How do I make my holidays productive?

Simple Answer: Set daily timetable and targets

In order to determine a more accurate and workable timetable, you may use the SMART model. Let your timetable and goals be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. 

The more specific and clear you are, the more likely you are to achieve your target. Don`t just say you want to memorise some Qur`an; say exactly how many lines of a surah or how many prophetic traditions (hadiths) or duas from a particular book you will memorise daily.  

The goals set could include: 

• Observation of salah at its time and partaking in the set activities in the Masjid. 

• Reciting the Qur`an regularly. In the recitation of the Qur`an is the contentment of the heart. Recite Qur`an. Study or listen online to a reliable work on tafsir (commentary of Qur`an), as recommended by your local scholar. 
• Completing daily dhikr. The more you love someone, the more likely you are to mention them frequently; similarly, the more you mention someone favourably, the more your love for them will strengthen. 
• Helping friends and family. Set a time throughout the day to help the family. Sit down and bond with them. Ask the elderly, friends and associates if they need assistance with their shopping etc. 
• Learning deen. What truly matters is the time we will have invested for learning the religion or for religion, and for connecting with our Creator. The success criteria in the Hereafter is, not a degree, qualification or work experience, but righteous actions. 
• Staying away from sins. Though this quite vague, we`ve all heard of the proverb, `an idle mind is the devil`s workshop. ` If it is holidays and you don`t have anything to do, then it is highly likely that once you start browsing the internet, YouTube or any of the other social media platforms, you will end up wasting time and compromising on your spirituality. Listen to the spiritual discourses of the masha`ikh (scholars) to help steer away from falling into wrong. 

• Exercising and eating healthily. Stay spiritually and physically fit. A healthy body is important for a healthy soul. An Arab saying goes, “a healthy brain lies in a healthy body.“ The prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “A strong believer is more beloved to Allah than a weak believer; however, there is goodness in both of them …“ [Muslim]

Set an actual number with actual deadlines. Quantify your goals. Be measurable. Put a number to it. say, for example, “I will recite the third kalimah, istighfar and durud sharif (salutations on the Prophet PBUH) 100 times each between Fajr salah and Ishraq daily,” or “I will recite a quarter of a juz from the Qur`an daily between Asr and Maghrib”, or “After supper, we, as a family, will conduct daily ta`lim from Fadha‘il-e-A‘mal, Muntakhab Ahadith, Hayatus Sahabah, or any other suitable book, for 5 minutes followed by a joint dua (supplication) for 2 minutes.”  

Ask yourself what you would like to do and, most importantly, why is it important to you. Add a strong meaning and purpose to the goal you have set. Don’t just read a book on Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) or stories of the Prophets to your children, but explain to them why it is so meaningful and important to learn about them and apply them within our daily lives.  

Set a timetable that is workable. Be realistic. If you’ve never been a bookaholic or an avid reader, don`t just say you will read a whole book in one day or learn a whole language in a week. Rather, set a target which may be challenging, but possible and something within your reach. These small steps can build a momentum and eventually broaden into greater hopes and dreams. Consider the different ups and downs during your day and in pursuit of your goal.

Ask yourself whether the goal or activity is relevant to you or not. Is it worthwhile? Is your goal or what you are currently doing truly in line with what you believe in, what your passion is in and what you want out of life? Ask yourself at each moment, “How will this help me in the Hereafter?”, “How can I make this act a means of reward for me in the Hereafter?”, “How can this time become the most useful for me?” There are two bounties about whom many of the people are deceived: free time and good health. Make the most of your time. If your passion is history, start studying Islamic history; if your passion is ICT, offer your services to create an Islamic website or App; if your passion is in languages, help with some editing of Islamic literature; if your passion is in helping others, volunteer and help out your local masjid or local organisations/ charities etc. 

Also, break your timetable and goals into smaller intervals; this will help you monitor your progress. It is important to hold yourself accountable on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Each night, reflect on what happened during the day, “Did I achieve my target of ma`mulat and dhikr (religious readings) today?”, “How much closer/ further was I from achieving it?” “Did I recite my daily assigned juz/ para from the Qur`an today?” “Did we conduct our daily ta`lim or not?” etc.  

Set a fixed deadline; if it`s a `someday`, then it`ll probably be `no day.` If the task is short and simple, then apply the `2-minute rule`. This is, that if a task will take 2 [or 5] minutes to do, then don`t procrastinate and delay the matter; do it NOW. 

Posted in General on 14th Feb 2021 by Our Imam | 1097 Views