive and like to ask us things on the street about our religion. We must always be ready to give a truthful and Islamically-correct answer. If we do not know about our own religion, then we have missed an opportunity to tell people who do not know about Allah , the Qur’an and his prophets . We simply cannot afford to be uneducated in these matters; other people’s lives depend on it! That is also why Sheikh Abu Hasan provides every Muslim brother and sister the opportunity to learn Arabic, on Sundays, without payment.

Jamid Said: Yes, the Modern and Classical Arabic lessons are very important. Our brothers and sisters can learn to read the Qur’an as it should be read. With Arabic, they are able to listen and understand the Qur’an and the sermon on Fridays before I translate it. They can satisfy their thirst for knowledge by aspiring to learn more. We as Muslims should strive for this. We also focus on teaching the importance of the Qur’an, the hadith (recorded saying or tradition of the Prophet Muhammad ), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad .

Kai: How does the mosque manage to sustain and construct a healthy and productive community of Colombian and non-Colombian Muslims?

Carlos: It is a real challenge. Once someone takes his/her shahada, we look at the difficulties or challenges that the person may face in following the new path. We discuss the situation of his/her family, work and studies to see how we can best help him/her to fulfil his/her duties and obligations to Islam. We teach them how to read the Qur’an and how to perform salah (any one of the daily five obligatory prayers). We offer free Arabic classes. Where applicable, we explain to the partner about Islam and how they can help the person in fulfilling their obligations. When a brother enters Islam, it is not long before we see the wife reverting too. In the few cases we have had of a sister finding Islam, her husband too followed. In the case of children, well some of the mothers have converted too! When I ask why, they often point to the good changes they have experienced since their partner or child reverted to Islam.

Word of mouth is how our community has grown. We don’t have any form of media channel to express ourselves. There is no television channel or radio station. We don’t have the money to give our congregation literature that will enable them to become better Muslims. All praise be to Allah that he guides people to our door. As you know Kai, we have no funding for adverts either. All our media exposure has come through you, may Allah guide and bless you. You have given us a voice through your appearance on an expatriate radio, for example, your interview of Abu Hasan for the local expatriate newspaper and of course, this interview for Productive Muslim. We hope that your help, In sha Allah (if it is God’s will), will help us grow.

Jamid Said: In sha Allah. In terms of maintenance of the community, however, we at Mezquita Estambul focus hard on jumu’ah. We explain to all Muslims, and even non-Muslims, like the school kids and university students who come in their groups, to learn about the way of Allah and His prophets , and the obligations such as the five prayers. We explain to them the significance of Fridays and why we are called by Allah to attend. For this reason, the women at the mosque offer those brothers and sisters who do make the journey free food and drink. We know in Colombia it is not easy to be Muslim. People can find it difficult to leave their workplace, especially as the mosque can be very far and the traffic is terrible. Furthermore, their bosses and colleagues, due to their lack of understanding, can impose restrictions. But we do try to lighten their burden.

Kai: How do the universities and schools know about Mezquita Estambul?

Jamid: My father, Carlos, has been a Muslim for 30 years in Bogota. He has been building up relationships over time. He and I, along with my mum and the sheikh’s wife, are actively teaching and holding seminars in universities and schools.
Kai: Considering Bogota is not a Muslim city, nor does it have exposure to Islam, like say other big cities such as New York, London or Edinburgh, have any of you experienced or heard of any form of prejudice or discrimination?

Nur: Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), here in Bogota, Colombia’s capital, we have not been subject to any form of discrimination or received any negativity because of our faith. That said, sisters in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, told us they experienced some problems, such as people taking their hijab off their head and insulting them. We visit them on occasion and they come here. In July, just before Ramadan, there will be a Muslim convention here in Bogota. We are not sure of the numbers as we are not organising it, but we expect brothers and sisters from all over Colombia to attend.

Abu Hasan: I must say I have been treated extremely well and am respected by the people living in Bogota. Everyone, Colombians and non-Colombians alike, has been very patient and kind to me. I can truly say that I have found rest and peace in Bogota. The non-Muslims of Bogota accept, without prejudice, that Islam is alive and well in their capital. No one has ever been rude or caused a problem. No Muslim I know has ever reported any form of abuse. I know that this is not always the case, elsewhere in the world. We even have tension between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, where I am from, but we all live peacefully here, which is nice.

