“Allahu Akbar… Allahu Akbar…”

I hear the adhan through the windows of my office, and I see the pop up on my computer, “It’s time for dhuhr prayer.”

Few minutes earlier, I just started getting into the flow of my work and I don’t want the momentum to be lost. So I tell myself, “I still got 20 minutes until iqama time. Let me wrap this up and I will make it in time, in sha Allah.”

25 minutes later, I know salah started and I am frantically trying to send that last e-mail before rushing off to make a quick wudhu and join the prayers. I am late, again!

And this was not only for zuhr prayer, but for all 5 daily prayers: late for fajr because I woke up late, late for zuhr and ‘asr because of work, late for maghreb because of rush hour, late for ‘isha because of dinner!

And each time I was late, I felt bad, and told myself, “This is the last time I will ever be late!” And guess what? For the next salah, I was late again. In fact, I was the brother who seemed to have a permanent position in the last rows of every musalla/masjid I entered.

Initially, I was taking this lateness lightly. In fact, I fell into the classic trap of shaytaan and said to myself: “Alhamdulillah, brother, at least, you pray, and in the masjid as well! Masha Allah, how many brothers are out there who do not pray in the masjid, or pray at all!” But slowly I realised, this lateness was making an impact on my spirituality and character, and affecting my overall productivity.

Why being chronically late for salah is bad for you?

When you are always late for salah, it says a lot about you and your character. It shows that you lack discipline, internal strength, and integrity to be where you are supposed to be ‘on time’ for your most important appointments of the day, and you are not dependable.

No one likes to say about themselves that they are not dependable or lack discipline, but actions speak louder than words, and being late for salah is the first warning that you are on a slippery slope towards being chronically late in everything else in your life.

قالُ الحَسنُ البَصري:

إذَا هَانَت عَليكَ صَلاتك فَمَا الذي يَعـزُ عَليـكْ ؟!!

.بقدر ماتتعدل صلاتك تتعدل حياتك

ألم تعلم أن الصلاة اقترنت بالفــلاح …

“حي على الصــــــــلاة حي على الفـــلاح”،

، فكيف تطلب من الله التوفيق وأنت لحقه غير مجيب

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said:

“When salah is the least of your concerns, then what is your most important concern? As much as you fix your salah, your life will be fixed. Did you not know that salah was equated with Success: ‘Come to Prayer, Come to Success.’ How can you ask Allah for success when you are not responding to His right upon you?”

If you are wondering why there is a delay in your sustenance, in your marriage, in your work, in your health, look into your salah: are you delaying it?

Why are we late for salah?

When I started looking deeper into myself and asked myself why am I ALWAYS late for salah, it boiled down to 3 spiritual reasons and 3 practical reasons:

Spiritual reasons

1. Lack of understanding of who Allah is

My lateness for salah was, unfortunately, a sign that I had not understood who Allah is. I failed to comprehend His Power and Majesty. You probably have heard the cliche’ example of “If you are invited by the King or the President or the Prime Minister of a country, would you not attend in your best manners, best clothes, and very early? How come when Allah , the King of kings, invites us for salah, we do not take this invitation seriously?” I will go a bit deeper than this and say, ‘If we truly have faith in the unseen and have faith in the Messenger of Allah telling us that Allah wants us to meet Him 5 times every day in our salah, then we should take salah more seriously.’

2. Lack of appreciation of the gift of salah

It always fascinates me how salah is the ONLY OBLIGATION that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the Heavens during the Israa and Mir’aj journey. Every other obligation was revealed here on earth. It is as if Allah is sending the message that salah is so important that He wants to gift it personally to Prophet Muhamad and his Ummah. When we are late for salah, what does that tell us about our appreciation of this gift from Allah ?

3. Lack of knowledge of the relation between salah and rizq (sustenance)

 The number one excuse people (including myself) use for being late for salah is that they are chasing after their sustenance. You hear excuses such as “I have a meeting…”, “I have an important call…”, “I have a lecture…” etc.
What we fail to realise is that by delaying our salah and taking salah so lightly, the barakah is being removed from our sustenance even if we make material gain during the period we miss salah. Allah Ar-Razzaq says in the Qur’an:

“And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.”[Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verse 132]

Notice how Allah linked salah with seeking provision and He is promising us through these verses that if we pray and enjoin our families to pray, He will provide for us.

