Note: The standard openings and closings of a Khutba are not included, assuming that Khateebs are familiar with these elements.

Introduction

Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an:

“God decrees that there are twelve months—ordained in God’s Book on the Day when He created the heavens and earth—four months of which are sacred: this is the correct calculation. Do not wrong your souls in these months- though you may fight the idolaters at any time, if they first fight you—remember that God is with those who are mindful of Him.”

(9:36)

• Many of us may have memorized the names of the Islamic months when we were kids, or taught our own children the song that lists out all the Islamic months. 
• Over time though, we forget—how many of us can confidently list the 12 Islamic months in order, the 4 sacred months, and also which month it is?
• This is because aside from a few important dates like Ramadan, Eid, Arafah, and Ashurah—the Islamic calendar doesn’t play much of a role in our lives other than as a cultural artifact.

Reconnecting ourselves with the Islamic calendar can be a way of also reconnecting ourselves to Allah and following the sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). 

Following the Islamic calendar is a form of worship, and facilitates worship

Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an:

“He is the One Who made the sun a radiant source and the moon a reflected light, with precisely ordained phases, so that you may know the number of years and calculation ˹of time˺. Allah did not create all this except for a purpose (haqq). He makes the signs clear for people of knowledge”.

(10:5)

Expounding on ḥaqq, al-Qurṭubī (d. 671 AH) states: “Allah did not intend to create the moon except with wisdom and accuracy, as a means to display His creation and wisdom, as evidence for His will and knowledge, and to reward all those who follow it.” Ibn ʿAṭīyah (d. 541 AH) defined al-dīn al-qayyim as “the law of God and following it.” Thus, the scholars did not view use of the Islamic calendar merely as a tool to measure time, but also as a form of worship¹.

• We usually find ourselves making good preparations for Ramadan. When it comes to the fasting of Arafah or Ashurah however, many times we are caught completely off guard that those important days are coming. It’s usually not until the Juma before if the khateeb mentions it that we then quickly make plans to fast on those days. 
• Reconnecting with the Islamic calendar allows us to plan for those days and other important events like the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah the same way we might plan for important holidays or breaks on the Gregorian calendar. 
• Simply knowing when the sacred months are can help us earn more good deeds when we make the intention of doing more because of being in a sacred month. Ibn Abbas (ra) said, ‘In all (twelve) months, Allah then chose four out of these months and made them sacred, emphasising their sanctity, making sinning in them greater, in addition to multiplying the rewards of righteous deeds during them’. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
• The Prophet (ﷺ) gave a sermon during his hajj and said: Time has completed a cycle and assumed the form of the day when Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year contains twelve months of which four are sacred, three of them consecutive, viz. Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram and also Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumadah and Sha’ban.²
• While Ramadan has special blessing, it is not the only month in which there is extra Barakah. Reconnecting ourselves to the Islamic calendar equips us to seek that. 

Following the Islamic calendar allows us to fulfill sunnah actions we might otherwise ignore

• The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to command us to fast the days of the white (nights): thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the month. He said: This is like keeping perpetual fast.³ We can only follow this sunnah consistently if we are following the Islamic calendar.
• It is a sunnah to go out and look for the new moon for the month, and there is even a dua associated with it—at the sight of the new moon (of the lunar month), the Prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate: “Allahumma ahillahu ‘alaina bil-amni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, Rabbi wa Rabbuk-Allah, Hilalu rushdin wa khairin (O Allah, let this moon appear on us with security and Iman; with safety and Islam. (O moon!) Your Rubb and mine is Allah. May this moon be bringing guidance and good).”⁴
• Tracking the monthly cycles of the moon (and thus the Islamic calendar) also gives us the ability to truly practice upon the ayaat of the Qur’an that push us to reflect on the cycles of the moon, and how perfectly they move in orbit. 

Distancing us from an Islamic identity is a trick of Shaytan to misguide

Of the characteristics of those who are misguided are:

“Those who prefer the life of this world over the life to come, who turn others from God’s way, trying to make it crooked: such people have gone far astray.”

(14:3)

• One of Shaytan’s biggest tricks is to make people feel that anything aligned to guidance is somehow backwards, or unsophisticated (i.e. to make it appear crooked). 
• Alignment to a Gregorian calendar can be considered easier, and even more conducive to business. We should stop and ask ourselves why we are willing to accept another calendar as superior, or willing to compromise to make it easier for others rather than the other way around. 
• We look to convenience but we ignore the cost—what are the consequences of following a Gregorian calendar? It forces us into a consumer mentality that encourage us to constantly spend to mark occasions—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and on and on. 
• Contrast that with the impact of following a calendar that forces you to consider your acts of worship, when to increase your fasting, when to increase your good deeds, when to increase your recitation of the Qur’an, when to plan for Hajj, and so on. 
• It may seem like a small act, but following an Islamic calendar in our personal lives is a way to reject the secular and reclaim the Divine. 

Conclusion

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

“Know that whoever revives a tradition from my Sunnah if it has died out after me, he will have a reward like those who act upon it without diminishing any of their rewards. Whoever innovates a misguided heresy not pleasing to Allah and His messenger, he will have a sin like those who act upon it without diminishing any of the people’s burdens.”

Sahih Muslim

• While some may ask what’s the point, or if it is even worth the hassle, we should know that there is immense reward in reviving any sunnah of the Messenger (ﷺ). 
• We can reconnect ourselves to the Islamic calendar in numerous ways—putting one up in the house, changing our phone display to show a Hijri calendar, or even going out regularly to look for the new moon each month. 
• When we reconnect ourselves, our families, and our communities to the Islamic calendar, we all can play a role in reviving this special sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). 

1. The Months Ordained by Allah: Reviving the Islamic Calendar ︎
2. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1947 ︎
3. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2449 ︎
4. https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:1228 ︎

Acknowledgement

You can follow Omar’s work at http://ibnabeeomar.substack.com. To invite him to conduct Khateeb and public speaking training in your community please visit https://www.ibnabeeomar.com/speaking.

The post #GoHijri Friday Sermon appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ 
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ 
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ 

We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure—who say, when struck by a disaster, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” They are the ones who will receive Allah’s blessings and mercy. And it is they who are ˹rightly˺ guided.

(Quran 2: 155-157)

My father, Abdullah Rubeya Faris, passed away last Thursday on the 5th of Sha’baan 1445H (15th February 2024).

To Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives, and everything has its time.

This has been a long and difficult journey for him and for our family that started with a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2005, then increased in intensity in the last 12 months with his loss of mobility and a rollercoaster of medical emergencies until he reached his final breath last Thursday, and was buried after Jumuah prayers the next day.

When someone dies, we often reflect on their legacy and the life lessons they parted with us. And alhamdulillah, I learned so much from my dad – especially his mannerisms and kind conduct with people. However, in this article, I wanted to reflect on his death. I learned so much in this last year from him and the dying process that I want to capture these lessons firstly for myself and my family and secondly impart beneficial knowledge to any child or caregiver as they care for a dying parent, spouse, relative, or friend.

1. This is Jannah

About a year ago, my dad fell on the steps of a masjid as he was going for Isha prayer in his hometown of Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. That fall led to a host of medical complications, a move to Dubai for treatment, and making him wheelchair-bound and in need of constant care.

During the initial days after his fall, a dear family friend turned to me and said, “This is Jannah.. what you’re doing is Jannah.. don’t let go of it… stay close to your dad”. 

It was this reminder that flipped the situation for me from one of pain/loss to one of opportunity to get closer to Allah SWT. 

This reminder kept ringing in my ears as the difficulties increased over the next several months.

2. Preparing myself spiritually

When my father first fell, I had a feeling that the end was near. I called my dear friend and scholar, Sh. Khalil Abdur-Rashid, the Muslim chaplain at Harvard University for advice and spiritual counseling, here’s what he said:

1. This is a blessing from Allah that you can make it and be with your father in his final days. So, first and foremost, you should thank Allah for this blessing.
2. This is not easy, but this is part of Allah’s mercy. You can shed tears, but don’t despair.
3. Think about what you want to say to him and take advantage of these moments to say what you want to say
4. Ask him for advice on how to live life, and listen and take the advice for the rest of your life, and pass it on to your children.
5. Get his wishes and advice on how property should be handled, how his body is to be treated, and where to be buried. How should we carry on as a family after him? What Sadaqat to give. Record these wishes! 
6. In the final moments, hold his hand and say La ilaha illa Allah. This is a time when angels are descending – you’re in the company of angels. Don’t fear, and don’t be Sad. You’ll see your dad in different spiritual states. You’ll say your words of inspiration, and he’ll say his word. This is an incredible and humbling experience
7. This is a time that’s also a reminder for you that your time is next. And start getting your affairs in order.
8. Your father will finally get what he wants in Jannah – it’s only a matter of time, as Allah promises the believers.
9. We are in a sacred time – the months of Rajab, Sha’baan, Ramadan, and then the Hajj months. A blessed time to pass away. 
10. Ask what Sadaqat he wants to give. Any debts he has? Any previous zakat? Salat? Fasting? Have these discussions sooner rather than later.

I can’t say I lived up to all the advice above, but I often re-read and reflected on his advice.

3. Days are long, but the year is short

“Reflection: the hardest thing about trials is not the initial shock or drama, the hardest thing about trials is the readjustment to a new reality and endurance to keep up with new reality” – A WhatsApp message I sent to my close circle of friends

You often hear that the days are long, but the years are short when raising children. I feel the exact phrase can be applied to a terminally ill parent who requires constant care and is given a bleak prognosis. 

The daily constant requirement of feeding, clothing, cleaning, carrying, and taking care of dad (most of it done by my mother, may Allah bless her), along with mood swings and physical/mental pain, makes you feel tired/exhausted all the time. 

Days bleed into weeks and months, and there’s a part of you that thinks, “Will this ever end/or get better?” and there’s a part of you that regrets thinking of that question and realizing that the end might be sooner than you think. 

You learn to embrace the present, stop thinking/worrying about the future, and just be thankful for one more day and breath.

4. Activating Surf-Mode

Surf-Mode Definition: when life throws crazy challenges at you that all you can do is ride the waves.

Facing my dad’s mortality felt like facing waves upon waves of challenges and trials. Sometimes, the trial is medical, financial, or mental. You can’t stop the waves coming; all you can do is ride them. 

Hence, I came up with the term “Surf Mode” to remind myself that instead of trying to ‘fight’ the waves, I should learn to ride each wave as it comes, no matter how big it gets. This emoji became my shorthand to my friends, telling them I was riding a new wave whenever they didn’t hear from me for a while.

5. Difficulties and Eases

“Verily, with difficulty comes ease.” (Quran: 94:5)

It’s easy to think that I lived a year of doom and gloom watching my father slowly fade.

However, the truth is that we witnessed Allah’s Lutf, gentleness, and ease throughout this trial. 

From finding the right care team to Allah sending us the right people to remind us to be patient when we are about to fall in despair, to mini-miracles happening along that way that could not be “coincidences.”

Appreciating the “khair” in this situation has been my north star – and perhaps I won’t understand the full extent of Allah’s favor upon us during these trying times until late in my life.

6. The Jihad of serving a dying parent

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), asking his permission to go out for Jihad. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him, “Are your parents alive?” He replied, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said to him, “Then your Jihad would be with them (i.e., in looking after them and being at their service.).” (Bukhari)

I have to admit – It wasn’t easy to care for Dad – and there were moments of frustrations and even, dare I say, resentment. 

Now I understand why the Prophet called serving parents in old age as a Jihaad and why the Quran said, “Don’t say Uff.” 

This is a message I sent to my PCM friends during this period:

“#RealTalk: Now that the “drama” of the hospital is behind us and we are entering the long-term care phase — I feel I’m being tested on this part of the verse… “say no word that shows impatience with them, and do not be harsh with them, but speak to them respectfully”…dad’s getting really frustrated with his condition and is overwhelmed with worry/anxiety and hence very sensitive/snappy… And Shaytaan is playing with my head and wants me to lose patience and utter the word “uff”…May Allah make it easy and keep our hearts pure.”

The year was a true Jihad against my nafs not to feel tired or resentful of the situation, a fight against my tongue not to express annoyance with dad’s constant demands. 

I reached low points that only Allah knows, but I came out of them by His mercy. 

May Allah forgive my shortcomings and accept the little I did for him – Ameen

7. Wanting to escape vs. being present

When someone is dying – depending on their circumstances – there’s a lot of waiting:

• Waiting for the doctor
• Waiting for a procedure to complete
• Waiting for the patient to eat, sleep, use the bathroom, etc
• Waiting for death

Our usual reaction when we’re waiting for something is to pull out our phones and scroll through social media or text our friends/check our emails.

But the day I found myself getting addicted to scrolling through pointless YouTube videos while dad was in pain, I knew that something was off, and I was trying to escape mentally from the situation. 

I realized that my nafs was not ready to be present to face dad’s mortality and the emotions that come with it; it wanted to distract itself with random Mr.Beast videos or “best goals of all time” highlights.

Over several weeks, I had to place strategies to fight this escapism, from deleting YouTube from my phone to forcing myself to read the Quran or do dhikr whenever I felt like escaping.

I wasn’t always successful, and sometimes I failed – but that was part of the Jihad. 

8. The Endurance Game 

Learning from my cycling/running hobbies, I realized that to stick to caring for dad for several months required endurance and not just sprints.

And the secret to endurance is learning how to fuel yourself and recover while putting in the effort.

Finding time to rest, sleep, eat, and even exercise was necessary to build long-term endurance for caregiving. 

Having said that, I couldn’t deny the guilt factor I felt whenever I went for a run or took a nap, knowing that dad was in pain or that my mom/brother was with dad instead of doing what they love. 

I had to deal with that guilt by reminding myself that part of caring for someone is ensuring that you take care of yourself and the care team so that we can all be there for the long haul. 

9. Having Difficult Conversations

One of the most challenging conversations to have with a dying person is what they’d like to happen after they die. 

From practical things like getting access to their bank accounts and knowing what assets/debts they have to their medical preference in critical situations. 

One of my friends recommended I take a pen/paper and have this conversation once. As painful as it would be, it’ll be done once, and you’ll be done with it.

For dad, we talked about his assets/debts, but we never reached the point of his Wassiyyah (will). This reminded me that we all need to have a clearly defined Wassiyyah (will) before we die – to make it easier for our inheritors to know precisely what to do instead of interpreting what needs to be done.

The advantage of having this conversation once is that once that’s done – you can spend the rest of the time talking about everything else but the difficult stuff. You can share memories, ask their advice on your plans, or be present in silent moments of contemplation.

10. Planning your life around a terminally ill person

When someone is dying, your time horizon fluctuates between a few hours to several months. 

Sometimes, things looked good for dad, and we were optimistic that he’d be around for several months, and sometimes, things looked critical that we weren’t sure he’d live for another day.

Trying to plan life around this fluctuating time horizon was so tricky.

Ultimately, I learned to embrace the gardener mindset and pray istikhara on every small/big decision since I had no idea what the future held and let things unfold on their own instead of trying to ‘control the situation.’

11. Allah provides as per your intention

Last Ramadan, I made a dua, “O Allah, facilitate the outer and inner means for me to serve my parents with Ihsaan.”

At that time, I was living in Dallas (Texas), my kids were in school, and my family and I were pretty set in the US. I wondered if I could ever leave all that to be with dad in Dubai for his treatment. But subhanAllah, Allah fulfilled means for me to be with him beyond my expectations. 