Jamid Said: I would say some 30% of the Muslim population here in Bogota are foreigners. Here at Mezquita Estambul 80% of us are Colombians. Generally, the immigrants come from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, the US and UK. Those who want to be reunited with their loved ones from immigration custody may consider getting help from an immigration bond attorney. Visit sites like immigrationbond.com/cash-bonds-info/ to know more. Additionally, you will need the apostille services near me to authenticate your documents. The last census, which was 10 years ago, stated that there were 2,000 Muslims in the city. However, we know that this figure has grown substantially with the opening of two more mosques since then (there are now four mosques) and we have greater numbers in our own mosque. There is, however, little outside of the places of worship to support the Muslim community. There is only one halal (permitted) food restaurant and no halal butchers. We do have Middle East-style shops but they are not Islamic. We cannot buy miswaks (natural equivalent of a toothbrush), for example, or Islamic clothes etc. We rely on ex-community members to send such things from their country of origin.

Kai: Yes, being Muslim in Colombia is very different from being Muslim in countries where Islam has a much bigger presence. Can you explain some of the challenges you face in following the way of the Prophet Muhammad , here in Bogota?

Carlos: The first is how we as Muslims and Colombians battle the media image of drugs, war and crime. This image that is sent all around the world has stopped us from getting access to key resources. We basically have to fight the stereotype that as Muslims we are terrorists and as Colombians we are guerrillas. This has unfortunately prevented our small voice from being heard. When we are heard, people listen, especially when they find out we love Isa and Maryam .

That said, we are not recognised and supported by our government like the Catholics are. No money comes through our doors, except that from Allah . We are very much alone. We would like to be able to proclaim the good news to everyone in Colombia. Yet, we don’t even have the funds to feed all the Muslim brothers and sisters who come through our door in the holy month of Ramadan. We feel very sad about this.

After we pay the water, gas and electricity, seeing as our building is located in strata 4 (middle-to-upper classes pay more tax under Colombian law) we have nothing left, apart from the small amount we give to provide food to everyone on Fridays.

Our congregation does not provide any real form of “tithe”. Many are new Muslims. We are teaching them Islamic values and behaviour; they are hungry to learn, but this takes time. We would like to give our congregation more information to take home, but that requires money that we do not have. The mosque was improved by Egyptians last year who gave us curtains, so we’d have more privacy. They rebuilt the wudu’ (ablution) area and helped us better separate men and women. Before, we just had a curtain but now men are upstairs and women downstairs. Alhamdulillah, we also have separate toilets. Now the women outnumber the men (men are around 30 on Friday, women 50).

Money is a real challenge, but it’s the resources we need as there is no way of getting hold of Islamic items here. As you know, Kai, we open our doors to any Muslim in need. We give them food and shelter and ask for no payment. We reach out to anyone who believes that Allah is One and that Muhammad is His messenger. We only turn away those who do not try to follow the straight path. We teach good solid values about how we should uphold the sunnah.

Even what little we had was stolen by a foreigner who claimed to be Muslim. He took our projector that we used to educate the many universities and schools that come here to learn about Islam. It is not the same without the projector as small children really liked it and connected with Islam better. Our da’wah is being affected.

We would like to have the ability to tell people about our plight and we would like other Muslims around the world to hear about us and know how hard we are trying to survive with so little. We want to show all people who ask that Islam, as a religion, is beautiful and an easy way of life to follow. Indeed, its simplicity is testament that it is the only true way to God.

Jamid Said: This is true. The biggest challenge within the Muslim community, is persuading those who admit that Allah is One and that Muhammad is His messenger, that Islam is not a “Friday” thing. It is an everyday “thing”. It is all the time. It is a way of life, not a philosophy. It is the true religion. We try to teach Muslims to see their religion as a constant by educating them and building community and friendships around them.