Practical reasons

1. Underestimating how long things will take

I used to have the wrong perception of time where I think it takes me 10 minutes to get to the masjid. But I forget to factor in the time it takes me to make wudhu, go downstairs, leave the office building, walk across to the masjid, and put my shoes away before finally entering the masjid. The time taken from the moment I leave my office till I get to the masjid is actually closer to 20 minutes and not 10 minutes!

2. Procrastination

A lot of times the reason why I am late for salah is that I procrastinate on a task earlier on those days or weeks. This procrastination then leads to impending non-negotiable deadlines that I have to meet and does not allow me to make it for salah on time.

3. Enjoying the ‘rush’

Deep down, I used to enjoy the ‘rush’ that the time between adhan and iqama provides. As soon as adhan goes off, I switch to laser sharp focus and I get a lot done in those 20 minutes, but of course, at the expense of salah.

How to break out of being chronically late for salah?

Being chronically late for salah is a pattern and the moment you understand how that pattern develops, you can make small tweaks in your daily life and mindset, and develop a new pattern that helps you make it to salah on time – every time. Below are the top 10 tips to break out of being chronically late for salah:

1. Own up to the problem

Admit you have a problem of being late. If you think you are OK, and that you should be applauded for just praying, then you will never take this lateness seriously. By realising that being late for salah is not what Allah or His Messenger love, it forces you to own up to the problem and want to do something about it.

2. Redefine punctuality as a matter of faith

We hear the verse from the Qur’an that says:

“…Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times”[Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 103]

Let us internalize it and make it part of our faith. Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you truly believe that Allah is calling you to meet Him?
Do you truly believe that salah is His gift for you?
Do you truly believe that success, sustenance, and barakah will come from praying on time?
If you do, then be punctual with your salah and show Allah that you are eager to meet Him.

3. Note the benefits of being on time for salah

Unfortunately for some people, they think it is a waste of time to be early for salah. They say, “What will I do? Just sit there and wait?” What they do not realise is the immense virtue of simply waiting for salah. I will mention three ahadith to inspire you:

1. Narrated ‘Abdullah :
I asked the Prophet “Which deed is the dearest to Allah ?” He replied, “To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times.” [Bukhari]

2. Narrated Abu Huraira :
Allah’s Apostle said, “The angels keep on asking for Allah’s Blessing and Forgiveness for anyone of you as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place) and does not do Hadath (passing wind). The angels say, ‘O Allah! Forgive him and be Merciful to him.’ Each one of you is in the prayer as long as you are waiting for the prayer and nothing but the prayer detains you from going to your family.” [Muslim]

3. Narrated Abu Huraira :
The Prophet said: “If the people knew the reward for the zuhr prayer in its early time, they would race for it. If they knew the reward for the ‘isha and the fajr prayers in congregation, they would join them even if they had to crawl. If they knew the reward for the first row, they would draw lots for it.” [Bukhari]

4. Stop work at adhan

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“So woe to those who pray [but] those who are heedless of their prayer” [Qur’an: Chapter 107, Verses 4-5]

This verse is a stern warning for those of us who pray but are heedless of their prayers and do not give it its due attention. The safe thing to do, when you hear the adhan or you know it is time for salah, is to get ready for it and answer the call of Allah .

5. Shoot to arrive 5-15 minutes early

I explained in a previous post about how I wake 45 minutes early before Fajr regardless of the season. The same principle I now apply for other daily prayers. I had set an alarm 30 minutes before when I am supposed to leave for the masjid and that gives me 30 minutes to wrap up whatever I am doing and get to the masjid 5-15 minutes early.

6. Time yourself

One of the ways that helped me understand how long it truly takes me to get from my office to the masjid, was to use a timer. So I will press start on a timer as soon as I leave my office and press stop when I enter the masjid. This gives me an accurate door to door estimation of how long it takes me to get to the masjid and I build that into my schedule. If you do this exercise you will be surprised at how the little things add up and end up delaying you without you even realising.