Initially, we planned to spend three months of summer with him, and then, depending on the situation, my family would return to Dallas while I stayed on.

However, a “random” call to a friend made me realize that I was eligible to apply for a 10-year residence visa, which meant I could rent an apartment, send my kids to school, and open a bank account locally.

Then there was a one-year contract that stalled for over a year, and that “suddenly” worked out, which enabled me to afford to live in Dubai for the year. 

All of this was unplanned and purely a gift from Allah.

Those were the outer means Allah facilitated, but the inner means were things like the ease and calm with which my family and I accepted the move and the contentment that this was the right decision to make, Alhamdulillah.

12. Keeping Intentions Pure for Allah’s sake

رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِى نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا۟ صَـٰلِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّٰبِينَ غَفُورًۭا 

Your Lord knows best what is within yourselves. If you are righteous, He is certainly All-Forgiving to those who constantly turn to Him. (Quran 17:25)

It’s one thing to set pure intentions, and another is to keep them pure.

When people were commending me for staying with my father, I recognized that this was a test, and my niyyah fluctuated with the situation. 

I kept asking myself: Was I truly doing this for Allah? Or just so people say, “Masha’Allah, Mohammed is sacrificing his time/life for his dad.”

Whenever I felt frustrated, I realized that my intentions weren’t pure. I had to push myself to purify the intention and accept this Jihad, no matter the consequences. 

13. Enduring Pain With Dhikr 

If there was one thing that was constant on my dad’s tongue during this whole year of trial.. it was his remembrance of God.

He kept calling to Allah through his pain; he would say “La ilaha illa Allah” often, send salawaat, recite some Quran when he was feeling better, and generally make dua asking Allah to forgive him or make it easy for him.

I remember my heart smiling whenever he made a dua or a remembrance – it reminded me of a story of a sheikh who was once asked when should doctors make a decision to turn off life support. And his response was, “Is there a chance the patient can make one tasbih? or one istighfar?”. 

Every tasbih, istighfar, and salaat my dad was able to make was a means of elevation alhamdulillah.

14. God Loves You

Death came to a man in the time of the Messenger of Allah; may Allah bless him and grant him peace. A man said, “He was fortunate,” as he had died without being tried by illness. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Alas for you, what will let you know that if Allah had tried him with illness, He would have wiped out his wrong actions.” Muwatta Malik

There was a stretch when dad felt good enough to attend Jumuah prayers in his wheelchair. After Jumuah, we would go around the park and get some sun and fresh air.

In one of these walks, a security guard who remembered dad from an earlier encounter came running to him and said: “God loves you a LOT… that’s why He’s testing you.” – it was the most beautiful reminder of the benefit of illness and trials despite the pain.

15. Dealing with constant worry

The burden of worry was shared by my family – from worrying about dad’s symptoms and overall condition to managing our finances with the mounting medical and care expenses. 

Amid a troubling period, I received this poem from a friend, which helped to keep my worries at ease:

“Some eyes stay awake, and some sleep,

Regarding matters that could be or not be.

As much as you can, keep worry away from the soul;

Weighing yourself down with worries is madness.

Your Lord sufficed you yesterday with what was;

He will suffice you tomorrow with what will be.”

(Imam Al-Shafii)

It’s true – every time I thought I was getting overwhelmed with worry (will he make it tonight? Can we afford a full-time nurse? Did the insurance get back to us)… Allah eased the worry and facilitated a way out.

16. The power of a mother/wife 

The rock in our family during this whole period was my mother. 

Although my brother and I tried our best to be with dad and help out, my mother set the high bar for what a loyal, caring, and dedicated wife can be.

From sleepless nights when she checked on dad every few hours to the selfless care she gave him.

She was so concerned about his cleanliness and physical well-being that she’d go the extra mile in things we thought were “trivial” for someone who was dying.

She would brush his teeth, cut his nails, give him a shower or warm bed bath (even when he didn’t want to), treat his skin with cream, oil his limbs, cook him multiple meals (half he refused because he didn’t feel like eating especially towards the end of his life), wash his clothes, sit with him and converse with him.

Her endurance and persistence were exemplary, and I’ll always admire her, and I pray that my siblings and I can provide the same care for her as she gets older, insha’Allah.

17. Making Tough Medical Decisions

One of the complex aspects of caring for a terminally ill person is balancing between medical interventions that would help someone stay alive and learning when to “let go” and not prolong the patient’s suffering.

I read a book a few years ago called “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” by Atul Gawande that helped with these decisions.

The key message of the book is a reminder that throwing medication and treatment at a dying person might be doing more harm than good. At some point, palliative (pain) management care is the best course of action for a peaceful and dignified death.

When you realize someone’s time is written, you start wondering how far do you want to go with medicine. If you can’t prolong life, then why prolong suffering? 

I often found myself going back to that book’s lessons and the central question the author was trying to address: “How do we make life worth living when we’re weak and frail and can’t fend for ourselves anymore?” 

We often grew up thinking that doctors can “fix it all” with some pills, surgeries, or a new piece of technology. Instead, I learned that death was humbling for us and everyone in the medical field. 

One of the toughest medical decisions we had to make as a family was to sign an “Allow for natural death” form. The form stated that the doctors believed no further treatment would help and that we accept the consequences. 

I felt that was the best medical decision we made.

18. The moment of death

One day I was researching “How does someone die” and I learned that people die in 4 stages: 

• Stage 1: social death: when a person retreats to his room or hospital bed and is unable to engage in social life
• Stage 2: psychological death: When a person’s personality changes, and goes through delirium, confusion, and the throes of death.
• Stage 3: biological death: when the organs start failing, and the body is unable to cope with the ‘system shut down.’
• Stage 4: Physiological death: this is the moment when the ruh leaves the body, and the person is pronounced dead.

I witnessed my dad go through the first 3 stages in the last few months, but I always wondered how the moment of death would happen – where would I be… what would I say… Last Thursday, I got my answers:

• At 3 pm, dad’s situation was getting critical, and I told my mom that we should spend the night at the hospital. So we decided to go home, have a quick bite, and rest a bit to prepare ourselves for a long, sleepless night.
• At 4 pm, my brother called me from the hospital saying that dad’s blood pressure and oxygen were dropping and we should rush back.
• At 4:30 pm, we reached the hospital, and we sat by dad’s side. Holding his hands, reciting Quran, doing athkar, and waiting…
• At 5:45 pm, I completed a khatam of the Quran next to His bedside and prayed for a beautiful end.
• At 6:10 pm, dad took three breaths.. and then he died.

This was the first time I witnessed someone dying this close.

It was a moment of awe and spiritual depth that doesn’t compare to anything I had experienced before, and I thank Allah SWT that He inspired us to say what pleased Him at that moment: 

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
To Allah, We Belong, and to Him, We Shall Return.

19. Personal Pain vs. Ummah Pain

Going through this journey with dad was a personal journey of pain and loss for me and my family.

However, while we were dealing with dad’s pain in the comfort of a home and hospital, I couldn’t help but feel the pain of our brothers and sisters in Gaza who don’t get a chance to care for their ill or give their dead a decent burial. 

I had a year to process that dad was dying and leaving us…many of our brothers and sisters had milliseconds as their children, parents, spouses, and relatives were blown to pieces by bombs dropped from the sky and sea.

Although this was a tough time for me and my family, it was even tougher for our Ummah.

The combination of witnessing death so close and witnessing the genocide happening in Gaza has fueled my desire to continue this work at Productive Muslim- for life is short, and the Ummah needs us to step up.

May Allah SWT make us a means of victory for our Ummah, and may Allah SWT use us and not replace us to save our brothers and sisters in Gaza and beyond.

The Journey Ahead and a moment of gratitude

I’m still processing my dad’s death…as I was telling my close friends “Alhamdulillah, I’m doing ok…not sure if it hasn’t hit me yet..or my grieving process started early..”

Despite the challenging year we endured – I’m thankful to Allah SWT that He guided us every step of the way.

I’m thankful for being part of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that taught us how to approach death, what to say and do at the moment of death, and how to treat and bury our dead with respect.

I’m thankful to my mother who showed us the meaning of sacrifice and loyalty.

I’m thankful to my brother, Rayyan, who was my thinking partner whenever we had to make tough decisions and for the many nights he stayed up while I went home to rest.

I’m thankful to my sister, Fatma, who was the spiritual rock in the family constantly reminding us to do good on behalf of my father.

I’m thankful to my wife, Farah, who eased my sacrifice and encouraged me to spend this year with my dad while she had to adjust to a new country and new surroundings.

I’m thankful to my children – who gifted my dad with so many smiles and laughter and gave me temporary relief from the burden of watching my father slowly die.

I’m thankful to my close network of advisors and friends who were there every step of the way, lending me a judgment-free space to rant, brainstorm, and express the ups and downs of my journey. I honestly couldn’t have asked for better friends.

I’m thankful to my extended family and dad’s network of close friends, who kept visiting us and showing us support.

Alhamdulillah. 

I pray Allah SWT grants my father Jannat ul firdaws for the patience he displayed and grants us all a good ending.

If you read this article and you benefitted from it – please pray for my father and if you want, please give sadaqah on his behalf.

JazakumAllah khair.

The post Lessons from a Dying Parent appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Normally, you’d use the classic Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks according to their importance and urgency. Anything important and urgent, you’ll try to get done first and then you’ll focus on important but not urgent before getting to the urgent but not important.

While the above tool is useful – however, it has two shortfalls:

1. Most important/urgent tasks are set to you by others (your boss, family, colleagues, etc). So you’re constantly reacting to the never-ending external demands on your time, leaving little room for activities you care deeply about that may not fit into other’s demands.
2. You constantly find yourself in firefighting mode, trying to get rid of urgent tasks and caught in the rat race of life – not having time for those impactful and meaningful projects that truly matter in the long run.

In our busy schedule, when do we have time to prioritize activities beyond the urgent and immediately important? When do we have time to prioritize tasks that align with our deepest intentions or have an impact beyond ourselves? 

Introducing The Intention-Impact Matrix

The intention-impact matrix is a conceptual tool we’ve developed at The Productive Muslim Company to help individuals align their tasks and actions with long-term impact and underlying intention. This is particularly aligned with our Barakah Culture approach to productivity.  

This tool encourages us to reflect on the deeper reasons for undertaking tasks and their potential impact instead of reacting simply to what’s urgent and important at the moment.

It’s a 2×2 matrix with intentions on the y-axis and impact on the x-axis. 

• Intentions can be high or low. Intentions are high when they are spiritually driven, hereafter focused, and sincerely for Allah SWT. Intentions are low when they are worldly-focused and ego-centered (I discuss this hierarchy of intentions in more detail in my book The Barakah Effect, order here).
• Impact can be high or low. Impact is high when it affects others positively or will resonate beyond one’s lifetime. Impact is low when it only impacts yourself or has very short-term consequences. 

Here’s a brief explanation of the four quadrants in your Intentions/Impact Matrix:

• High Intention/High Impact: These are activities taken with the highest intentions that have a substantial positive impact on others and/or resonate beyond one’s lifetime. It could involve social work, charitable acts, or significant projects with long-term benefits.
• High Intention/Low Impact: These involve personal practices that are important on an individual level and are done with pure intentions but may not have a broad or lasting impact on others. This includes personal rituals or habits contributing to one’s spiritual, physical, or mental development. e.g., exercise, reading, and private acts of worship like prayer and fasting.
• Low Intention/High Impact: Here, the actions have the potential for a significant positive impact, but the underlying intentions may not be spiritually driven. You might do the action for worldly gain or reputation and fame. If you find actions in this quadrant, it’s a call for you to reevaluate your intention to align potentially impactful actions with higher intentions.
• Low Intention/Low Impact: Activities that fall into this quadrant are neither driven by high intentions nor do they result in significant impact. These are often trivial or time-wasting activities that one should aim to reduce or eliminate, e.g., scrolling through social media or watching non-beneficial videos online.

How do you use this matrix to prioritize your activities?

Take stock of all your projects, tasks, and activities you have in life, and ask yourself where they fit in the above matrix.

You’ll need to ask two important questions about each activity you are engaged in:

1. What’s my intention?
2. What’s the impact?

• For high intentions/high impact activities – prioritize them and focus on them on a daily/weekly basis. 
• For high intentions/low impact activities – maintain what you can from them, but don’t go overboard or at the expense of high intentions/high impact activities.
• For low intentions/high impact activities – upgrade your intentions and make them sincerely for God and not just for worldly gain/ego satisfaction.
• For low intentions/low-impact activities – minimize or eliminate from your life as much as possible.

Compare the above to the Eisenhower matrix which focuses on just urgent/important and you’d realize that the Intention-Impact matrix adds a layer of spirituality and long-term thinking, leading to more Barakah in one’s life.

Practical tips for implementing the Intentions-Impact matrix in your life

1. Use our Barakah Journal to set daily/weekly intentions for the day. This will make you constantly think about your “intentions list” vs. “to-do list” each day/week. 
2. Try to upgrade your intentions on any activity you’re engaged in – you want to constantly connect all that you do (from the mundane to the most profound) with the higher intention of serving Allah SWT. (see discussion on how to elevate intentions in this Barakah Journal workshop video)
3. Try having at least one activity in your day in the high intention/high impact quadrant. The activity doesn’t have to be big; it can be helping a friend, visiting a sick person, or caring for an older person.

FAQs about Intentions-Impact Matrix

1. Does low impact mean low value?

No! Low impact does NOT mean low value. It means that its circle of impact is much smaller than the high-impact activities.

Moreover, you NEED some of the ‘low impact’ activities to recharge your spiritual, physical, and mental energy to handle high-impact work.

For example, a low-impact activity may be praying, fasting, or exercising… they are essential activities, and we need to do them. However, we should not use them as ‘excuses’ for not doing the high-impact work.

What’s important with low-impact activities is to keep the intentions for them for Allah’s sake and not let our intentions slide to low ego-centered intentions.

2. Can mundane activities become high-intention activities?

The short answer is yes. We discussed this in detail with Dr. Abdallah Rothman in the video below. We talked about how making coffee or doing doing the laundry can be a high-intention activity. Check it out below (starting around the 30-mins mark):

3. What if my season of life doesn’t allow me to focus on high intentions/high-impact activity?

Sometimes, you go through a season of life where you need to take care of young children or an elderly parent, or you’re going through a tough physical/financial time in your life. 

You might feel that you’re ‘missing out’ on doing the high-intention/high-impact work, especially if you’re active in social work. 

This is where you need to reframe the situation: You need to reframe your responsibility as your high-intention/high-impact activity during this season of life; so reframe taking care of kids, or your elderly parent, or the health/financial challenge as a spiritual quest that you know if you fulfill with sincerity and Ihsaan, you’ll be getting the reward for doing high impact work. 

Remember, the story of the young man who wanted to fight in the cause of Allah with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised him to serve his parents because his parents needed him at that time.

I hope you find this tool useful and impactful. I’d love to hear your feedback on this matrix and what decisions it helped you make.

The post Beyond Urgent: Prioritizing Life Using The Intention-Impact Matrix appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

My friends kept asking me how I stayed focused and productive while juggling hospital appointments, surgeries, and being a full-time carer for my parents.

Below are my top 10 tips that I wished I learned when I started this journey, and I’m sharing them with you, hoping they might help you become a better caregiver for your loved ones insha’Allah.