Nur: Our challenge as strong Muslim women is to explain to non-Muslim women that our religion does not imprison us, but liberates us. We must educate women that our clothes are a reflection of our liberation and not forced upon us by our husbands or parents. In addition to what religion I belong to, I get asked about the reason I dress this way when I walk with my hijab, at least three times a week. This gives me a great opportunity to show women that we have made an educated choice to follow the will of Allah day by day. After all, it is Allah who very much promotes women’s rights, values and education.

Kai: That is very difficult to hear Carlos and yes Nur, I know what you mean. The women in our mosque remind me of the first Muslim women when they were called to cover themselves, as they went out to find sheets and anything else suitable to protect their purity, as per this hadith.

The women here are, in many ways, a testament to the good teaching and humility that I have experienced here in Mezquita Estambul. Apart from the creation of strong believing women, what other accomplishments have you had here and what do you attribute to that success?

Nur: We have always put Allah ’s gain before our own. We are not here for any form of personal gain. We are here to show through our words and actions the way of Allah and his messenger . That is why Allah has allowed us to grow.

Carlos: I think the answer is sincerity. One must be sincere with Allah and help people in their faith, so as to make space for them so they feel they belong to Allah and our community here in Bogota. Allah should never be replaced with money, fame or our own personal desires. Staying true to Allah is staying true to real meaningful success.

Jamid Said: The key is persistence, being consistent and never giving up, mixed with faith.

Kai: I cannot argue with that. I guess it is the same with Ramadan! Jamid, could you tell us a bit more about Ramadan in Colombia?

Jamid Said: Well, most of the congregation come together to eat iftar (meal eaten by Muslims breaking their fast after sunset during the month of Ramadan) and pray taraweeh (extra prayers performed at night in Ramadan). They arrive tired and feel a little “lazy” after having fasted all day. It is our job to encourage them to continue! For some, the first Ramadan is particularly difficult. We try to help them by showing them how to organise their day and which activities and food (before Fajr and after Maghrib) they should eat. If they are really exhausted we try to encourage them not to give up, but part fast until they have the strength to complete a whole day again. I know Kai how you mentioned the altitude issue but the Colombians here do not have that problem. Actually we have a problem when we go to lesser altitudes and fast!

Our biggest problem in the mosque is accommodating the numbers we normally only see on a Friday, every day for a month. We feed everyone. Many do not have the money to offer us financial help. My parents and I subsidise out of our own pockets. We are of course in the developing world, where half of all Colombians earn less than a dollar a day! As a result, most do not pay zakat (alms) simply because they’re unable to. Even though new reverts struggle with fasting, Ramadan is a special moment for every Muslim in Bogota. The hardest thing for them is the “come down”, you know when it is finished! They really do not know what to do! They have a real hunger to learn but it is far from easy for some of them to follow Ramadan as they should all the time.

Kai: I wish they could read English, as I wrote about fighting the emptiness after Ramadan last year. In sha Allah Productive Muslim will start a Spanish version one day, to tackle some of the unique issues we have here in the Hispanic world. Colombian Muslims certainly need Productive Muslim duas. Sheikh, could you tell us a little about Eid?

Abu Hasan: Eid is very special. The Muslim women are very generous with their time and their cooking. There is so much food! We spend 300 pounds that day to make the mosque look pretty. Carlos often pays out of his own pocket as we do not, as a mosque, have the funds to celebrate the way we would like to. However, it is important that we as Muslims follow the way of the Prophet [saws] and take Eid seriously as a day of celebration. Last year we had 70-80 Muslims and their children. We converted the Arabic classroom into a games room and all the children played together. I was so happy to see this!

Kai: I really cannot wait; last year I was sick in Poland and could not enjoy Eid! Any last words?

Abu Hasan: All readers of Productive Muslim, who want to be more productive while visiting Colombia, are very welcome to come here, to learn more about Islam and to share prayers and food with us. We hope, if and when you come, you feel that you belong and that you are happy and comfortable. We aim to make you feel like an important member of our small but growing community. We hope that you yourself, grow in Islam and as a person, and in doing so, you are able to support us in reaching out to more people and telling them about our religion.