7. Keep things at specific places

One of the biggest reasons people end up late is they misplace something they need before going out. Could be their keys, wallet, handbags, etc. Do not fall for this and keep things at a particular place and leave important things (keys, wallet etc.) by the door that you are not wasting time trying to find them and ending up waiting for salah.

8. Keep a salah clock in around the house

To inspire your family to always pray on time and not delay salah, purchase one salah wall clock and have it somewhere centrally in the house. Train your children when they hear the adhan from this clock (especially if they do not live close to a masjid) to drop what they are doing and get ready for salah.
And this is a note to parents: If your kids see you are careless about salah and do not drop what you are doing to get ready for it when the adhan goes off, guess what the children will learn!

9. Plan your life around salah

All the aforesaid tips boil down to planning your life around salah. What I recommend my coaching clients to do is to block time out for salah in their calendars and set a 30-minute reminder before each one. This way they will not accidentally place a meeting or a call or an errand during salah time and end up delaying salah. As we say on ProductiveMuslim:

“Plan your life around salah and not the other way around!”

10. Do not put anything between you and salah

I learned this from a scholar who said that his teacher told him never to place anything between him and salah. What this means is that you should not place an errand or a task or somebody between you and salah. The moment the adhan goes off, do not say ‘I will pass by the groceries and then head out to salah’ or ‘I will send this e-mail and then I will pray’ or ‘I will beat the rush hour traffic then I will pray.’ Do not place anything between you and salah. This is the guidance of the Prophet who would be with his family helping them and serving them, but when the adhan is called, he would proceed for salah.

‘Aishah was asked: “What did Messenger of Allah used to do inside his house?” She answered: “He used to keep himself busy helping members of his family, and when it was the time for salah (the prayer), he would get up for prayer.” [Bukhari]

The tips in action

“Allahu Akbar… Allahu Akbar…”

I hear the adhan through the windows of my office, and I see the pop up on my computer, “It is time for zuhr prayer.”

I stop what I am doing because I already had a 30-minute head start to wrap up, go make wudhu and head to the masjid. I arrive 10 minutes early, pray the sunnah prayers, make dua, and read the Qur’an. I pray in jama’a in the first row, and sit after salah to complete the athkar, and pray the sunnah prayers. I come back to the office refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for another productive session at work.

What a difference from my rushed, and late salah!

Final note

Here is a thought I always keep in mind to push me to go early for salah: Prophet Muhammad taught us that on the Day of Judgement when the people of Heaven enter Heaven, and the people of Hell enter Hell, there will be a special day every week (Friday according to most hadith) where people of heaven will be called to meet Allah . On that Day, we will be sitting in rows and speaking to Allah . But the interesting bit is: How close you are to Allah on that Day, i.e. which row you will be sitting at, depends on how early you used to go for Jumuah.

It was narrated that ‘Alqamah said: “I went out with ‘Abdullah to Friday (prayer), and he found three men who arrived before him. He said: ‘The fourth of four, and the fourth of four is not far away. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “On the Day of Resurrection people will gather near Allah according to how early they came to Friday (prayer), the first, second, and third.’” Then he said: ‘The fourth of four, and the fourth of four is not far away.’” [Ibn Majah]

Those who are always keen to be in the first rows of the masjid for Jumuah will be the closest to Him on the day Allah meet people of the Heaven. Now think about it this way: If throughout the week, you’ve been practicing with the 5 daily prayers to be there early and on-time, don’t you think it’d be easier for you to be early for Jumuah?

So next time when you are tempted to be late for salah (especially for Jumuah), ask yourself: Am I willing to fall further and further behind in the rows on that Day when there will be nothing sweeter or more special than being closer to Him?

May Allah make us all of those who are in the front rows in this life and the next.

What are your tips for always being early to salah? Share them with us in the comments!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Never be late again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged by Diana DeLonzor

Want to take it to the next level? Check out The Productive Muslim Masterclass.