1. Renew your intentions

It can be daunting to be a caregiver, especially for a situation that lasts a long time. At times, it may feel overwhelming. Familiarizing yourself with cqc standards and regulations can provide structure and guidance to ensure the best care possible for your loved ones.

During these low moments, remember that caregiving is not a chore; it’s a privilege. It’s your ticket to Jannah and Allah’s pleasure if done with sincerity and Ihsan. 

Remember why you’re fulfilling this role and the reward Allah SWT will bless you with in this life and the next. 

Remember that as slaves of God, we must submit to His tests and know that He’ll not burden us with a role beyond our capacity. 

Trust in Allah’s Wisdom; His plan is always perfect. 

“And perhaps you hate a thing, and it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing, and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” Surah Al-Baqara, Ayah 216

2. Ask Allah for Help

You’re not alone in this journey. Turn to Allah SWT in every aspect of your caregiver journey. Ask Him to bless you with Hikmah (Wisdom) and Sabr (Patience) to handle every situation with grace and resilience. 

Always start any task with Bismillah and know that nothing can be done without Allah’s Help. 

“My success is not but through Allah. Upon Him, I have relied, and to Him, I return.” Surat Hud, Ayah 88

3. Compartmentalize Like a Pro

The art of caregiving lies in compartmentalization. You’re dealing with an ongoing situation, and it’s essential not to let it overshadow every aspect of your life. Balance is key; don’t let caregiving consume you. 

Remember that this is a season of life you’re going through, and this, too, shall pass. 

Dedicate the necessary time to focus on your role as a caregiver but pay attention to your other roles. 

Try to segment the time you dedicate as a caregiver from your other responsibilities and get help to cover the times you’ll be away (more on this below).

4. Pour Your Heart Out to Allah

Caregiving is stressful. And stress can create significant anxiety and fear, making you lose sleep and focus. 

Unburden your heart through Duaa (supplication). Talk to Allah, express your fears, and seek His mercy and guidance. His closeness will be your comfort.

He SWT loves to hear your voice, He can solve your problems, He is so close to you, and He will answer your call.

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” Surah Al-Baqara, Ayah 186

5. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

As hard as it is, try to care for yourself. Get some sleep, and nap when the patient naps. Eat healthy, and now and then, go for a walk or a jog to “work out the stress.”  

To be an effective caregiver, you must prioritize self-care. It may seem idealistic, especially when things are overwhelming, but trust me; you can’t pour from an empty cup. So, recharge yourself to be there for others. 

If your idea of self-care involves pampering yourself, scheduling a whole day at the spa is recommended. This may include getting treatments such as dermal fillers in Dixon, IL like Juvederm in Pittsburgh, PA or Radiesse – South Jersey Aesthetics. In case you’re looking for a dermatologist in Dedham, MA may contact local spas like Vibrant Dermatology.

6. Ask and organize help

As humans, we have limits. Acknowledge yours and learn to seek help. 

But don’t just ask for help – tell those around you exactly how they can help you: Create a “Caregiver Task List” of all the tasks you do as a caregiver and ask your family and friends to choose what they want to do. 

If you can afford it, consider hiring a professional home nurse – even for a few hours daily or weekly. They can make a big difference in the caregiving plan. This will not only give you a break from being the sole caregiver, but you’ll learn professional tips that only come from nursing schools. Consider reaching out to professionals in the rochester ny nursing home community to find the right home nurse for your needs. As a child of a parent staying in a nursing home, it is beneficial to be knowledgeable about nursing home abuse law to be able to notice if your parent is being taken advantage of. If you’re looking for a nursing home neglect law firm in Orange County, you may get in touch with local law firms like Jonna Spilbor Law.

7. Get regular quality breaks

Staying cooped up at home or the hospital can be draining. You must change your environment now and then and leave the house or hospital. 

Don’t think you’re a hero by being stuck in one place – it’ll affect your physical and mental well-being.

Go out and meet friends, attend events, and meet new people, or immerse yourself in nature – it’s therapeutic!

8. Master your breathing

When you feel the situation is tense or highly anxious due to the patient’s worsening condition, take a moment to breathe deeply.

Unfortunately, most people don’t use their entire lungs when they breathe. Deep breathing can help you stay calm and relax your tense muscles. To learn breathing techniques, visit Breathwork.

9. Rearrange your priorities

When you feel overwhelmed with life’s demands – consider blocking a 2-hour window for yourself and write down all the tasks and to-dos in your head. Then make firm decisions about what to do, delete, defer, or delegate. 

Having a hard look at the collection of all your tasks and to-dos and making clear decisions on what to do with them would free up much mental space for you to focus on caregiving.

Overwhelm can be daunting. In such moments, reflect upon the Hadith of our Prophet (PBUH), where he said: “Give everything its due right.” and rearrange your priorities according to the rights owed to others (and yourself!).

10. Live in the moment 

Remember to live in the moment. Accept the unique circumstances, and don’t beat yourself up for not being as productive as usual. Focus on what you can do right now, not what you could be doing.

As my friend Nevine always says: You must live in the moment and ask yourself often: What Allah wants from me NOW? This one question can help you stay focused at the moment and not get distressed about your situation and what the future holds.

As a caregiver, you’re embodying the beauty of Ayah 32 in Surat Al-Maidah: “And whoever saves a life as if he saved mankind entirely.” Know that you’re not just caring; you’re saving a life.  You’re saving the life of someone you love by caring for them, cleaning them, and helping them live as best as possible. It’s a long-term commitment that Allah sees and will reward you abundantly for He is “Al-Shakoor” (The One Who Appreciates and Rewards Abundantly). 

May your journey as a caregiver and life giver be filled with Barakah and Sakinah (peace). You are an unsung hero in the eyes of Allah SWT. 

May Allah SWT guide, help, forgive, and accept. Ameen!

Sincerely,
Suher Khirallah, Ph.D.

The post Productive Muslim Caregiver: 10 Tips to Ace the Art of Caregiving appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Strategies, Tips, And Tools To Design Your Next Best Self Post-Ramadan

Ramadan ended a few weeks ago, and by now you’re probably starting to settle back to your post-Ramadan routine.

You may have been able to keep up with some of your Ramadan resolutions (fasting a bit more, praying some parts of the night, giving charity often), or you may have crashed post-Ramadan and found it really hard to pick yourself up again – spiritually, physically, and socially.

If you’re someone who wants to maintain consistent improvement post-Ramadan and win the battle of life against your Nafs and Shaytaan (which seems to come back stronger after Ramadan), then you’ll find this useful.

Begin with Next Ramadan in Mind

Fast-forward to the 29th day of Sha’baan of next year, you’re hours away from knowing if Ramadan is tomorrow or not. You’re excited. Maybe a bit nervous. Busy with typical Ramadan preparations.

Unfortunately, the Angel of Death comes and takes your soul in those hours, and you’re deprived of witnessing the next Ramadan.

How do you feel?

The reason I bring this thought up is to help frame this article in your mind: Although you’re not guaranteed to live to witness another Ramadan, this does not mean that your journey of self-development and improvement should be on hold until next Ramadan comes.

There are many things you can do in between now and then and this is what this article is about.

A Framework To Develop Yourself Post Ramadan

The Productive Muslim Company is big on building frameworks that help us tackle some of our most profound self-development challenges. And one of the frameworks that we often use in our training and coaching is the following one:

This framework simply states that if we want to design the next best version of ourselves post-Ramadan, we need to think of the Mindsets, Values, and Rituals that would help us make those changes post-Ramadan.

Mindsets: How You Think Affects How You Behave

It’s common knowledge among psychology circles that our thoughts have an impact on our actions (and vice-versa. More on that later). [“How Thoughts Influence Actions”. Psychology Today]. So how you think about your post-Ramadan period will impact how you behave. Below are 3 mindset shifts that you need to think about to help you upgrade your post-Ramadan experience.

1. Think Realistically

There’s an equation that I learned from a time management expert that helped me a lot manage my stress levels:

Expectations > Reality = Stress

Simply stated, when expectations exceed the reality, you’re only setting yourself up for stress and failure.

How do we do this post-Ramadan? Have you heard yourself say things like: After Ramadan, I’ll pray tahajjud every night, I’ll fast every Monday and Thursday, I’ll give charity every day, etc.? What happens when you don’t live up to those expectations? You fall for the classic Shaytaan trick of making you feel terrible that you didn’t live up to your expectations and fall for another psychological trap called the “What the hell effect.” [“How the What the Hell Effect Impacts Your Willpower”. Psychology Today]

Here’s how the what the hell effect works: You decide to eat healthily and stop eating sugar, and for the first few days, you’re doing great. Then you get invited over to your friend’s house, and they have an incredible dessert spread. Initially, you resist, but your friend insists, and you have a small piece of Halwa. Next think you know, you say to yourself, “What the hell, let me try everything else, I’ll restart my diet tomorrow.” Next day you feel so bad that you break your new diet, and another “what the hell” moment hits you, and you give up entirely on your new diet.

Think of how many times the “what the hell” effect impacted you when it came to your prayers, to voluntary fasting, to being present with your children. Allah SWT captures this phenomenon when he tells us about not following the steps of Shaytaan in a number of verses, like:

” O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” (Qur’an 2: 208)

So how do you tackle these two traps: setting high and unrealistic expectations, and falling for the “what the hell” effect? The key is to set small, realistic expectations and then guard them with all your might until they become solid habits before you set higher expectations.

Here’s how this works: You want to pray tahajjud every night? Start by committing to pray 1xrak’ah of witr prayer after Isha prayers and before you sleep. It’s a small commitment, but you want to do it no matter what. Even on days you don’t feel like it or you’re tired. Don’t get on the slippery slope of missing 1 day and thinking “what the hell, I’ll never be able to pray tahajjud in my life.” And even if you do slip 1 day, don’t fall for the “what the hell” effect and instead pick yourself up the next day, stronger than ever. Once you’ve established this routine long enough and it has become part and parcel of your life, upgrade yourself and aim to pray 3 rak’ahs of witr, etc.

2. Think Holistically

The second mindset shift to consider is to think about your personal development journey holistically.

During the Productivity Masterclass, we help individuals and teams think of how to live the next best version of themselves across all their roles, i.e., what does your next-best version of yourself look like as a Dad/Mom? as a professional? As a neighbor? As a Muslim? Etc.

Thinking holistically removes the mind-trap that post-Ramadan self-development is only about rituals. It makes us recognize that the rituals form the bedrock and scaffolding to help us build our next best version across our roles.

To help you think holistically about your self-development, complete our Productive Muslim Self-Assessment tool to figure out where you are today – spiritually, physically, and socially and where you need to go.

Launch Self-Assessment

3. Think Long-Term

One of the primary reasons people give up their post-Ramadan resolutions is that they measure their success or failure based on a very short time frame, i.e., they measure how well they are performing in the first 2-3 weeks post-Ramadan. If they see no improvement, they give up!

Someone might say, “I tried fasting Mondays and Thursdays after Ramadan, but it was too hard, so I gave up.”

What if we expanded our self-development journey beyond these first 2 weeks instead? What if we asked ourselves – how can I develop this new habit/routine in 12 months?

Here’s a thought: We tend to overestimate what we can do in a short period but underestimate what we can do over a long period.

Yes, waking up for fajr might seem hard in those first 2-3 weeks, but if you focus on developing this habit over 3, 6, 9 months, you’ll eventually crack it, and it’ll become easy for you.

A good metaphor for thinking long-term is that of a gardener. When the gardener plants his seed, waters his garden, and works hard all day on his farm. He doesn’t expect to see a mature tree the next day! He understands that growing a tree takes time, and a lot of energy, focus, and time goes into becoming a tree. Similarly, new habits and routines take time to take root, nurture and grow, if you think of them as a long-term project, and work on it daily, you’re more likely to succeed.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Think of your long-term goals post-Ramadan across all your roles
2. Think of the obstacles you might face to achieve your goals (be realistic)
3. Think of how to overcome those obstacles – one step at a time.

Values: What Beliefs are driving your post-Ramadan life?

This section talks about a subtle but essential spiritual element when it comes to achieving a post-Ramadan goal. And that is to do with our Hearts and how connected we are with Allah SWT when it comes to achieving our post-Ramadan Goals.

Every day in our prayers we recite this verse →

“You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From” (Qur’an 1: 5)

This is a foundational concept in our faith that is critical for all our self-improvement endeavors. It involves two aspects:

1. You Alone We Worship: All your goals, all your self-improvement, and self-development, should be connected to the concept of you wanting to become the best ‘Abd’ (Slave) to Allah SWT. During the Productivity Masterclass, we speak in detail of the Islamic-psychospiritual model of the human being and how being an ‘Abd’ (slave) of Allah SWT is such a foundational concept that we need to revive in our hearts to help us live the best version of ourselves.
2. You Alone We Seek Help From: This is the recognition that as part of us acknowledging that we’re slaves of Allah, then we need to ask Allah’s permission and tawfeeq (success) in all the goals that we want to achieve.

Let’s be honest; sometimes, the goals we set for ourselves post-Ramadan can be all about developing our self-esteem and self-image. We forgot the ‘why’ that should drive these goals, and hence we give up on them too quickly. If I’m trying to wake up for tahajjud just because I see it as another milestone in my self-development journey, and not as an act of worship that would get me closer to Allah SWT, I need to revise my intentions.

So how can we practically develop these beliefs/values in our lives:

1. Set Good Intentions: When you set any post-Ramadan goal, ask yourself – why am I doing this? Who’s this for? How can I become a better ‘Abd’ to Allah through this goal?
2. Always Ask Allah To Help With Your Goals: Make your goals as spiritual quests. Ask Allah SWT to help you stay physically healthy post-Ramadan, to fast regularly, to pray tahajjud, etc. Don’t be arrogant and rely on your means – you need Him. Ask Him.
3. Work Hard: Good intentions and prayers don’t work on their own. Allah SWT would like to see the effort from you and He’ll take care of the results.

Rituals: What You Do Impacts How You Think and What You Believe

Earlier I mentioned that just like our thoughts have an impact on our actions. So does our action have an influence on how we think?

Here’s a simple experiment: Let’s say you’re upset, or in a bad mood. Grab a pencil and bite it between your teeth, forcing you to smile. Notice how your levels of happiness will increase, and you’ll feel better.

What does this mean for us, post-Ramadan?

This means that whether we feel like it or don’t feel like it – we need to commit to some rituals post-Ramadan that’ll help us improve how we think about ourselves and what we believe is possible post-Ramadan.

There are 3 key concepts to keep in mind though to ensure that you stick to your rituals post-Ramadan:

1. Choose To Focus on Not More Than 3 New Rituals Post-Ramadan: It’s so tempting after graduating from Ramadan to feel that you can change your life 180 overnight and introduce so many new routines in life. Although it is doable, it’s tough and I’d rather you focus on a winning strategy instead. The winning strategy is to focus on 3 new rituals post-Ramadan, and once they become part of who you are, add some more.
2. Start Small: This is critical. The smaller the change in your life, the longer it lasts. Start small but have the intention that you’ll want to grow this ritual over time.
3. Celebrate Progress: When you do your small ritual – celebrate it. Feel good about it. Thank Allah SWT that he enabled you to make one small step towards the next best version of you and being His ‘Abd.’ Celebration will reinforce this ritual in your brain as something pleasant to be done again.

What should happen when I make the above shifts in my Mindsets, Values, and Rituals?