Graphics by Leonar Alvarez

The post [ProductiveRamadan World Challenge] Productive Muslims in Colombia appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

This article was written by a British revert who observed Ramadan on his own in Spain and Poland in 2013, and in Spain and China 2012, in the hope to inspire and encourage reverts and other Muslims to keep up the spirituality post-Ramadan until the next one. He also hopes that the article will encourage Muslim families to adopt a revert Muslim now that Ramadan is over and keep them smiling into the next one!

The excitement of Eid is over. You are a revert Muslim and maybe it was your first time. There were times when you were not sure you were going to make it and even times when you were not sure of anything much at all. It was 30 days of extreme physical and mental tests, long nights of prayer and lonely hours (at least in my case) of a dry throat. Now on completion you will never forget those 30 days; every year from now on will mean something more than you ever could have imagined. They will forever be embedded in your heart and mind as a testimony to your resolve and unshaking belief in the shahadah, which you know beyond a doubt that you now firmly believe in.

And then in that joy comes the “crash” – the sense of emptiness, of abyss. You climbed so high to achieve the long fasts and Taraweeh of Ramadan and now everywhere you look is down. At the top, the climb seems nowhere near as bad as the descent. And if you are feeling like that, trust me I was the same in 2012 in China, knowing I would go back to Spain, which isn’t the most Muslim-friendly place. This thought then filled my heart with a little bit of dread and then the desperation set in.

What do I do now? What does Allah want from me? What do I do at iftar? How do I maintain that sense of community?

With the end of Ramadan, it was like my “Muslimness” was draining away and no sense of scrambling would get it back. That sense of knowing Allah when refusing a cup of tea until the final bowel of Magrib because you’re a Muslim, or the near militant avoidance of the use of bad language or the refusal to listen to non-Muslim worship during Ramadan was gone. Even the wearing of the prayer hat (all Muslims in China wear it as part of their identity) and the Productive Muslim videos seemingly made no sense… at least not until next year.

And in that desperation, I did the only thing I could do. I turned to Allah once more. Not because I was a “good Muslim” but because I didn’t know what else to do. I could not ask my family and within a short time the Muslims I had come to know in China were literally going to be on the other side of the world.

At this moment I knelt in my long prayer clothing with my hood up on my pink prayer mat and opened my ears wide. What did Allah need to say to me? It was my first Ramadan and it was all over. How could I fill the emptiness? The answers did not come all at once. One did but the others come later, some even during my second Ramadan.

First thing to remember is that you are not chasing a spiritual high but you are running after Allah , the one true God.

Any Muslim looking to emulate a spiritual high will be highly disappointed and will only be drunk in it. The “high” is the blessing one gets for seeking Allah . The minute you stop seeking Him is the minute the food spoils and makes you sick. The blessing fades and turns abruptly into a nightmare because as writer Yasmin Mogahed says:

“You can only run in one direction. So you are either running to God, or you are running to something else…”

So with that in mind, how does one stay in the blessing of Ramadan?

1. Remind yourself why you felt blessed during Ramadan and why you did it in the first place. In my case I did not do it because it was a pillar of Islam, but I did it to feel closer to Allah and to understand my mustekeem better. So I read the Qur’an more comprehensively, prayed more frequently, actively bought Islamic books on family life and marriage (seeing as it is the other half of the deen) to read in Ramadan and after it. In other words I surrounded myself with things that would allow me to have a better relationship with Allah and the Ummah. In doing so, I received Allah ’s blessing and actively felt blessed. If I had to give one piece of advice this post-Ramadan I would say: write down or talk to a brother or sister about your blessings and how you wish to walk in them in the coming year. This means, at least it did in my case, a brainstorming session (or two or three) with your best friends or family.