The post How Being Chronically Late for Salah Affects Your Productivity & What to Do About It appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

You anticipate the excitement of the game. You take time out from homework, sport, TV, friends and gadgets for long periods of time. You turn all of your attention towards conquering the levels and hidden stages of the game. As the game progresses, it becomes more intense but you acquire more skills that help you deal with the pressure: you can judge better when the enemy is advancing and you are quicker to hold your shield up. The enemy is strong but you are stronger and finally the screen lights up, “CONGRATULATIONS” you have won.

You are drained from focusing all your energy on defeating the bad guy, but you are elated to have achieved an impressive success.
My dear students, let’s now change the FOCUS. I propose a challenge to you this Ramadan. A 30-day challenge in which you will face enemies, stumble over booby traps, push yourself, find the bonus prizes and special powers, and your reward will be eternal.

Are you ready?

So here it goes….

Game On

The month of Ramadan is a testament to the human spirit, our relative weaknesses and our untapped potential. It is only when you acknowledge your task that you can begin to prepare for it. You have  to evaluate what you are capable of, how much time and potential you waste, how strong you are emotionally, physically and mentally. Before you embark upon Ramadan, you must read, discuss and research this month.

1. Prepare yourself

• Begin the month with good intention and with an attitude geared towards positive thinking.

The Prophet Muhammed said:

“When the month of Ramadaan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained.” [Al – Bukhari].

• Detox your life of all your gadgets for this month. No video games, apps or gadgets allowed for the next 30 days. This challenge has only one participant: you, and only one enemy: your nafs.
• The hidden booby traps have already been laid down by shaytaan, even though he is not actively participating in this challenge. Booby traps will come in the forms of bad company, peer pressure, idle talk and procrastination. But Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere.
• When you feel as though you are faltering, keep in mind that Allah always wants what’s best for you.

Just as He promises in the Qur’an:

“Allah intends ease for you and does not intend for you hardship and (wants) for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.”  [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 185]

2. Become Allah conscious

• Establish punctuality in salah. Salah keeps us aware of the Almighty constantly because the next salat is only hours away. It is a mechanism that will keep us aware of our actions.
• The taraweeh salah is a gift that is given this month. Obtain maximum spiritual benefit from being punctual for the salah.

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

3. Develop a relationship with Allah and the Qur’an

This part of the challenge is where you develop special skills and abilities.

The Qur’an is the timeless speech of Allah . It is a study guide for life and death and what comes after. It provides us with lessons and precious stories so that we may better understand and relate.

Aim to memorise something of the Qur’an and to understand and reflect upon its meanings.

“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah . Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Qu’ran: Chapter 13, Verse 28].

Use the times spent commuting and during breaks at school to maximise your reward by making dhikr. Adopt your favourite dhikr for the month and push yourself to increase recitation everyday.

Remember, you are competing only with yourself. Ponder over 3 of Allah ‘s attributes each day. By the end of the 30 days you will have reflected upon the 99 names of Allah and how it is so apparent in our lives.

4. Get out of your comfort zone

Sahl Ibn Sa’d reported that the Prophet said, “The one who cares for an orphan and myself will be together in paradise like this”, and he held his two fingers to illustrate. [Al – Bukhari]

I challenge you to not just feed the poor, but to eat with the orphans as well. Choose a weekend to visit the local orphanage and spend your time in the path of Allah . It’s about eating together, not just feeding the other. It’s about empathy, not just sympathy. Try to make it a sharing of food that is inspired by fasting.

5. Follow the path proven to be successful

The Prophet Muhammad is the only hero worth imitating. Inculcate a sunnah into your life. Practise it until it becomes a part of your routine; a part of who you are.

“Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur’an: Chapter 3, Verse 31]

6. The last stretch

As you reach the last ten nights of Ramadan, you become physically weaker but spiritually stronger. Persevere because the best is yet to come. Your bonus lies in this challenge:  Laylatul Qadr. Seek this night with eagerness and patience.

The Prophet said, “Whosoever performs Qiyam during Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), with Faith and being hopeful of Allah’s reward, will have his former sins forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Game Over!