Fast forward your life to the 29th of Sha’baan next year, it’s a few hours before Ramadan might be announced. You’re excited and giddy and can’t wait to find out.

You’ve spent the entire year, slowly but surely, upgrading your mindsets, values, and rituals and living the next best version of yourself: spiritually, physically, and socially.

You feel more ready than ever for Ramadan and for the next spiritual boost.

However, the Angel of Death comes to you in those hours before Ramadan and takes your soul away.

Do you have any regrets?

Or do you feel that you’ve done all you can to be a true Abd of Allah SWT throughout the year and you are ready to meet Him?

The post How to Pick Yourself Up Post Ramadan appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Ramadan is an exceptional month where every high-performing Muslim wants to be at their best: spiritually, physically, and socially. However, it can also be a very challenging month with lack of sleep, lack of focus, and lack of energy.

Since the start of Ramadan 1443H, I have partnered with Mohammed Faris, founder of The Productive Muslim Company, to test out a few biohacks and measure their impact on our levels of energy, focus, and overall wellbeing, while if you have issues with your productivity , you can get a mental toughness coach that will help you grow out of it and make you stronger and more productive.

We experimented using different combinations of what I’ll share below and used the Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker (affiliate link) to measure how each experiment impacted our sleep, strain, and recovery and recorded voice notes on how we felt throughout the day.

Before I share our top recommended biohacks for Ramadan, a quick introduction to biohacking and what it means for Ramadan.

What does biohacking mean?

When you think of a biohack, you probably think of a pill you take that’s supposed to alter your biology. However, biohacking covers a spectrum, from aligning ourselves with nature to technology and supplements.

The best approach to biohacking is to start with self-awareness and mindfulness about your energy/focus levels and what works and doesn’t work for you—followed by tapping into nature and life rhythms to make the most of how your body interacts with nature. Finally, using supplements and technology to help you ‘mimic’ our ancestors’ fitra (natural disposition) lifestyle before modern electricity, internet, work schedules, etc. 

A few points related to biohacking for Ramadan:

1. The purpose of this article is not to ‘cheat’ fasting or make fasting Ramadan ‘easy’. Instead, it is to help high-performing Muslims manage their energy and focus throughout the fasting month, especially those in critical roles like doctors and pilots.
2. Before trying any of the hacks below – especially those that use supplements – we highly recommend that you speak to your doctor to confirm that it is safe to adopt them. Myself and The Productive Muslim company will not be held responsible for any harm caused by following these hacks without prior consultation with a medical doctor.
3. Even with these hacks – you’ll still feel the difficulty of Ramadan. So following these hacks will not turn you into a super being. However, they can make your Ramadan much more high-performing than usual.

Alright, bismillah, here are the top 10 biohacks I recommend for Ramadan.

10 Biohacks for Ramadan

1. Wear blue light blocking glasses at night 

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًۭا

And made your sleep [a means for] rest

Quran 78:9

Blue light blocking glasses help mitigate the damage that post-Maghrib light exposure causes. This is a critical circadian rhythm hack.

Screen lights and most overhead lighting in the evening hours are proven to disrupt our natural sleep cycles. Evidence shows that our natural sleep hormones are suppressed, and our natural daytime stress hormones get boosted every time we expose ourselves to screen light or overhead lighting at night. This leads to poor quality sleep for almost everyone on the planet, 365 days a year! As a result, we are not getting the restorative sleep essential for good health. 

During Ramadan, we will sleep less given the late iftars/Taraweeh prayers and waking up early for suhoor. So we need to optimize our sleep cycles to get better quality sleep while getting less quantity of sleep. 

Blue-light blocking glasses can block up to 99% of the harmful blue light in the evening and ‘hack’ your sleep cycle to experience greater levels of deep sleep and REM.

Practical Tip: I know this might sound weird, but wear blue light blockers in the last hour before your designated sleep time (yes, including at the masjid at Isha/Taraweeh), and notice the greater energy and mental performance you have the next day during fasting hours. 

2. Expose yourself to sunlight early in the morning

إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding –

Quran 3:190

This is another essential circadian rhythm hack. Getting outside and witnessing morning sunlight (as close to post-fajr (dawn) as possible) causes us to make more of our sleep hormone (melatonin) at night. This practice resets our hormonal rhythms every day.

Furthermore, the full spectrum of light that the sun provides has also shown positive results in impacting the damage and strain that artificial light causes during the rest of our day. 

Lastly, more interesting evidence is becoming available regarding the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of seeing the sunrise and sunset. Positive human genetic switches get activated when we witness the alternation of night and day, which Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an as a sign.

Practical Tip: Get out for 10 minutes in the morning as soon as possible and let the natural light of the morning enter your eyes. You will further improve your sleep quality, and you can experience greater biological system functioning. This doesn’t require looking at the sun. The sun’s light is powerful enough to register in our eyes without directly gazing at it. 

3. Move More 

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to go to the Quba’ mosque, sometimes walking, sometimes riding [Sahih Bukhari]

Note: The distance from the Prophet’s mosque to Quba’ mosque is roughly 7 km.

Movement is essential for a human being’s physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual health. We all generally know that exercise is essential for good cardiovascular and metabolic health. We now know that it is a much bigger story than that. Not only is it essential for hormonal health and balance (and hormones drive almost every process in our bodies), but it also directly impacts our nervous system, cognitive functioning, and emotional state. 

Sedentary living is one of the greatest contributing factors to nearly all chronic illnesses and even some degenerative mental diseases. Furthermore, deep down in the nervous system, a body that doesn’t move is perceived by itself as sick, weak, potentially incapable, and therefore in danger. What does our body do in response? It provides us with an abundance of stress chemicals to get us up and back in action! This daily dose of stress chemicals leads to a chronic inflammatory state that impairs our biological systems, leading to poor metabolic health, digestive issues, cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health problems, endocrine system imbalance, depression/anxiety, etc. Can we truly show up as our best selves with high spiritual focus and performance levels under these conditions?

Ramadan is not a time to stop moving or continue our sedentary lifestyle. I’m sure we all can imagine how our righteous predecessors didn’t have the luxury of sitting all day, driving between locations, and ordering anything they needed at the touch of a button. The way for us to holistically improve our health during Ramadan and beyond is to mimic the way of our predecessors. And there is great news! It all can be done at home, and it takes a lot less time than we might think it will. 

Practical Tip: Here are three main movement lifestyle hacks to implement this Ramadan: 

• Walking. Walking is free medicine, period. A day without walking is not a typical human day at all. Walking activates our largest muscles. This, in turn, benefits our blood glucose levels, bone density, metabolism, serotonin/melatonin production, sleep quality, and more. Twenty minutes a day should be the minimum. Any walking you can do directly after your iftar/suhoor is even better.
• Sit / Stand. Standing more often while working will activate the largest muscles in your body and save you from back/neck pain, unwanted fat storage, and stress chemical release. Try to stand for at least 10 minutes after every 30 minutes of sitting. Use an alarm to remind you.
• Move heavy objects. Like all of our human predecessors, we are designed to pull water out of wells, carry various objects, lift and stack, pick up animals, squat for multiple purposes, etc. Find a way to grab a safe but heavy object (it can be weights of course) and prioritize time daily to mimic the old ways! For extra help on this, look up farmer carries and functional movement patterns. That should get you started, and all you need is a few minutes per day! This practice helps to increase our glucose sensitivity, which many of us will want during Ramadan. 

4. Eat Real Food

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَلَـٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌ

O mankind, eat what is good and lawful from the earth, and do not follow Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy.

Quran 2:168

We might get tomatoes thrown at us here! Nutrition can be a sensitive subject. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, as we all have different genetics, ages, goals, etc. The real food approach is the best starting point to create a new relationship with food. It goes a little something like this:

• the more ingredients it has, the less real it is 
• If it comes in a box, package, or wrapper and has words you can’t pronounce, steer clear!
• The closer it looks to its original source, the better (from the animal, tree, ground etc.)
• More refined = Less real
• The longer it is designed to last on a shelf, the worse it is for us.
• Lastly, implement the 80/20. Try to live like this 80% of the time and forget about the rest if you want to. 

At the end of our fast, we are open to receiving. The cells in our bodies will take in what we choose to consume, especially at iftar time. What we eat becomes our physical tissues and hormones, and enzymes that drive our systems. In many ways, we are what we eat! Fasting is perfect for us, but not accompanied by an inflammatory diet and lifestyle. 

During Ramadan (and the rest of the year), our food choices will determine much about our daily health and well-being. Digestive issues (bloating, gas, cramping, heartburn, constipation, etc) are signs that what we are eating is likely not suitable for us as an individual. Furthermore, our gut health dictates our mood and sleep quality, which I’m sure we all want to improve. 

The well-known “happiness” hormone/neurotransmitter serotonin is mostly produced in our gut. An inflamed compromised gut directly impacts our mood, but since serotonin is a precursor to melatonin (our sleep hormone), it also affects our sleep! 

This Ramadan (and beyond), let’s commit to achieving better moods, focus, sleep, and energy through food. 

Practical Tip: Ask yourself a couple of questions before you decide what to eat for iftar/suhoor: 

1. Is this food “real”? Is tofu halal or haram?
2.  And is this food from the tayyib category that Allah mentions in the Qur’an?   

5. Nature mimicking nutrients/supplements – Vitamin D, Celtic Sea Salt 

Human beings need vitamin D. Vitamin D is not a vitamin; it is a hormone. It is a master hormone in many ways, and all of our other hormones don’t function well without it. Insufficient vitamin D levels compromise us both physically and mentally. The best way to get it is sun exposure, but that isn’t always easy for everyone. Getting sufficient levels from our diet is very difficult. Test yourself rather than guessing, and make sure you supplement if needed. 

We are likely spending too much time indoors during Ramadan (and all year long). That is why mimicking nature through vitamin D supplementation can be extremely important.

Another mimic that can be essential for many of us is related to minerals. Much of the water we are drinking is depleted of minerals. For that reason, prioritizing good quality water and adding a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt can be very beneficial. There are other mineral supplements, of course, but sea salt is an easy go-to, and it has over 70 essential minerals in it!

This can be very important during Ramadan as we tend to be minerally depleted at the end of a fast. Making sure that we restore minerals will help us ensure better biological functioning during this month. 

Practical Tip: If you have time, go get tested for vitamin D levels in your body and other minerals. Otherwise, get a vitamin D supplement and throw some Celtic sea salt in your water to tap into this biohack.

6. Temperature Hacks – Cold and hot

As uncomfortable as this truth might sound, human beings are not meant to be comfortable all of the time. We harm ourselves by not getting enough beneficial stress. Our entire being is designed to grow stronger and become more resilient through small doses of various stressors. This is known as hormesis.

There are many types of hormetic stressors. Exercise and fasting are among the more familiar. One that doesn’t get enough attention however is temperature. Human beings were not created to sit in perfectly temperature-controlled rooms. When we never get hot or cold, we lose resilience in our health. This is why saunas and cold plunges are the craze. For now, we’ll keep it simple by just laying out some of the benefits. 

• Heat exposure benefits immune function, reduces inflammation, improves brain function (through BDNF), detoxes the body, etc. 
• Cold exposure lowers body fat, improves blood sugar, boosts immune function, leads to better sleep quality, reduces inflammation, etc. 

A little of either can go a long way! 

Practical Tips:

During Ramadan, and depending on where one lives, it might be challenging to get extreme temperature exposure. We don’t recommend sauna use during Ramadan, but if you are in a hot city, you might want to spend 10 to 20 minutes outside during the day. It can be in the shade if the air temperature is hot enough. 

Cold is often easier to come by. There are ice vests, ice pits, cryotherapy, and just regular outdoor cold air and water for some of us. One way to get started is to do a couple of minutes in the shower of 10 seconds of warm water, followed by 20 seconds of max cold. This isn’t optimal as we will have the potential of wasting water, so as soon as you get used to it, try to shower only in cold water a few times per week! Focus on your breath and control your gasp response. This is an excellent Ramadan hack, as we can boost many of the benefits of fasting through this protocol. 

7. Grounding – Touch Nature

A man from the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) traveled to Fadaalah ibn Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was in Egypt. After a brief conversation he asked him: “Why do I not see any shoes on you?” Fadaalah replied: “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to command us to go barefoot sometimes”.
[Abu Dawud].

When was the last time you touched a tree or stone? When did you last have your bare feet on natural earth? When we ask these questions, people often are shocked when they realize it has been ages! 

By now, you may have heard of grounding or earthing. It is the practice of connecting with the natural earth and the earth’s natural magnetic frequencies. This leads to an ion exchange that has many benefits, such as reducing inflammation, realigning our circadian rhythms (improving sleep quality), lowering stress chemicals, and more. 

This is such an easy hack, and definitely, we can get 10 to 20 minutes here and there throughout the week during Ramadan. Once again, some of the benefits are similar to the benefits of fasting. Therefore this hack is an excellent way to get a boost.

Practical Tips: In your next morning walk (see Hack #2 above), take off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot on the grass/sand, and touch a tree with your hand and really connect with the tree as a spiritual being that worships Allah just like you do.

8. Quality Fasting 

ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا۟ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

… But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.

Quran 2:184

As we already touched on, fasting is a beneficial (hormetic) stressor. All biomarkers improve in a fasted state, such as blood sugar, lipids, blood pressure, etc. Fasting has also been shown to promote detoxification and balance our gut microbiome. How we Muslims do it, dry fasting (i.e. without water), is even more powerful. 

Most importantly, fasting sharpens our spiritual faculties. When we hold ourselves back from food, drink, and our natural drives while at the same time guarding ourselves against actions and speech that we have been guided to avoid, our true virtuous nature can rise. 

With this opportunity to work on ourselves during Ramadan, we should do our absolute best to get out of our way. How can we do that? By not pairing this time of fasting with lifestyle practices that lead to less than optimal performance, brain fog, digestive stress, and fatigue.

Practical Tip: Take the quality of your fasting and Ramadan to the next level by combining the hacks you’re learning in this article with your fasting for maximal spiritual and physical performance.

9. Breathwork

وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ١٨

by the dawn that softly breathes:

Quran 81:18

Breathwork is our superpower. We take about 20,000 breaths per day, and each sends a direct message to our nervous system that determines much about our current mental, emotional, and physical state. 

It is known that the vast majority of people alive today have an inverted breathing pattern, meaning most of us no longer breathe from the diaphragm, inflating our belly when we inhale and deflating our belly upon the exhale. Most of us do the exact opposite and from the chest rather than the diaphragm (abdomen), which causes the release of stress chemicals as it is a breathing pattern that mimics the fight or flight response. This causes inflammation, impedes digestion, and leads to many other biological system imbalances. 

We can reconnect with our diaphragm while taking deep, slow breaths in our tradition. This is done through the slow recitation of the Qur’an. Watch videos of the well-known Qaris as they slowly recite and count how many inhales they take per minute. Interestingly, slowing down our breaths to about four or five breaths per minute has been shown to give us the benefits we need.

Practical Tip: This Ramadan, let’s try to connect with ourselves through proper breathing while reciting Qur’an and even in our dhikr practices. We also recommend using the Breathwrk app for guided practices on breathing.

10. Supplement with Nootropics (safely)

A simple definition of nootropics is natural or synthetic substances that can be taken to improve mental performance in healthy people (Healthline). The most common nootropic is caffeine. Caffeine from high-quality sources and in the right doses can increase energy, boost mood, and have neuroprotective properties. 