2. Reflect on Allah ’s greatness every time you say “Allahu Akbar” and what He inspired you to achieve. I am not one to write things down but rather a person who “meditates” on such things. Doing my quiet times on the bus (which were not actually quiet, given how crowded a place China is), I made it part of my worship. In this worship, I processed what had happened to me doing Ramadan and was happening to me now, after Eid. I asked friends of mine what they thought of “my Ramadan”, which was a rather revealing though a not too comfortable experience that told me a lot about myself and my relationship with Islam (my good and bad attitudes). If you are a revert or even a born Muslim it is actually very worthwhile to ask a non-Muslim person you trust to give their honest opinion as they see things that Muslims may not always notice, given that they are themselves focusing on prayer and fasting themselves! Allah ’s greatness can be reflected everywhere (unless it is strictly haram) and in every person (obviously to a varying degree) so don’t make the mistake of only asking the holiest person you meet!

3. Ask Allah what He wants you to do with your new found skills of post-Ramadan (in my case more patience and a greater awareness of poverty and physical hardship). I did a lot of dua following Ramadan and asked Allah about the things I had read, the people I had meet and the skills I had learned. I also went out and actively did something about it. Dua is only the beginning and changes little if you do not act on it. Dua is participatory; it is not a monologue and involves interaction with Allah and subsequently other people, in order that Allah can show you how to make your pure heartfelt desires a reality. Think Action Plan, in blocks or a series of steps (I prefer not to have a timeframe as I lose motivation.)

4. Remember your brothers and sisters are exactly that and did not just adopt you doing Ramadan. Invest time in building and maintaining Halal relationships with them. Frequent Halal shops, buying only what you need that day so you have to return the next one. Make time, not excuses, no matter how far the mosque is, (trust me all of mine are far) to get there on a daily basis. Actively look for opportunities to interact or offer your support to someone.

5. Continue to frequently consult the new websites from where you obtained Qur’anic insights to live a highly productive and spiritual Ramadan. In my case this was how I first became acquainted with Abu Productive.

6. Keep up any one of the routines you established during Ramadan – continuity is key. If you made it your goal in Ramadan 2012 to pray ALL 5 no matter where you were or to pray at the mosque daily in Ramadan 2013, keep up the habit! If you found time during Ramadan to go the gym and work a full-time job, you will still have that time when after Ramadan. It might mean, as it did in my case, that you make it your business to know every mosque in the city or that you book appointments and work schedule (or even leisure activities) around prayer times but believe me, it is worth it. I just think of all the exercise and fat I burn cycling to the masjid and the less time I have to sit wasting time on my computer.

7. Ask Allah what you need to work on after Ramadan which you didn’t have time to perfect during Ramadan. In my first one the focus was more physical, given the shock my body had. The focus of my second one was consistent masjid attendance. I am sure the next thing I MUST work on is patience. In this year’s post-Ramadan I will, In sha Allah, be looking at what frustrates me and how I can avoid that feeling of frustration. In my case prayer is the number solution and actually my best non-Muslim friend gives me my prayer mat when I am annoyed! Attack what you need to work on from two angles, find out the source or the reason behind the need to change, develop and/or grow and facilitate the solution.

8) O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 153]. In your post-Ramadan, there will be times where you don’t feel spiritual at all. You might even feel fed-up and irritable, having slipped up and lost your newly created habits, be it gym attendance, masjid attendance, reduction in the number of swear words you allow to pass your lips etc. Pray about it, commit the issue to Allah . Make yourself accountable to a Muslim of the same sex (i.e. not your wife or husband though they should know you are doing it and who with), not to revel in it but to genuinely seek Allah ’s Will on the matter. Ask him/her to commit to doing dua for you too and be patient and steadfast.

Lastly, remember if you forget to take prescribed medicine it normally says on the instruction leaflet, not to take a double dose but rather resume the medicine again as soon as you remember or as soon as you can. This is what I encourage you to do when and if you should slip up. Commit to prayer, be patient with yourself and as soon as you can resume your normal “Ramadan” behaviour. For this is now you, not the man or woman before Ramadan but the one after!

So with these tips, prepare yourself to have a different but equally enriching post-Ramadan experience until the next one, In sha Allah.

P.S: Benefited from this article? Join our Productive Ramadan Online Course – a simple, practical and complete blueprint for leading a Productive Ramadan inshaAllah!

The post Maintaining the Spiritual High of Ramadan When You’re on Your Own appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.