Your 30-day challenge has come to an end. Raise your hands in dua, convinced that Allah is pleased with you and will accept your ibadah. Take heed of the advice of the Prophet Muhammed ,

“The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication (in this state”. [Sahih Muslim].

Realise that in the fight between you and your nafs, you have won and it is this battle which will lead you to the highest statuses with The King of kings, Allah !

So, are you up for the challenge? Let us know your thoughts and plans in the comments section.

The post A Teacher’s Ramadan Challenge for Students appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

1. Be passionate

I mean it: be passionate! In whatever you do. Imagine you are handing over the best gift you have in your hands to someone who needs it. Wouldn’t you want to wrap it up beautifully and show them every aspect of its perfection in the most beautiful manner so that when they receive it, they’d want to cherish it all their lives?

As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, each one of us is uniquely created to serve Allah’s religion in our own ways. Look at His creation: from the sun that provides light and warmth, to the stars that beautify the sky and give direction, to the tiniest of microbes that decompose waste; every single thing He created serves a unique and different purpose. So do we. If our presence in this world didn’t have any significant reason, we wouldn’t have been created. There is this fire within each one of us when it comes to working for the sake of Allah , and some of us have yet to discover it. Discover that passion within you, and don’t let anything extinguish it!

Our spirituality is driven by understanding and living our purpose. Living our purpose is what drives our closeness to Allah in the form of some solid contribution. And it could be anything. For a mother who is so busy taking care of her children, her contribution may be her kids. For a writer, it may be his authorship. For an artist, it may be his creative expression which inspires the Muslim youth. For a public speaker, it could be his motivational talks. For a good event manager, it could be arranging events, programs and seminars. Living your purpose can manifest itself in different ways but it must come out.

Practical tips to get started

In addition to discovering your potential, find out what the need of the hour is for those around you by identifying the problems the community around you is facing (economically, Islamically, ethically, educationally, etc.) and what you can do about it based on your skills and resources.

If you need people with certain expertise that you don’t have, then form a team of passionate people with potential and watch your community grow, inshaAllah!

If there are organizations and projects already running around you, then wait no more and join them in whichever way you can and start raking in the reward.

2. Take it seriously

But it’s just volunteer work! No, it’s not. Allah pays you.

Allah says:

“For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra..” [Qur’an: Chapter 10, Verse 26]

You are doing the best of jobs. Do it in the best of ways, always aiming to gain the best of rewards: to see His face!

And Allah says:

“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed..” [Qur’an: Chapter 67, Verse 2]

Aim to excel in everything that you do. Ihsaan (excellence) is a state of faith wherein the slave of Allah worships Allah as if He can see Allah and if he can’t see Him, then He knows that Allah sees him [RiyadhusSalihin]. You may be accountable to your leader while working, but you’re also accountable to Allah for your responsibility. Picture Allah asking you to present how you did your work such that He can reward you. You wouldn’t want any compromise in His reward and so you wouldn’t want to slack off in your deeds.

Take responsibility and commitment seriously (even in the smallest of tasks) and fulfill it to your maximum capability. This also means taking up only that which is within your capability and not overburdening oneself. Even before the Prophet Muhammad was chosen as a Messenger of Allah , he was a hardworking person. It was these qualities of his that earned him the respect and admiration of Khadijah , who later proposed to him because of all the merits and virtues she saw in him.

Practical steps to reach higher levels of ihsaan:

• Use reminders: Have something (bookmarks, post-it notes, desktop background, etc.) to remind you of the importance of ihsaan everyday.
• Maintain punctuality: Use tools and apps to make sure you make it on time to meetings or meet your work deadlines.
• Write down your tasks: Keep aside about 15 minutes daily or one hour weekly to review all your previous tasks. Go back to them and be the judge of your own work. Ask from people who would know better in order to learn to make it better if you need to. In the long run, this will take you far! If you don’t write it down, you cannot review it at the end.
• Do not take up more work than you can handle. 
• Seek refuge from laziness every morning and evening just like the Prophet did:
  ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sadness, grief, helplessness, laziness, being stingy, overwhelming debt, and the overpowering of men.’ [Tirmidhi]
• Ask Allah to help you perform your deeds with excellence:
  ‘My Lord, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and to perform Your worship in the best manner.’ [Sunan an-Nasai]
• Remember: Allah loves that if any of you does a task, he does it with perfection.