There are so many other nootropics (some referred to as “smart drugs”) ranging from simple and natural to synthetic and, in some cases, dangerous. We are not promoting the use of any nootropic substance without the consent of a medical professional. Also, some people can tolerate them, while others cannot, which is often the case with caffeine. 

For those who are interested in experimenting with the cognitive benefits of nootropics, we have listed a few of the common ones used by the average person to the more avid bio-hacker below:

• High quality Coffee OR Bulletproof Coffee
• Time-release caffeine tablets
• Qualia, 
• Ginkgo Biloba, 
• Maca, 
• Yerba Mate, 
• Lion’s Mane, 
• Modafinil (by prescription)

 If taken safely, you may find that supplementing them before starting your fast can help. This approach could be considered by those of us living in areas of the world where the fasting days are long, the work schedules don’t change, and you have high determination to accomplish the performance of ‘ibadah through the night. 

These supplements can give you the cognitive functioning and mental focus you might need to seize the early part of your day with higher performance levels. 

Practical Tips: We recommend that you don’t experiment with nootropics that you haven’t tried before during Ramadan, especially the synthetic ones. However, after Ramadan, you can experiment with some of the above after researching what works best for you. If you’re keen to experiment with one of the above, we recommend starting with Bulletproof Coffee, but of course in combination with a healthy approach to nutrition.

And that’s all! 10 Biohacks to help you maximize your spiritual, physical, and mental performance during Ramadan. 

If you found this useful and want to share your biohacking experiments with fellow Muslims, join our Slack community and check out the #biohack channel.

The post 10 Biohacks For High-Performing Muslims During Ramadan appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

But we don’t see this level of leadership in the Muslim world today, instead we’re seeing a rapid decay of world impact. We’re witnessing a serious inferiority complex growing in our Ummah; As individuals, we feel inferior to non-Muslims. As businesses and organizations, we feel inferior to mainstream corporations. As an Ummah, we feel inferior to other Nations.

Why is this happening and what can we do about it? Read on…

Inferiority Complex is Real

To know your weaknesses in comparison to others is to be insightful and humble but to harbour a lingering sense of inferiority as a result of this awareness is dangerous. For example, knowing that your colleague is great at public speaking is not the same as feeling that your public speaking skills are worthless and will never improve in time regardless of how hard you try.

In today’s world, we’re immersed in a culture whereby looks, wealth, status and all things materialistic are used as the metric for success. Deep down we know that our spiritual values guide us away from idolising or chasing the material world but at the same time we’re saturated on the outside by people seemingly living exciting, glamorous and beautiful lives. It can be all too tempting to compare our own lives with the façade of today’s hyper-airbrushed world and this constant comparison quickly erodes away at our confidence and spirituality.

Post-colonialism seeded the idea that our western counterparts are somehow better. Although this may not be a conscious thought, it can manifest in our thinking and action in many ways. We can look at the lives and success of our western peers and so easily be drawn into the fantasy that they have the upper edge in this dunya. Sadly, left unattended this feeling can develop into an inferiority complex not just on an individual level, but an Ummah level as well. 

Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi describes the decline of Muslim leadership and causes in his book Islam And The World (pg 173):

Dazzled by the power and progress of Western nations, Muslims began to imitate Western social and economic institutions regardless of the consequences, although they were much inferior to their own and consisted of little more than the ardent pursuit of material success. The prestige of religon was diminished. The teachings of the Prophet ﷺ were forgotten. All those ideals of life, which truthfully displayed within themselves both the spiritual and the temporal aspects of life and did not subordinate the former to the latter, ceased to impress the minds of the great mass of Muslim society. Their place was taken by ideals far inferior to them. Life was filled with frivolous desires and occupations to a degree that it had to eschew religious and spiritual craving and activities. If one were to compare the daily occupations of present-day Muslims with those of the aforementioned specimens of the old Islamic civilization, one would find it hard to believe that both professed the same ideology or that only a few generations separated one from the other.

Along with the distractions of this dunya constantly tugging at the soul, we’re also subject to the whisperings of Satan, who’s sole mission is to make us unappreciative beings.

[Satan] said,  “For leaving me to stray I will lie in ambush for them on Your Straight Path. I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.” (7:16-17)

If we’re not mindful of his influence and don’t take precautions to fortify our heart and mind with God-consciousness, we become even more vulnerable to his evil ploys. One of the ways he tries to enter the heart is by weakening the mind.

What is an Inferiority Complex?

An inferiority complex is a feeling of inadequacy that’s not based on any rational judgements. It’s an emotionally-led feeling that holds us captive to constant comparisons which may drive us to wanting to be and act like others, and have what they have in order to feel good enough. 

This feeling turns us into thirsty travelers on a desert land, constantly chasing the ‘mirage’ of what others have but never quenching our thirst with the water bottle that’s around our neck.

We can see examples in our Islamic history of people who rather than holding esteem in their faith, turned towards external factors to find a sense of self worth. 

When Musa (as) and the children of Israel were saved from the tyrannical grip of Firoun (Pharoah), they witnessed first hand the Divine help of Allah SWT.  They were freed from oppression and could live in peace under the prophetic leadership of Musa (as). But not long after the miraculous passage across the Red Sea, they came across a group of people who had taken up idolatry worship and the ignorant amongst them turned to Musa (as) and asked him to “make for us a God just as they have Gods.”

They forgot Allah and fell prey to the insidious idea that the faith they possessed was inadequate in comparison to what they perceived the people they encountered had in terms of faith and provisions. The seeds of inferiority had taken root within them. 

“We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and they came upon a people devoted to idols. They demanded, “O Moses! Make for us a god like their gods.” He replied, “Indeed, you are a people acting ignorantly!” (7:138)

In the tafsir of Ibn Kathir (r) he said:

“It appears that the Children of Israel probably asked these people why they worshipped these idols, and they most likely told them that whenever they seek help from them they help them, and that they seek their provision from them. The ignorant ones among them may have been tempted to believe it, and so they asked Musa (as) to make a similar god for them as well.”

This is an example of how in the absence of God-consciousness we can falsely conclude that happiness and success lies in the superficial platforms promoted in a Godless society. 

We can see parallels of how the inferiority complex is playing out in individuals, organizations and in Muslim society at large today. Let’s take a closer look at each of these levels. 

Inferiority complex in Muslim Professionals

Have you ever stepped into work with feelings of trepidation? Feeling very conscious that you’re different; acutely aware that the sound of your name is different, the colour of your skin is different and that you have a set of rules and a value system that is not aligned with your workplace peers. 

If we bring sharp focus to this, what can it stir inside a person?

For my client, Aisha, it made her feel like she didn’t belong at her workplace. She was a teacher working in an affluent neighborhood surrounded by a predominantly white upper class community. Rather than seeing herself as the intelligent, capable person that she was, she subconsciously felt second-rate to her colleagues and so therefore always felt inferior. This inferiority complex rooted itself in her words and behavior; she would always aim to be agreeable even if she held a different opinion and felt the need to prove her self-worth in everything she did. 

“Never think that you’re not good enough. A man should never think that. People will take you very much at your own reckoning.”

Anthony Trollope

As this quote suggests, we teach people how to treat us. If we see ourselves as inferior, it makes it more likely that we will be seen in this way by others too. 

Moreover, the state of the believer is to know that there is khayr (good) in every situation as related in the following hadith: 

“Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affairs are good and this is not for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him he is patient and that is good for him” (Muslim)

Staying mindful of this helps us to elevate our thinking by the mere act of seeking the khayr in all situations, creating awareness in the heart of the blessings and opportunities present in the moment as opposed to dwelling on the negatives and how we’re perceived. 

With this in mind, Aisha and I discussed an alternative perspective; perhaps Allah had given her an opportunity to be a role model and dispel myths surrounding the Muslim stereotype, that she showed great courage by the sheer fact that she goes in to work every day and upholds her values concerning manners and dress code. Immediately, this fresh perspective gave her more confidence in her true identity and strengthened her connection to Allah. The inner critic that would constantly compare her to others started to wane and she no longer felt the compulsion to fit in. 

This feeling of not fitting in is all too familiar for the Muslim professional working in a predominantly western environment. The term “cultural cringe” is defined as an internalized inferiority complex that causes people to dismiss their own culture as inferior to the cultures of other countries. Inadvertently, we may feel the “cultural cringe” factor with our religious orientation too. In not wanting to feel alienated from social groups or hindered from potential work opportunities, a person might dismiss some of their spiritual practices and strive to adapt to the more commonplace practices of their environment in order to fit in and feel on par with their colleagues. 

Regularly missing prayers, not requesting time out for Jumu’ah, feeling awkward about wearing a hijab or growing a beard, dropping inhibitions and placing oneself in inappropriate environments may be some of the casualties of such sentiment. In reality, this can create an internal conflict between one’s spiritual values and the desire to be like others, resulting in anxiety, stress and internal worry. Social anxiety: the fear of being rejected by others, can be one of the biggest triggers for the inferiority complex.

With these emotions brewing inside, the inferiority complex can feature front and center. Feeling that no matter what you do, you just can’t hit the mark or won’t be seen as worthy by others. Even high achievers can feel like failures and imposters. The constant second guessing and feelings of being a second-rate worker hinders performance levels. Confidence dwindles and this can branch off in two ways. 

1. Shying away from opportunities out of fear of being “caught out” and not speaking up with authentic thoughts

2. Overcompensating behavior such as bragging to mask the feelings of insecurity.

Both these positions invite the ego to lead the way and we’re then left with ego-led behavior.

The Messenger of Allah (saw), said, “The strong are not those who defeat people. Rather, the strong are those who defeat their own ego.”

Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār 1645

A sense of inferiority is not a cognitive thing, it’s an emotional sense that is carried around privately and painfully. The emotions that can arise range from hopelessness and helplessness to anger, resentment, envy and defensiveness. 

A person can feel completely incompetent at her job even though objectively they’re great at it but that’s the nature of the beast – there’s no rational thinking. You can be completely disconnected from the objective perceptions others may have of you to the extent that there is an outright refusal to see any evidence to the contrary of your beliefs, placing one squarely in the victim-mindset.

Inferiority complex in Muslim organizations

Muslims look to the west and see successful companies: The Googles, Apples, and Teslas of the world Often these companies adopt practices that are foreign to our traditional ways and sometimes these practices are against Islam – yet as mentioned previously, the generalized feeling of inferiority stemming from the idea that we are inadequate and that our ways of doing things are not good enough, can make us blindly follow in the footsteps of these companies as a result. And in the pursuit of success, we may become negligent of our spiritual obligations.

For example, we’re seeing a burgeoning growth in the Muslim entrepreneurial space. There are now Muslim companies competing in the Fortune 500 arena and the Muslim spend is now worth trillions of dollars and is a recognized sector on the world business platform. Although there is this growth, we can also see symptoms of the inferiority complex growing alongside this trend. 

In today’s world, we see Muslim organizations and companies:

• Fully immersed in hustle culture, working staff to the bone
• Relentlessly following formulas of mainstream organizations and copying Silicon Valley and corporate America in hopes of achieving the same high levels of success.
• Feeling a general sense of inferiority to the western world and as a result producing substandard products and services – believing this is all they are capable of? 

What if, instead, Muslim companies adopted sunnah practices with yaqeen (certainty) that Ar-Razzaq (The Provider) will deliver barakah-filled results? A few examples of such practices are: 

• Adopting an Abundant Mindset of mutual benefit and cooperation when dealing with competitors vs. the Scarcity mindset of cut-throat competiton.
• Adopting a Gardener Mindset with work where you set good intentions, work hard, but detach yourself from the results.
• Fulfilling the Sunnah of paying workers before their sweat dries (a concept now known as Pay On Demand)
• Working with staff to develop them spiritually, just like we develop them professionally.
• Organizing and structuring the day and meetings around prayer times 
• Organizing business plans around the hijri calendar (#GoHijri) and even paying staff and offering holidays according to Hijri calendar. 
• Being at the forefront to protect female employees from sexual harrassment and ensuring safe and mutually respective working relationships between genders whether online or in-person
• Creating time for employees to take a Qailulah (short mid-day nap) as was the practice of prophet Muhammad (saw).
• Making the intention of the business not purely about financial gain and profit but about service to the community and Ummah at large.

The above ideas may seem ‘crazy’ in our modern corporate world, and may feel “unprofessional” – but what if thinking of the above as ‘crazy’ or ‘unprofessional’ is actually your inferiority complex talking to you? Yes, maybe not all of the above ideas are practical on a day to day level – but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be encouraged to explore and experiment with ways to grow our business with Barakah!

My point is this: Instead of feeling like the success formulas of corporate America and the like were the only valid ways to create successful companies, what would happen if Muslim organizations placed more faith in aligning the structure of their company and workday with faith-based practices such as the ones mentioned above? With the doors of barakah opened, imagine how this could yield even greater results. 

Inferiority complex in the Ummah on a global stage

In the same way that the children of Israel began to develop a sense of inferiority and feeling “second-rate” to the community of pagans they encountered, we can see parallels in our modern day society with the Muslims of today experiencing similar emotions. The media surrounding our religion is awash with labels such as Muslim terrorists and extremism. Muslims are under constant scrutiny, and this has made us sensitive and defensive. As a nation what impact might this have on our mindset and how are we responding as a result?

Here’s a few ways in which the inferiority complex has taken root in our ummah today. We may find ourselves:

• Desiring to imitate aspects of non-Muslim lifestyles even though it is prohibited for the believer
• Minimizing the importance of certain aspects of our religion because it’s not convenient and feel it will hinder our life goals
• Not standing up for Muslim suffering globally due to political and economic pressure.
• Judging Islamic principles through a liberal secular lens.
• Find ourselves viewing certain practices as outdated concepts and not fit for purpose in today’s world
• Only valuing a practice in Islam if the science community or an academic validates it. For example, we know that fasting Mondays and Thursdays is a highly regarded sunnah, but did we only take it seriously when western scientists concluded that the 5:2 diet was a legitimate practice?

Very often the inferiority complex is on a subconscious level, so most people are not even cognizant to it. However, we need to take a very conscious look at our intentions, choices and actions in order to determine whether we have mindlessly adopted some of these frames of thinking. 

Islam is the last Divine Message to Mankind. We have the blueprint to live a life that is the most balanced,  wholesome, and decent. Yet as a nation, we may have drifted away from this way of life because we have fundamentally forgotten who we are, where we came from and our ultimate purpose in this world. 

And in this lies the antidote. 

The antidote to the inferiority complex

An inferiority complex is fueled by the desire to attain the same levels of power, status and success as those perceived to be in superior positions. In order to shatter this complex, we need to bring our hearts and awareness to the ultimate source of power and honour. 

“Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory…”?!

[ 35:10]

For the sincere believer, it is known that only in obeying Allah can one find honour, power and glory in this world but more importantly in the next. Holding tight to this reality, secures the heart of the believer from ever feeling inferior to any other culture or creed. It removes the temptation to yearn for what others have in the worldly sense as faith in Allah is what brings a level of contentment that far outweighs the love for anything else this world has to offer.  

We are the children of Adam. 

We are from the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

We can call ourselves Muslims because of the greats in our history; the noble prophets, the companions of the prophet and the generations to follow who sacrificed their lives so that we can practice today. 

We have been given tawfeeq (direct guidance) to believe in the Oneness of Allah whose guidance and Help we know is always with us. 

With this identity deeply embodied in the very fabric of our soul, we can stand confidently in any environment holding tight to our values and be fearless of worldly judgement. We can navigate any workspace or social gathering with firmness in our Muslim identity. Our hearts will steer away from feeling any form of inferiority complex or victim-mindset or FOMO (fear of missing out) because there is peace and contentment found in the promise of Allah: 

“So do not become weak, nor be sad, and you will be victorious if you are indeed true believers.”

[ 3:139]

Alongside this understanding, it’s essential to create time for muhasabah (self-evaluation) in order to become more self aware, to be aligned to your fitra and increase in confidence that is rooted in Allah. 

And it is for this reason that I developed the Confidence Masterclass – a transformational 6-week journey that combines Islamic spiritual practices with modern psychology to help Muslim professionals develop spiritually-centered confidence and remove any feelings of insecurity and inferiority.

During this masterclass, you will be guided through the Belief Model framework – a systematic process designed to help you strengthen in all aspects of life pertaining to spiritually rooted confidence.  

For example, Imran decided to join the masterclass to work on his spiritual confidence using the Belief model framework. Prior to this training and despite having a good job, family and comfortable lifestyle, most days he would wake up feeling uneasy and unsettled. He was feeling the pressure of constant comparisons and spiritually weakened by the busyness of life. However, after he completed this training, he described feeling more internal peace as a result of developing a stronger reliance upon Allah and how increased self-awareness gave him more control, emotional grounding and confidence in himself and life choices.

Let’s take a deeper look at Imran’s outlook before the training and how he felt at the end of the masterclass training…

After working his way through the Belief model, Imran is a more confident, healthy, balanced individual who is still ambitiously working towards his life goals but with an active focus of how his work in this world can connect to the next. He’s no longer as concerned with external judgment or trying to fit in; his heart, mind and soul have found contentment in his deen and his feelings of self worth are rooted internally by his connection to Allah.  

“Verily, Allah does not look at your physical features nor your wealth, but Allah looks at your hearts and actions.” (Muslim)

When we keep our sight firmly fixed on Allah, the fear of others dissipates. The inferiority complex disappears and what’s left is an energy, focus and determination to create meaningful lives with the hope that the reward will come in this life and extend to the next.

The post How Inferiority Complex Is Hurting You and the Ummah (and How We Can Fix This) appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

Although there are lots of books and resources that discuss how to run successful meetings, in this article, I’ll explore how we can approach meetings from a spiritual perspective and the impact our spirituality has on the quality of our meetings. 

I’ll also try to answer the question: how can our meetings be conduits of Barakah (Divine Goodness) for ourselves and organizations and even a means of personal and team-wide spiritual development?

This article will be useful for team leaders, managers, and really anyone who wants to see more Barakah in their work meetings insha’Allah.

Meetings As Spaces Where Souls Meet

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “…souls are like recruited soldiers, those that recognize one another unite in harmony and those that do not recognize one another are at an aversion”.

[Muslim]

To understand the above hadeeth, we need to understand that the beginning journey of our soul is not the moment we entered this world. Instead, the origin of all souls was when they were created by Allah SWT, and made us witness His Divine Existence. Allah SWT says in the Quran:

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ

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

Quran 7:172

So in that pre-existence world, some souls met each other while some did not. That connection carried into this realm which explains how sometimes you may walk into a meeting and ‘click’ with someone even though you never met them before, or, the opposite happens – you try hard to work with someone and even though they are a nice person, you feel some kind of unexplained aversion to them.

To be clear, this is not an excuse to avoid working with some people because you don’t like them or create in-groups and cliques with people because you enjoy working with them. Instead, we should understand this hadeeth from two perspectives:

1. When we enter a space, we don’t just bring our professional selves to work; we bring our whole soul to work. And our soul may or may not connect with those in the room.
2. Just because we don’t connect with someone at a spiritual level doesn’t mean I should shun them; instead, we should see their presence as a test of our character and spiritual development. And if we can learn to work with them with ihsaan, that can only benefit the whole team as we’ll be able to learn from each other dispite our diverse and different way of thinking and being.

When You Bring Your Whole Soul To A Meeting

Dr. Abdallah Rothman, in his article “What Islam Offers to Modern Self-Help: An Islamic Paradigm of Psychology,” shares the following structure of the soul: 

He argues that unlike popular conceptions within modern psychology, an Islamic perspective of the soul includes multiple aspects, namely: body, mind (Aql), spiritual heart (Qalb), spirit (ruh), and self (nafs). These aspects integrate together to form the spiritual being we know as a human being. 

Therefore, when a soul attends a meeting – they bring these different aspects of their soul to the meeting. Moreover, each of these aspects can be impacted by the interactions that happen during the meeting. Below are examples of how each aspect of a soul can be affected during a meeting:

• Qalb (Spiritual Heart): If the Qalab is spiritually healthy and not sick, it’ll be able to perceive the spiritual reality of what’s happening in a meeting and maybe be given insights (baseerah) that can be very beneficial to the team or organization. However, if the spiritual heart is sick with a spiritual disease such as envy or arrogance, it may filter through into the meeting in the form of office politics or toxic behavior.  
• Aql (Mind): If the mind is sound – not just mentally but spiritually sound – a person will use their Aql to make spiritually-intelligent decisions during the meeting. For example, instead of just performing a cost/benefit analysis of a project from a Dunya (wordly) perspective, they’ll consider the Akhira (hereafter) perspective of a project and its long term benefit, thus using their Aql to make a spiritually intelligent decision for this world and the next.
• Nafs (Self): Perhaps the part that is most ‘active’ in meetings is the Nafs (Self) which, if not disciplined, can be self-centered, territorial, and egotistic. We’ve all witnessed how the Nafs, if left unbridled by the Qalb and Aql, can wreak havoc in meetings. On the other hand, if we keep our nafs in check during meetings, we might go through tough conversations without feeling threatened or blamed by what is said.
• Spirit (Ruh): This is the antidote to the Nafs. The pure part of your soul that wants to pull you up to higher meaning and purpose. It wants to connect to the Divine and heavenly realities instead of earthly desires. It can be idealistic at times – but it’s precisely this idealism that makes it an important voice to hear during meetings.
• Body: Let’s not forget the physical side of our being – our bodies – which are the vessels of our soul. If we give our body its right – with rest, nutrition, and exercise – we’ll show up to a meeting in a much better state than if we are tired or unhealthy (We cover the topic on how to take care of your body in detail in our Wellness Masterclass). Also, simple things like dressing up and being well-groomed for a meeting will impact your performance and presence during the meeting vs. showing up scruffy (or wearing your PJs on zoom calls!).

Suppose we accept that meetings are spaces where souls meet and that each soul has different aspects which can be affected in various ways during a meeting. In that case, we need to design our meetings as conducive environments where we bring the best aspects of our soul to a meeting and reduce the triggers that may bring out the negative aspects of our soul. 

Moreover, let’s not forget that in addition to managing our souls, we have an archenemy that wants to negatively influence us, whom we need to be aware of – and that is Satan (Read the article: How Satan Impacts Workplace Productivity).

Practical Tips to Design Meetings for Barakah

If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll know that we advocate for individuals and organizations to adopt Barakah Culture instead of Hustle Culture.

Barakah Culture is God-centered, hereafter focused, and purpose and impact-driven. Whereas Hustle Culture is ego-centered, worldly-focused, and material results-driven.

If we want to fuse our meetings with Barakah – we first need to adopt the Barakah Culture worldview as a team and then design our meetings as opportunities for whole soul development.

Below are ideas for designing such meetings that we brainstormed with our community members during our weekly calls (a meeting that was in itself full of Barakah!).  

We collected ideas on what to do before, during, and after the meeting to maximize Barakah – whether we meet in-person or virtually. I summarize the key points from our discussion below:

Before the meeting 

• Set the intention for the meeting: Why are you conducting/attending the meetings? What’s the intention behind it? How can you level up your intention for the meeting, so it’s more God-centered, Akhira-focused, and purpose/impact driven? (Hint: Use the Barakah Journal to help you level up your intention for the meeting).
• What Barakah Culture mindset, value, or ritual will you fuse into the meeting? You can use our Barakah Culture Cards as a tool to help you pick a mindset, value, or ritual to practice in the upcoming meeting. For example, if you decide to practice an “Abundant” mindset – you’ll be conscious of sharing your ideas and not hoarding information. 
• Schedule the meeting outside of prayer times: Make sure meetings don’t clash with prayer times and if for some reason you can’t avoid the clash, make sure that you schedule prayer breaks during the meeting or you inform the meeting host that you’ll need a 10-15 mins break for your prayers. Meetings should not be used as excuses to miss or delay prayers.
• “Tie your camel” and prepare for the meeting thoroughly: Don’t try to wing it at your meeting; it shows a lack of adab and respect for all attendees. If you’re the host, send the agenda early with relevant documentation. Make sure that the tech equipment and space are suitable for the meeting, etc. If you’re attending the meeting, read about what will be discussed during the meeting, have your own notes ready, and ask questions before the meeting if things are unclear.

During the meeting:

وعنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏: ‏ ‏”‏ما جلس قوم مجلساً لم يذكروا الله تعالى فيه، ولم يصلوا على نبيهم فيه، إلا كان عليهم ترة؛ فإن شاء عذبهم، وإن شاء غفر لهم‏”‏ ((رَوَاهُ التِّرمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: “حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ”))‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whenever a group of people sit in a gathering in which they do not remember Allah the Exalted, nor supplicate to elevate the rank of their Prophet, such a gathering will be a cause of grief to them. If Allah wills, He will punish them, and if He wills He will forgive them.”

Al-Tirmidhi

• Attend the meeting in a state of spiritual purity: Right before the start of a meeting, I recommend that you make wudu (ablution), so you reduce the influence of Shaytaan upon you during the meeting. If you’re able to – ask your colleagues to do the same and come to the meeting with wudhu. If you have more time, pray 2 rakats and ask Allah for ease and facilitation during the meeting. Also, seek forgiveness often before the start of a meeting so your personal sins don’t impact the meeting outcome.
• Say Bismillah consciously: Start the meeting with an audible and conscious Bismillah – truly internalize that you’re starting this meeting “In the name of Allah”. If you can, after Bismillah, begin the meeting by thanking Allah (hamd) and sending peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to add more Barakah to your meeting.  
• Start with a Mindful check-in: If you are the meeting host, ask all team members to check in and share where they are at a personal level. This helps you assess people’s emotions and spirituality and may inform how the meeting is conducted. E.g., If someone is having a bad day, as a leader, you can ease the pressure off them during the meeting until they are in a better state. (BONUS: You can try a Mindful Practice advocated by our Mindfulness Masterclass Instructor, Wadud Hassan. He asks attendees to take 3 deep breaths and then explore how they are arriving with their mind, body, and heart. 
• Be vigilant of Shaytaan: Be conscious of Shaytaan trying to create animosity between your team members or fuel anger and arrogance in the room. Saying “Audhu-billahi min ash-Shaytaan-in-Rajeem” when arguments rise helps – or asking teammates to change their positions if things get heated up can help.
• Make proper shura: The purpose of meetings is to discuss topics thoroughly and not force your ideas on the team. Make your case, but be open to changing your mind or adopting decisions you may not like. 

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

By an act of mercy from God, you [Prophet] were gentle in your dealings with them- had you been harsh or hard-hearted, they would have dispersed and left you- so pardon them and ask forgiveness for them. Consult with them about matters, then, when you have decided on a course of action, put your trust in God: God loves those who put their trust in Him.

Abdul Haleem 3:159

• Pause for Athan/Salah: I once attended a meeting with a leader of a large Islamic bank. When the athan went off – he went quiet and paused the meeting. After the athan, he asked that we take a break for Salah and resume the meeting after Salah. This was a  powerful example of Barakah Culture in an organizational setting.
• End the meeting with the kaffartul-Majlis dua: 

وعن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال‏: ‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏من جلس في مجلس، فكثر فيه لغطه فقال قبل أن يقوم من مجلسه ذلك‏: ‏ سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك، إلا غفر له ما كان في مجلسه ذلك‏”‏ ((‏‏رَوَاهُ التِّرمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صحيح)).‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whoever sits in a gathering and indulges in useless talk and before getting up supplicates: ‘Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-had an la ilaha illa Anta, astaghfirullah wa atubu ilaika (O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance),’ he will be forgiven for (the sins he may have intentionally or unintentionally committed) in that assembly.”

At-Tirmidhi

After the meeting

• Pray istikhara: At the end of the meeting, once you have all the key decisions, pray istikhara either as a team leader or an attendee on all the decisions made and ask Allah SWT for Barakah in those decisions.
• Thank people: Send a thank you note to people who impacted you during the meeting. Maybe they shared something that inspired you or went the extra mile with their part of the presentation. The thank-you doesn’t need to come from the team leader only; it can be amongst team members themselves – privately or publicly.
• Seek forgiveness: Sometimes, in meetings, we say or do something that may be inappropriate. Reach out to the person you may have unintentionally offended and seek their forgiveness. If it’s something that you feel impacted the whole team – write/speak to them individually or as a group and seek forgiveness. Don’t let Shaytaan run between you and cause enmity. 
• Give sincere naseeha and feedback: Sometimes, you may notice a behavior from someone they may not be aware of that negatively impacts the meeting, e.g., showing up late always, or rolling their eyes when someone disagrees with them, or constantly interrupting the speaker. After the meeting, speak to them privately about the behavior and how it impacts the meeting. Give them sincere naseeha regardless if they are the CEO or the youngest intern. 
• Take action and take responsibility for the decisions made in shura: When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) conducted shura on what to do before the battle of Uhud (whether to stay in Madinah or leave the city walls). The decision was made to go out of Medina – which wasn’t his personal preference. However, once the decision was made, he put on his armor and prepared to leave. Even when the companions felt bad that they convinced the Prophet to do something that he didn’t prefer – he didn’t change his mind but committed to the decision made in shura.
• Pray for your team: After the meeting ends, and perhaps after your istikhara prayers, take time to pray for your team privately. Ask Allah to bless them, ease their affairs, inspire them, and not let Shaytaan come between you all. These duas will be the spiritual glue that will keep the team harmony together.
• Reflect and introspect: Take some time to reflect and hold yourself accountable for your performance during the meeting. Not only from a professional point of view but also from a spiritual point of view. How was your qalb during the meeting? How was your nafs? What can you do differently next time to improve your professional and spiritual performance? (Hint: Use the end-of-day reflections in the Barakah Journal to help you with this exercise).

The above is not an exhaustive list of things you can do to attract Barakah to a meeting. However, I hope it’ll inspire you and your team to start thinking of meetings not as dreaded time-wasters but as opportunities to cultivate Barakah for yourself and organizations, insha’Allah.

If you’re interested in cultivating Barakah Culture for your organization, get in touch with us to learn more about our faith-based productivity and leadership training for teams. 

The post When Souls Meet: How to fuse Barakah into your meetings? appeared first on ProductiveMuslim.com.

As Muslims, we believe that as we enter our places of work – whether an office building, a home office, a clinic, or any other area of work – we don’t enter it alone. We believe that Satan is with us, constantly trying to whisper evil and negative thoughts to influence us and steer us away from the path of faith and goodness.

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ إِنَّمَا يَدْعُوا۟ حِزْبَهُۥ لِيَكُونُوا۟ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ

Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.

(Quran: 35:6)

The challenge in our modern lives is that we’ve either forgotten about Satan entirely and act as if he doesn’t exist, or we turned him into a boogeyman whom we’re too afraid to talk about since we have cultural misconceptions about his influence and impact on our lives. 