3. Take care of yourself

Sometimes people get so active in projects or organisations that they don’t have time to eat, sleep well, or even pray or worship properly. Our beautiful religion doesn’t encourage extremism such that we play a major role in one part of our lives and a diminished role in the rest. Maintaining balance is the essence of being a productive Muslim.

Focus on simultaneous self-growth in all areas: mental, spiritual, health, knowledge and character.

Physically:

• Eat only what you need. Practice the sunnah of eating [ibn Majah]. And for some of you, don’t forget to eat!
• Exercise regularly: Make it your priority despite your busy schedule. A 20-minute cardio workout after fajr goes a long way in making you feel happy and healthy and light, not only all day but also for the rest of your life! Finding a hobby like badminton, basketball or simply walking helps too! Build an effective personal exercise program for yourself!
• Sleep early and work in the wee hours of the morning. Allah mentions that He has created the night for rest [Surah an-Naba’] and the Prophet made dua’ to Allah to bless his ummah in the morning hours. Make the best of this! Pulling an all-nighter may help you get done with your work temporarily, but in the long run is stressful for the mind and body. You may give up and feel constant tiredness if your body doesn’t rest well in its appropriate time. Take it from someone with first-hand experience.
• A healthy body and mind helps you remain focused in all aspects of life with a lighter heart and reduces stress to unimaginable levels. And the point is, when you’re working for the sake of Allah, you shouldn’t be stressed!

Mentally:

• Read and reflect on the most beautiful speech, the Qur’an. Try memorizing one two verses and reciting them in prayer as well, if possible. It’s a good exercise for the brain (and heart).
• Be clear of your goal. Only then you can have a clear mind as to how to exhibit it. Write things down to sort it out, be it reflections, journaling or just day-to-day tasks. Having a clear and less chaotic mind is a blessing to be efficient in work life.
• Say ‘I don’t know’ when you don’t. Realize we are empty vessels in this vast ocean of knowledge and focus on filling that vessel as much as you can as humbly as you can.
• Stay up-to-date with world news (especially with relation to Muslims). You can’t help the ummah if you don’t know what’s happening to it. Think critically about the happenings of the world.

Spiritually:

My favorite teacher, Yawar Baig, taught me this beautiful example of the importance of attending to ourselves first:

“The ship can only move in the sea, but if the sea comes to the ship, it will sink. Ensure you repair all leaks via Salah. Personal piety is your battery charger. If you are not ready to spend time alone with Allah , then you are not ready to work for His religion.”

Allah has given us so many ways to purify our souls and mentions:

“He has succeeded who purifies it (the soul)” [Qu’ran: Chapter 91, Verse 9]

Tip: Make your life revolve around Salah by praying on time. Continuously cleanse the heart with the Qu’ran (by reading or listening to it constantly). If we are not ready to work on ourselves, we are not ready to work for the community.
Struggling with Fajr? Here’s an amazing app that’ll help you to never miss fajr, in sha Allah.

4. Maintain a healthy balance

It isn’t impossible to maintain a balance between work/school life, family life and social life as long as one remains focused, since time is essential. Who is a better example than the Prophet !

• Follow the ProductiveMuslim ‘MIT’ (Most Important Tasks’) tip to manage your priorities weekly, monthly and daily.
• Break down your day into four parts and pay attention to each: spirituality, academic/career/business/household, contribution to the community and personal development.
• The key is in writing it all down, maintaining a task list and checking off each task as it’s done and seeing that calendar completely scribbled with accomplished tasks at the end of the month, to your satisfaction.
• Do your work one task at a time with full focus and dedication. The Prophet never multitasked.