This is especially true for workplaces – where even the mention of Satan as a form of negative influence in the workplace will bring laughter and mockery from colleagues that you believe in such ‘backward’ concepts. Somehow we forgot the eternal promise that Satan made to Allah SWT when he said:

قَالَ فَبِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَٰطَكَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ

ثُمَّ لَـَٔاتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَآئِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَـٰكِرِينَ

[Satan] said, “Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them [i.e., mankind] on Your straight path. I will come at them- from their front, and their back, from their right and their left- and You will find that most of them are ungrateful.’ 7:16-17

(Quran: 7:16-17)

It is important to note that when we talk about the influence of Satan at work – we are not absolving ourselves from personal responsibility or blaming Satan for all our negative behavior. Instead, we want to recognize Satan’s role in human psychology and how it impacts our performance. Moreover, being aware of Satan’s influence will encourage us to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our organizations moving forward.

In this article, I’ll share ten ways Satan influences us at work with evidence from the Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I’ll then share ten practical antidotes that we can adopt as professionals and five antidotes we can adopt as companies/organizations to reduce the influence of Satan in our workplaces, insha’Allah (God-willing).

10 ways Satan influences us at work

1. SCARCITY MINDSET 

ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. 2:268

(Quran: 2: 268)

A scarcity mindset is a fear of not having enough of something valuable, and when left unchecked, it can have detrimental effects on professionals and organizations.

For example, the professional who believes that they cannot earn enough income through a halal (lawful) job, and Satan encourages them to take a job or side-gig that may not be halal out of fear of poverty. Or the employee who doesn’t want to share their knowledge or ideas out of fear that other people will take their job or steal their ideas.

Or the non-profit organization fundraiser that thinks that there are not enough donations to go around. Therefore, they avoid collaborating with other non-profits because they don’t want to “share the pie”.

In his podcast episode “How Satan Tricks Us Into Having a Scarcity Mindset,” my friend Omar Usman dives deeper into this topic, and how that impacts people and organizations.

Having a scarcity mindset will impede growth, creativity, and collaboration because you’ll always be worried about what you can lose instead of exploring what you can gain if you adopt a more abundant mindset.

2. PARALYZING FEAR

إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَآءَهُۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.

(Quran: 3:175)

Have you ever found yourself paralyzed with making a decision – even though it was the right one – because of fear of the unknown? 

Perhaps it is a big move in your life and career – but you’re too afraid to make that brave step. Or you need to make an important decision for your organization, but the fear of all the things that can go wrong stops you from moving forward and even experimenting with the new strategy. Satan whispers in you that “you’re not good enough” as a way to make you hold yourself from making a more meaningful contribution.

While some fear is natural and part of the human experience, having paralyzing fear that stops you from making meaningful progress in your personal and professional life is usually influenced by Satan. 

In the Islamic tradition, we’re taught to tie our camel and trust in God and not be held back by illogical “nightmare” scenarios Satan plays in our minds. This is especially true if you want to move forward with something that contributes to a more meaningful and purposeful life.

Another way Satan stokes fear in the workplace is having paralyzing fear of people you work with. Perhaps you have a paralyzing fear of your boss, or the CEO, or the Board. Instead of seeing these individuals as human beings with flaws, Satan turns them into larger-than-life authority figures and makes us believe that they control our sustenance and destiny and therefore we should obey them no matter what – even if it goes against personal and organizational values.

3. LAZINESS AND PROCRASTINATION

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ يَعْقِدُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى قَافِيَةِ رَأْسِ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا هُوَ نَامَ ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ، يَضْرِبُ كُلَّ عُقْدَةٍ عَلَيْكَ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ فَارْقُدْ، فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ فَأَصْبَحَ نَشِيطًا طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ، وَإِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلاَنَ ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot, he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep.’ When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays, the third knot is undone, and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

Laziness is an emotion, and it occurs when we don’t feel like doing something that we should be doing. Although not all laziness is from Satan, sometimes Satan can inspire laziness and plays a hand in slowing us down, especially when we’re doing something important or meaningful in life.

Perhaps you’re writing your next book or working on life-altering research, but you find yourself extremely lazy and yawning uncontrollably when you start working on your project. Once you switch your attention to something else, you find a significant amount of energy. That feeling of lethargy and laziness when working on something significant/meaningful…could be Satan.

Another form of laziness is procrastination – where you keep delaying things and distracting yourself with everything but what you’re supposed to do.

We all know of Satan’s classic trick of making us procrastinate on our five daily prayers until the last minute. But even procrastinating on our work and watching YouTube and/or browsing the internet instead of fulfilling our responsibility at work is procrastination that Satan inspires.

For organizations, laziness and procrastination drain an enormous amount of resources and productive hours. Companies try to curb laziness and procrastination through deadlines and constant monitoring of their employees, however, the issue at hand is a human psychological state that needs to be addressed from within.

Both laziness and procrastination stem from Satan trying to convince you that you have a long time to live, making you forget that you will die one day and that you’ll meet your Lord and be answerable for how you spent your time on this earth.

4. SEXUAL TEMPTATION

وَعَنْ عُمَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا يَخْلُوَنَّ رَجُلٌ بِامْرَأَةٍ إِلَّا كَانَ ثالثهما الشَّيْطَان» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “Whenever a man is alone with a woman, the devil makes a third.”

Mishkat al-Masabih

One of the classic ways Satan impacts us in the workplace is to distract us with sexual thoughts when dealing with colleagues from the opposite gender.

In the last few years, we’ve seen a number of high-profile cases of sexual abuse and assault that take place at work. Many people were shocked and surprised by these cases because we’ve been tricked into thinking that as we enter a professional space, we somehow enter a holy sanctuary where sexual urges are subdued. Unfortunately, knowing our psyche more than ourselves, Satan exploits the “professional” facade and flames our sexual urges, especially when alone with the opposite gender late at night or in a private closed space.

In a 2017 article in the New York Times, Americans were polled about being alone with the opposite gender, and the results were clear:

“Many men and women are wary of a range of one-on-one situations, the poll found. Around a quarter think private work meetings with colleagues of the opposite sex are inappropriate. Nearly two-thirds say people should take extra caution around members of the opposite sex at work.”

Miller, C. C. (2017, July 02). Americans Are Wary of Being Alone With the Opposite Sex.

When you spend 8-10 hours per day with the same people at work, Satan tries to plant the seeds of infatuation in your heart with the opposite gender – and if you don’t check yourself, it may lead to the haraam in a moment of weakness. Even if you’re somebody who can ‘control themselves’ – just the daily battle of trying to purify your gaze and not be aroused by temptations around you impacts your productivity and focus.

For many organizations – especially faith-based organizations – this has been a challenging aspect to manage. On one hand, we want organizations to provide fair and just career opportunities to both genders. On the other hand, organizations need to address basic human instincts and not foster an environment where Satan can play his tricks and lead to inappropriate thoughts or behavior.

5. ENMITY

وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا

And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.

(Quran: 17:53)

Nothing impacts you more at work than a toxic work environment fueled by office politics and enmity.

In an article in HBR, “The Price of Incivility,” researchers found that when workers experience rudeness, incivility, and enmity at work, here’s what happens to them:

• 48% intentionally decreased their work effort.
• 47% intentionally decreased the time spent at work.
• 38% intentionally decreased the quality of their work.
• 80% lost work time worrying about the incident.
• 63% lost work time avoiding the offender.
• 66% said that their performance declined.
• 78% said that their commitment to the organization declined.
• 12% said that they left their job because of the uncivil treatment.
• 25% admitted to taking their frustration out on customers.

We all know the feeling of going to work dreading the office drama and people we can’t stand. However, have you ever wondered where those negative thoughts about people come from? That could be Satan making you misjudge people by taking someone’s comments in the wrong way, or fueling your bad opinion about people. 

If you’re a professional walking around with all these negative thoughts about your colleagues – how can you effectively collaborate with them? 

And, as an organization, when you let Satan run loose, creating enmity between people – how can you expect workplace productivity to soar?

Again, I’m not blaming Satan for all the incivility that takes place at work, but we can’t deny his influence.

6. ARROGANCE AND ENVY

قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن طِينٍ

[Allah] said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” [Satan] said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay [i.e., earth].”

(Quran: 7:12)

I once talked to the Ombudsman of a large Bank, and he said, “The biggest challenge we have in this Bank is Envy.”

Workplaces are rife with ego-centric individuals that let arrogance and envy destroy careers and implode an organization.

We’ve seen how arrogance led to the downfall of many powerful personalities throughout history and even entire corporations. Satan can inspire arrogance at the individual level but like a disease it can spread quickly and you have an entire workforce that feels arrogant about who they are as a company and what they offer. This arrogance can blind an organization from being humble and admitting mistakes, learning from others, or exploring new ways of doing things.

Attached to arrogance, is usually envy, e.g. – when you have two or more people for a role, and one of them is chosen – that’s a breeding ground for envy. 

Moreover, our current generation, raised on a sense of entitlement (“I deserve this because I’m better and worked harder”), finds it hard to accept that somebody else might be a better fit for the job.

Arrogance and Envy are Satan’s original sin and what got him removed from Allah’s Mercy. He wants to poison our hearts with that same disease of the heart so that we forget to be humble and grateful for what we have and where we are in life.

Moreover, it’s one thing to feel arrogant and envious of your colleagues. It’s another when that arrogance and envy leads you to sabotage their projects and careers. For example, if someone asks you for a reference about someone you envy, you might lie about their track record or give the impression that something is wrong with the person without giving any evidence.

For organizations, if they don’t deal with arrogance and envy, they might have to deal with a toxic work environment of individuals and teams that try to tear each other apart because each person thinks they are better than the other.

7. DISTRACTION AND HEEDLESSNESS

ٱسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَأَنسَىٰهُمْ ذِكْرَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حِزْبُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزْبَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ

Satan has overcome them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Unquestionably, the party of Satan – will be the losers.

(Quran: 58:19)

One of the most significant workplace spiritual challenges is that it’s tough to remember Allah (SWT) in the middle of your busy workday. 

We get into work, and it’s as if we’re entering a different space dimension and completely forget our ultimate purpose in life: to worship Allah (SWT).

If it wasn’t for Dhuhur (Noon) and Asr (afternoon) prayers, we could probably go through the entire day and not remember Allah (SWT) even once.

The problem with this spiritual distraction and heedlessness from remembering God is that Satan occupies your mind and heart and tries to lead you to all sorts of inappropriate thoughts, actions, and behaviors. That’s why we sometimes find ourselves doing things and saying things at work, which we would be embarrassed to do or say in front of our families or at the mosque. 

Simply put, when your heart is empty of remembrance of God for 8-10 hours per day, your heart becomes weaker and more susceptible to Satan’s whispers.

8. ANGER

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَدِيُّ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ صُرَدٍ، رَجُلاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ اسْتَبَّ رَجُلاَنِ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَغَضِبَ أَحَدُهُمَا، فَاشْتَدَّ غَضَبُهُ حَتَّى انْتَفَخَ وَجْهُهُ وَتَغَيَّرَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَوْ قَالَهَا لَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الَّذِي يَجِدُ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ تَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَتُرَى بِي بَأْسٌ أَمَجْنُونٌ أَنَا اذْهَبْ‏.‏

Narrated Sulaiman bin Surat: A man from the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Two men abused each other in front of the Prophet (ﷺ), and one of them became angry, and his anger became so intense that his face became swollen and changed. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I know a word the saying of which will cause him to relax if he does say it.” Then a man went to him and informed him of the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “Seek refuge with Allah from Satan.” On that, the angry man said, ‘Do you find anything wrong with me? Am I insane? Go away!”

Sahih al-Bukhari

When I was a young professional, I remember having a meeting with my boss. Suddenly, a senior professional barged into the office screaming angrily because he recently got demoted and was asked to move to a smaller office.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced ‘office rage’ and how somebody who may look perfectly normal can become this angry human being that you hardly recognize.

Now, some anger is justified (and perhaps needed), especially if directed in situations that require courage and standing up to authority when they cross ethical boundaries. However, anger over petty matters or those that are driven by enmity and envy, are those inspired by Satan. 

One trick of Satan is to convince us that we need to have anger in order to get what we want and move ahead in our career. We see examples of CEOs and famous personalities who used anger to drive their employees and get results. Unfortunately, even though it may seem to work in the short-term, in the long run, if you’re unable to control your anger, it can destroy your career and tarnish your brand. 

To succeed in life (and our afterlife), we need to manage strong emotions such as anger and not let them run wild.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

9. WASTEFULNESS

إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًا

Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful. 17:27

(Quran: 17:27)

I’ve been to so many corporate and non-profit events where there was so much waste – whether it’s lavish gala dinners or extravagant decorations of the CEO office—or simply wasting paper because the office is paying for it. 

This wastefulness is all inspired by Satan and makes us poor vicegerents of Allah (SWT) on earth.

In a world that’s becoming more conscious of the environment, we need to ensure that Satan doesn’t trick us into wasting precious resources for the next generation.

If organizations don’t show leadership in how all stakeholders can be less wasteful, employees and team members will cue that being wasteful is okay. 

10. HASTE

وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ ‏-رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا‏- قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ اَلْعَجَلَةُ مِنَ اَلشَّيْطَانِ } أَخْرَجَهُ اَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ

Sahl bin Sa’d (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Haste comes from Satan.” Related by At-Tirmidhi

Bulugh al-Maram

Hustle Culture rewards speed and efficiency so much so that we consider it as a badge of honor that we’re busy and rushing from one meeting to the next.

The phrase “move fast and break things” is revered in Hustle Culture, even though there’s no evidence that being hasty leads to success.

When we rush as professionals, we lose our mindfulness and become raptured in our heedless state. Moreover, we are less likely to do our work with Ihsaan (spiritual excellence) and more likely to make mistakes that in some cases can be fatal.

Satan likes to see us always in a state of haste because then we’ll be heedless and distracted from remembering God.

Moreover, we’ve seen companies that make it a deliberate practice to rush their staff from one task to another and not give them enough breaks that they end up having to urinate in bottles on their way to the next task. Such debasing of human value and human dignity can only be inspired by Satan.

10 Antidotes to fighting Satan in the workplace

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As a professional and an organization – how should you deal with all the above negative influences of Satan? For example, how do you tackle arrogance and envy as an organization? Or manage your anger as a professional? How do you set up your workplaces so that men and women can work together respectfully and without fear of inappropriate sexual behavior?  

These questions and more are complex and require a whole industry of Islamic psychologists trained in organizational and professional development that can offer both spiritual and practical solutions to some of these challenges.

Below I share ten antidotes that professionals can practice to reduce the influence of Satan on their lives and five additional antidotes that organizations can adopt as well. As you read them, pick one or two to focus on in the next week, and come back to this list often to practice the rest as build your immunity against Satan’s influence.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and I hope you can share more antidotes you’ve tried in the past in the comments below.

1. Awareness

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” — Charles Baudelaire 

When you raise your awareness and recognize that there’s a force of evil that can influence you and your colleagues, that by itself will help put your guard up and be aware of some of the negative influences around you. 