5. Display volunteer work ethics

Exhibit good akhlaq (character)

“Nothing is placed on the Scale that is heavier than good character. Indeed the person with good character will have attained the rank of the person of fasting and prayer.” [Tirmidhi]

Tip: Aim to set an example. Pushing yourself to set an example automatically pushes you to be a better person too.

Ethics of communication

How we communicate with our team members says a lot about how much we respect them and the project we’re in. Use a humble and respectful tone and choice of words while communicating. Make it a habit to have good assumptions of your colleagues. Umar said:

 

“Do not think badly of a word uttered by your brother, when you can find a good interpretation for it.”

When I was young, I was taught that the Prophet said that if anyone amongst us errs, then to make seventy excuses for them in order to think good about them. Only after making this a practice, I learnt that this isn’t an authentic narration. Nevertheless, the practice of giving seventy excuses to people when you find something wrong in them, really helps in maintaining a cool temper and preserving relationships. It also exhibit good akhlaq (character) which is one of the traits of a believer.

Conduct shura (consultation)

Make it a practice to conduct shura when working in a team.

Allah says:

“And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 38]

Shura is to take sincere opinions into consideration seriously. In other words, you are open to other ideas and haven’t yet made up your mind. It also involves exchanging thoughts with the knowledge that maybe what you had in mind isn’t the best and what others offer may be better or a combination of the two can be worked out.

If there are disagreements, then voice your opinions/principles and stand up for them based on your knowledge. Voice them wisely without offending anyone. That is quite hard to do, but remember that if your opinion/suggestion is taken, then you are held responsible for it. Bear this in mind and think carefully before offering it.

Maintain restraint when dealing with the opposite gender

Sigh. Where can I start. I’d just say keep in mind one important thing: protect your heart. Our human self is prone to err. And Allah has said that He has created man weak (in desires):

“..and mankind was created weak.” [Quran: Chapter 4, Verse 28]

No matter how religious or how safe one may think he or she is, they are prone to fall into error if they don’t pay heed to the laws set by Allah when it comes to dealing with the opposite gender.

• Keep purifying the heart with the remembrance of Allah such that it will warn you and guide you when you need it.
• Working for the sake of Allah , The Most Honorable, is such a dignified, honorable deed; you don’t want to demoralize it with unacceptable behavior. Allah says not to even go near zina (adultery) [Qur’an: Chapter 17, Verse 32]. The tafsir of this verse explains that it means not just staying away from the act of adultery but to stay away from any form or means that would lead to it in any way. Working for the sake of Allah means you are representing Islam and the Prophet says:“Every religion has its distinct characteristic, and the distinct characteristic of Islam is modesty.” [Ibn Majah]
• When the conversation ends professionally, end there. Shaytan is always there to lure us in ways we might not even know. Because the shaytan cannot trap you with neglecting  obligatory deeds like  prayers because you take care of them, he gets you to think you are still working for the sake of Allah even when you unnecessarily hang around with the opposite gender, while in reality it is towards the displeasure of Allah . Be honest with yourself: stop and move away when you feel your heart saying you should leave.
• Segregation is highly efficient when it comes to a mixed group working together; have a female head for female volunteers and a male head to communicate with male volunteers, if possible.
• Set timings for receiving/sending calls and messages from non-Mahram men/women.
• Don’t ruin all your good deeds after a well done project by partying and forgetting the ethics between opposite genders. Celebrate and appreciate the hard work and effort, but within limits of the shari’ah. There’s no better way than choosing to celebrate by praying and asking Allah’s acceptance.
• There is plenty of wisdom behind Allah’s command of lowering our gaze. Try it and find how much peace it gives to the heart.
• Read and learn the stories of the past where our role models beautifully exhibit modesty in dealing with the opposite gender. For example, the story of Musa and the two girls who walked behind him and Aisha in her dealings with the scholars while teaching them etc. The Prophet  said:”Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term “Haya” covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith.” [Bukhari]
• Lastly, remember that any Islamic project can only be successful if it is run according to Islamic guidelines and nothing else.

Respect other organizations and projects

We need to have respect for all kinds of good work. We need to actively show support for organizations that have different purposes and objectives from ours. Islamic projects and organisations these days are divided sometimes due to one of these two reasons: differences in opinions and/or competition and business.

When it comes to disrespect due to differences of opinion, at the end of the day even the companions of the Prophet had differences of opinion among themselves, including in the interpretation of the Qur’an. There would be a verse which in the opinion of Ibn Abbas would mean one thing and in the opinion of another companion like Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud would mean something slightly different. But they loved and respected each other. Respecting differences of opinion is a trait every volunteer should have to avoid becoming self-righteous and arrogant.

As for vying with each other like competitors, remember that working for the sake of Allah is a team effort and not individual competition. Help out wherever you can as long as you’re being efficient in your own work/project as well.

6. Battle negativity

Don’t let anything pull you down, be it in terms of motivation, low self-esteem, or poor results. Always remind yourself of what an honor you are carrying on your shoulders by working for the sake of Allah !

“And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.” [Qur’an: Chapter 41, Verse 33]

Get creative with your intentions

If what you’re doing seems insignificant, then magnify it with your intentions.

For example, if you’re just distributing flyers everyday tirelessly, then wake up today thinking of that one person who will attend the event because you handed over a flyer to them, then he/she benefits from the event, goes home changed, gets married and raises a good generation which teaches and benefits another generation and beyond! Tell Allah now that you want all that reward to be recorded for yourself and just imagine the amount of reward piling up for you just by a single, sincere, expansive intention!

This way, you will never get bored of what you’re doing and you’ll only want to keep doing more. Even the smallest of deeds will be exciting.

7. Be a good leader

The companions of the Prophet never coveted leadership but when they were given that, they did their best. If you’re in a leadership position in any volunteering organization:

• Respect your and your team’s time.
• Be motivating and remind your team of their purpose always.
• Respect people who say ‘no’ for a valid reason.
• Be a role model for your team. Your teamwork is a reflection of your enthusiasm.
• Recognize potential in people and give them opportunity to grow.
• Don’t shun away people who don’t think alike. Leadership is also about being able to work in harmony with those you don’t like too!
• Prioritize your team’s growth and development.
• Keep planning ahead and keep the team moving and updated. Take shura to make the team feel involved.
• Correct one another when needed, with wisdom; and forgive mistakes. Always allow room for improvement – that’s the purpose of constructive criticism.
• The energy of the leader is what is reflected by the team. No matter what stress you may or may not be going through behind the screens, it is important to display enthusiasm, high spirits, and passion in what you do and the team will follow.
• Keep your focus on the ultimate goal.

8. Walk the talk

We’ve heard the ‘practice what you preach’ statement a lot of times. Have we made sure we only say that which we practice? It’s not what you say, it’s what you do that matters. Aisha said about the Prophet that he was the walking Qur’an!

Allah says:

“O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” [Qur’an: Chapter 61, Verses 2-3]

Everything we do; be it a creating a website, program, event, course material for Islamic seminars or even a simple Facebook status or tweet for Islam, will be a witness either for or against us on the Day of judgement. Be mindful. May Allah help us be sincere.

9. Don’t worry about results

Even the Prophet , the best of mankind, was told that he couldn’t harm or benefit anyone except if Allah willed. Then imagine us. Whatever we do is of benefit only if He wills.

So leave results to Allah . Keep seeking His help for success. Renew your intentions and keep going! Remember: It is Allah who runs the show!

Now, give yourself a pat on the back! No really, I mean it. Appreciate yourself and your coworkers, of course only to a healthy limit. Some of us simply fail to recognize the potential within us and settle for less simply because we look up to everyone else but ourselves. So appreciate yourself for whatever effort you did sincerely be it small or big, because a little appreciation goes a long way in motivating you to do and dream further! Stay tuned for more on that in the next article, In sha Allah.

Are you an active volunteer working for the sake of Allah ? Share your thoughts on how your experience has been so far and how others can reap maximum benefit out of being volunteers.

The post [When You Work for Allah’s Sake – Part 2] How to Reap Maximum Benefit and Reward When You Volunteer appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.