2. Personal Spiritual Protection

We take out insurance for our homes and cars to protect them against fire and theft. We take our medicine and multivitamins to protect us against disease and bad health. Similarly, we need to arm ourselves with spiritual protection against Satan through morning and evening remembrances that give us specific spiritual prescriptions against the influence of Satan. Other spiritual protections include:

• Making the dua for leaving the house.
• Praying Fajr/Isha in a congregation.
• Reciting Surat Al-Baqarah often (yes, even at work).

3. Being in a State of Wudhu (Ablution)

Constantly being in a state of Wudhu will help reduce the influence of Satan upon you. So make it a habit to be in a state of Wudhu, and renew your Wudhu whenever you lose it. This can be very helpful if you’re entering an emotional discussion with colleagues and don’t want Satan to create enmity between you and your colleagues. I encourage my team members to attend our meetings in a state of wudhu, if possible.  

4. Avoid being alone with the opposite gender

Make it a personal policy that you’ll never be alone with someone from the opposite gender. Keep your door open if you have a private office. If you need to have a one-to-one conversation, hold it in a meeting room with glass doors or in a public area, e.g., coffee shop or cafeteria. Be respectful and professional in all your engagements with them and build a ‘personal brand’ that you’re somebody who does not tolerate inappropriate behavior with the opposite gender.

5. Say Bismillah Consciously

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ، بَكْرُ بْنُ خَلَفٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ إِذَا دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ بَيْتَهُ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ وَعِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لاَ مَبِيتَ لَكُمْ وَلاَ عَشَاءَ ‏.‏ وَإِذَا دَخَلَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ أَدْرَكْتُمُ الْمَبِيتَ ‏.‏ فَإِذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ طَعَامِهِ قَالَ أَدْرَكْتُمُ الْمَبِيتَ وَالْعَشَاءَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: “When a man enters his house, and remembers Allah when he enters and when he eats, Satan says: ‘You have no place to stay and no supper.’ If he enters his house and does not remember Allah upon entering, Satan says: ‘You have found a place to stay.’ And if he does not remember Allah when he eats, (Satan) says: ‘You have found a place to stay and supper.'”

Sunan Ibn Majah

In addition to saying Bismillah when you enter your home and eat, say Bismillah consciously when you enter the workplace and start a meeting or open your laptop. Making it a habit to say Bismillah before action will reduce the influence of Satan upon you for that act.

6. Fast at least once a week

If you want to heavily reduce the influence of Satan upon you, especially at work, make it a habit to fast once or twice a week (Mondays and/or Thursdays). Fasting can help ‘reset’ your spiritual capacity to deal with the negative influences of Satan. Also, fasting at the beginning and end of a workweek can be a great way to start and end your week on a solid spiritual high note. 

7. Follow the Sunnah when you get Angry

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَرْبِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لَنَا ‏ “‏ إِذَا غَضِبَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فَلْيَجْلِسْ فَإِنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ وَإِلاَّ فَلْيَضْطَجِعْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Dharr: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us: When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise, he should lie down.

Sunan Abi Dawud

Change your position when you get angry and seek refuge with Allah (SWT) from Satan. If you can, remove yourself from that meeting or phone call that’s making you angry, make Wudhu, and come back with a renewed intention to deal with what’s triggering you but without anger.

8. Get 3 important things done per day 

As Satan tries to distract you and make you procrastinate, make it a habit that no matter what you do all day, even if you find yourself on YouTube half the time, you won’t leave work until you complete at least three important things that day. Ideally, try to get these done early in the morning before meetings and distractions pile up, and you can use the Pomodoro technique to help you stick with the task even when every ounce of you craves distraction.

9. Make constant dua against laziness/procrastination

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to often make this dua:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

‘O Allaah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.’

Sahih al-Bukhari

We call this the “Productive Muslim Dua” because it seeks refuge from all the factors that destroy productivity and are usually influenced by Satan.

10. Don’t be wasteful

Don’t be a wasteful employee at work (or otherwise!). Recycle your paper, use a mug instead of a paper cup, and don’t waste food. If you have management power, make this a priority for organizing events or decorating your office.

How can Organizations Reduce Satan’s Influence in the Workplace?

If you’re a CEO or in HR of a predominantly Muslim workforce, you can adopt the following practices to help reduce the influence of Satan in the workplace:

1. Openly discuss the role of Satan in the workplace

We need to break the taboo of talking about Satan in the workplace. Show awareness of Satan and his influence and discuss how you will not let Satan affect your team culture. Perhaps add it as an agenda-item in your weekly/monthly check-in so it becomes an item to be discussed by the team instead of an ignored fact of life.

2. Encourage using the phrase “I don’t want Satan to play games”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ صَفِيَّةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّهَا جَاءَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَزُورُهُ فِي اعْتِكَافِهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، فَتَحَدَّثَتْ عِنْدَهُ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ تَنْقَلِبُ، فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَهَا يَقْلِبُهَا، حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتْ باب الْمَسْجِدِ عِنْدَ باب أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ مَرَّ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَسَلَّمَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ عَلَى رِسْلِكُمَا إِنَّمَا هِيَ صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ حُيَىٍّ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقَالاَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏.‏ وَكَبُرَ عَلَيْهِمَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَبْلُغُ مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ مَبْلَغَ الدَّمِ، وَإِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقْذِفَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمَا شَيْئًا ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated `Ali bin Al-Husain: Safiya, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) told me that she went to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) to visit him in the mosque while he was in I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. She had a talk with him for a while, then she got up in order to return home. The Prophet (ﷺ) accompanied her. When they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Um-Salama, two Ansari men were passing by and they greeted Allah’s Apostle . He told them: Do not run away! And said, “She is (my wife) Safiya bint Huyai.” Both of them said, “Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of any evil) O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)!” And they felt it. The Prophet said (to them), “Satan reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, (everywhere in one’s body). I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought in your minds.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

Encourage your employees and team members to clarify situations before ‘Satan plays games.’ For example, if a team member comments in a meeting that may be misunderstood or a situation arose between two members of the opposite gender that may be perceived as inappropriate, give the team members the power to ‘clarify’ and not let Satan play games.

3. Encourage remembrance of God in the workplace

You want to encourage remembrance of God in the workplace by having the athan played in loudspeakers, play the morning and evening athkar as people enter and leave the building, having a prayer room and a place where people can renew their spirituality in the hustle and bustle of work. 

Try to encourage team members to pray together in the congregation. I know a CEO of a large Malaysian conglomerate who used to lead dhuhr prayers at his company every day, and after prayer, he’d give a short spiritual reminder to his staff. Another CEO of a large Islamic Bank led tahajjud prayers during Ramadan at the Bank’s headquarters, which many of his team attended.

4. Hire a “Chief Murabbi Officer”

This can be a novel idea that’s worth exploring. A chief murabbi officer is someone whose responsibility is the spiritual development of staff members. Their role includes connecting with staff spiritually, holding regular talks and events to remind people about the importance of spirituality, and warning people against the influence of Satan. 

5. Setup physical spaces & policies to protect against inappropriate sexual behavior

Think of your workplace environment and how it can be set up to protect against sexual abuse. This can be as simple as installing glass doors on all offices and meeting rooms, having many public collaborative spaces, and implementing policies for late-night working in an office building, or inviting team members for lunch/dinner. 

6. Have zero tolerance against backbiting and gossip

Don’t let Satan thrive in the workplace by allowing gossip and backbiting, which may lead to enmity and envy. If a situation that’s causing much gossip arises, make it a point to publicly clarify the situation. Don’t let Satan run loose at your company!

I hope that you found this article and the tips above valuable and beneficial. Again, I want to be clear that Satan’s role is to whisper/suggest and make false promises to us, but, in the end, it is us who decide whether to act on these influences or not.

I hope that many professionals and organizations will take this article and share it with their colleagues to discuss and come up with even better ideas for tackling Satan’s influence at work. 

We can’t simply continue working as if he doesn’t exist – let’s commit to doing something about it.

A final thought

Our workplaces are not heavenly sanctuaries where Satan does not influence us because “we are all professionals”. If anything, they can be the perfect breeding ground for Satan to thrive, creating havoc in our spiritual selves and our workplaces.

Remember that Satan’s power over us is relative to how much we feed him. If we listen to him, ignore guidance from the Quran and Sunnah in terms of litanies and rituals to protect ourselves, and allow him to influence our daily decisions and lifestyle, we might find ourselves chained to Satan and following every conceivable demonic practice vs. fulfilling our true purpose in life of being true slaves of Allah SWT.

Audhu-billahi min ash-shaytaan-ir-rajeem

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Amina was hesitant to approach management as she was worried about losing her job or creating a commotion at work. What I found most interesting was the fact that although she was describing all the physical symptoms she was experiencing as a result of work stress, managing her health was nowhere on her radar. Our time together involved examining her life purpose and what the best version of herself looked like. As she explored, she began to appreciate the link between her health and spirituality. She no longer was willing to fulfil the demands of her workplace at the expense of not fulfilling the rights of her body.

Along with shifting her outlook, she reconnected with her life’s purpose and built on her Tawakkul. This helped her generate a deeper level of courage; one that was driven by her trust in Allah. Amina realised that Rizq (sustenance) is from Allah and was no longer willing to compromise her physical or spiritual health.

Armed with this newfound courage, she rose above any concerns of compromising her career path at work and took action.

I’m pleased to say, she approached management, discussed and agreed on new work boundaries but when work kept pressing and demanding, she had the courage to walk away and is now busy setting up a new business, one that is close to her heart. Even though this process has not been easy, Amina says her life has much more meaning and this gives her a much greater sense of inner peace and fulfilment Alhamdulilah.

Many of us hesitate in life, just like Amina did, and step back from taking action because we get so caught up in our fears and worries. Perhaps we wanted to share our point of view but felt too uncomfortable or nervous to say what’s on our mind. Or we received negative feedback and responded in a defensive manner that we later regretted. Or we saw someone treated unfairly and turned a blind eye because we didn’t have the confidence to speak up. 

If any of the above sound familiar, it is my hope that this article inspires you to follow in the footsteps of our prophets (peace be upon them) and take the path of courageous action when faced with challenging situations. This is the path that I’ll be teaching in my upcoming 6 week – Confidence masterclass (learn more here) designed to help you:

• Stay in control of how you receive and respond to negative feedback; this includes not reacting impulsively or from a place of ego and being able to create moments of pause to determine your most mindful and best response.
• Take action and speak up in alignment with your authentic self even in the face of doubt or difficulty.
• Develop a heart filled with Yaqeen (certainty) and Tawakkul (trust in Allah); enabling you to make those harder choices knowing His Help is near and whatever He decrees is always for the best.

We tend to think of courage from a modern day perspective to mean believing in oneself, taking purposeful action regardless of any personal risks, to drive forward with confidence during times of fear and uncertainty.  

But what if there’s a deeper level of courage that we need to tap into…a level of courage that can be learnt from prophets which could yield even greater results.

Prophetic Examples of Courage

The courage of our Anbiyah (peace be upon them) was rooted in their Yaqeen (certainty in Allah). This created the highest levels of courage within them because it influenced how they saw themselves, situations and what they believed could be achieved. They knew that along with their efforts, they had the Help of Allah. They knew their vision was limited but with Allah’s support, they could create unimaginable outcomes.

Their hearts and actions were aligned with this ayah:

As a Confidence coach, I have spent the last 6 years researching, studying and coaching people on how to develop spiritually centered confidence (Article: What is Spiritually-Centered Confidence?). This experience combined with my research led me to create a framework called the Belief Model designed to help others generate those higher levels of spiritually rooted confidence.

Here are few Prophetic examples which illustrate courage using the Belief Model:

We can see from the above examples that developing this level of courage enables you to tap into deeper levels of your potential, helps you stay connected to your true self and see past other people’s judgement. With modern day understanding of courage, we are still limited by our self belief but with this spiritual framework of courage, the possibilities are far more expansive.

Why is it important to develop Prophetic Courage?

With Prophetic courage, we could walk the intentional path knowing in our hearts that even micro actions can achieve macro results – the Barakah Effect! We could find comfort in the knowledge that there is an infinite powerful source supporting our own efforts. Too often we get distracted with seeking self-serving dunya results. However, having a mindset that relies entirely upon Allah would help extend our goal line to seek outcomes beyond our self and to serve our Hereafter too. 

For example, if you approached your manager at work requesting space to perform your compulsory prayers, exercising that spiritually fortified courage could result in a designated prayer room used by generations of Muslims to come! 

But what happens if they say no?

Even if management declines your request, this courage will allow you to continue to fight for your right to pray despite any career or social impact. Your priorities and actions will be driven by a more meaningful purpose and any concerns will be washed away by a deep sense of trust that Allah will take care of you and reward your efforts.

Armed with this courage, your conduct and interactions with others could also change the way all Muslims are perceived and treated in your work environment. Speaking up against an unjust practice that’s been in the family for generations, could pave the way for an entire culture to be changed.

The blessing in this model of confidence is that the less self-centric we become, the more our real confidence can grow.

Our Islamic history is rich with inspirational examples of courageous people who embodied bold spiritually rooted confidence in the face of the most unthinkable situations. When they relied upon Allah, their courage took on an even greater form, which enabled them to take on bigger tasks. Their actions reverberated for centuries afterwards, affecting generations of people and their faith. Their courage was nourished and nurtured by their love, reliance, and Yaqeen in Allah and that gave them superhuman-like strength to stand firm in the face of huge tests. 

For example, Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab (radiyallahu anha) was the first female warrior in Islam. During the battle of Uhud, Muslims started to flee the scene as they faced impending defeat. Upon seeing this, Nusaybah ran in the opposite direction straight into battle to shield the Prophet (saw). She fought so bravely to protect him, that he made duaa for her and her family on the battlefield itself.  

SubhanAllah, these acts of heroism were not just as a result of their belief in their own ability, it was fuelled by a higher purpose and their total reliance, conviction and trust in Allah. 

How can these stories relate to us today? These examples show us the power of faith. If we only rely on ourselves, we’re limited to what we think we’re capable of in the moment. But with Tawakkul, a whole ocean of possibilities opens up as we believe wholeheartedly that there is no limit on Allah and what He can do for us. This creates another level of courage, resourcefulness and solution-focused determination. 

Practical Tips to Develop Prophetic Courage

Have you ever wanted to share your point of view but felt too uncomfortable or nervous to say what’s on your mind?

Practical tip: Shift the focus from how you might look or sound to the potential value they could gain from your point of view. How can they benefit from what you have to say?

Have you ever received negative feedback and responded in a defensive manner you later regretted? 

Practical tip: Take a few mindful breaths. Bring your attention to seeking understanding of the other person’s actions through the lens of compassion and visualise the greater good that can be achieved if you choose a more forgiving response.

Have you ever seen someone treated unfairly and turned a blind eye because you didn’t have the confidence to speak up? 

Practical tip: Focus on what Allah would want from you in that moment and think about how you could intervene with that in mind. Perhaps you could also approach the person being treated unfairly with empathy and help them explore their options.

I invite you to reflect on areas in your life where you could show up more courageously. 

How could the Prophetic examples of courage help you do that? 

If you’d like to hear more about this, listen to the recording of my recent webinar on “Prophetic Model of Confidence” where I explored examples of Prophetic confidence and how we can apply it to modern day scenarios.

What you could achieve with more Prophetic courage will also be covered in the upcoming Confidence Masterclass, where I’ll be guiding you through a 6-week programme teaching you how to develop spiritually centered confidence using the Belief Model. You can learn more about it at barakahacademy.com/confidence/.

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