“By time,” [Surah Al-‘Asr 103:1]

“Indeed, mankind is in loss,” [Surah Al-‘Asr 103:2]

“Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience” [Surah Al-‘Asr 103:3]

Just a simple look at Surah al-‘Asr shows us that the main thing that Allah wants us to invest in, is ourselves. What really matters is who we are as people and what we make of ourselves. Regardless of the circumstance, Islam wants to make us the best version of ourselves in every aspect of our lives.

While many university courses, self-help books, and biographies have made time management their central theme, Muslims need to realize that time management is also a core principle in our faith. It has been a practice of the pious to distribute their time, and to even take an account of it at the end of the day. It was even the practice of the most productive person, Muhammad , as it is mentioned in a Hadith:

“When the prophet of Allah would go home, he would distribute his time into three portions; one for Allah, one for his family, and one for himself.”

We also see in a hadith of Bukhari that Umar would distribute his days. He would spend one day in the company of the Prophet and one for the earning of his livelihood. Several of the companions had the practice to spend their mornings in earning their livelihoods and their evenings in the company of the Prophet .

Therefore, a lot of the practices being taught in the lessons of time management in the western world, have already been established in Islamic thought. Our teachings have taught us how to optimize our lives and extend our capabilities to unparalleled heights. Here are seven habits adopted by productive people, and their proofs from Islamic texts. This is a real stepping stone toward social progression.

1- Remove the poison

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

“Verily, the believers are successful,” [Surah Al-Mu’minūn: 23;1]

“Those who are humble in their prayers,” [Surah Al-Mu’minūn: 23;2]

“And those who turn away from all that which is vain” [Surah Al-Mu’minūn: 23;3]

We all have certain timewasters or ‘poisons’ in our lives. We engross ourselves in entertainment, social media, and other idle practices that do not benefit us in this world nor in the Hereafter. The Prophet of Allah told us,

“Part of the excellence of one’s Islam is that he leaves that which does not concern him (does not benefit him in this world not the hereafter).”¹https://sunnah.com/nawawi40:12

He was the most productive of people to ever exist. It comes in a Hadith,

“He had left three practices: Unnecessarily arguing with people, excessive talking, and involving himself in things that do not concern him.”

2- Make reasonable goals

This is one of the main lessons taught in time management courses. Sure, we would all like to reach our true potential and wake up tomorrow as the embodiment of self-discipline and time management. But then again, not everything we want is achievable by the snapping of a finger. True change takes time and small steps are necessary in order to reach our goals. These goals are only achievable by those who are willing to persist and continuously move towards achieving them.

‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin al-As was a youth in the time of the Prophet . He would fast all day and worship all night. The Prophet told him

“Don’t do this. Fast somedays and eat the others. Stand in prayer for a portion of the night and sleep in the other. Verily, your body has a right on you. Verily, your eyes have a right on you. Verily, your spouse has a right on you. And verily, your guest has a right on you.”²https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5199

The Prophet of Allah also stated,

“Oh people! Perform your deeds according to your capability. Allah does not get tired [of rewarding you] until you get tired. And the most beloved of actions to Allah are those which are performed regularly, even though they may be few.”³https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:4238

3- Do not multitask

This is also a major lesson in self-help books and time management courses. A philosopher named Publilius Syrus said, “To do two things at once is to do neither.”When we continuously switch between tasks, our brain is actually taking on extra stress and is wasting time adjusting to the task we switched to. This is also the reason why we are asked to focus completely in our Salah, and not to talk during wudhu. It was a practice of the Prophet to turn completely towards people while speaking to them and to give them his full attention. Muslims are required to give their full attention while listening to the Quran and we are not to indulge in conversations during its recitation. The Holy Quran commands us,

“When the Quran is being recited, listen closely to it and remain quiet, so you may receive mercy.” [Surah Al-‘Araf 7:204]

4- Do not rush while completing tasks.

A great quality of overachievers is that they bring their one hundred and ten percent into everything they do. They simply focus on the task at hand and give themselves ample time to complete it. When we do not allot enough time for the completion of tasks, we stammer through our work and end up with mediocre results. The Prophet of has clearly advised us against this by saying,

 “Doing things slowly is from Allah, while rushing is from the Devil.” ⁴https://sunnah.com/search?q=haste+is+from+satan

5- Consult before making decisions

The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad was divinely guided by Allah . Yet, he still made it a practice to consult his companions before making decisions. Allah even commanded him in the Quran,

“So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Surah ‘Ali-Imran 3:159]

Taking on this step will give us confidence in our decisions, and will protect us from regret. This command of Allah s directed towards the Prophet , but is needed by us even more.

6- Sleep and wake up early

I admit, that this may just be the most difficult of habits. Islamically, we should only be indulging in activities that please Allah or sleep. It is stated in a Hadith narrated by Abu Barza,

“The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would dislike sleep before Isha, and conversations after it.”⁵https://sunnah.com/bukhari:568

Consequently, we should use the above as an opportunity to wake up early in the morning. Our beloved Prophet would pray,

“Oh Allah bless my nation in its early morning.”⁶https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2606

7- Nap in the afternoons

It is no secret that this has been a general practice of the Holy Prophet and all his companions. Recently, there have also been a lot of studies in favor of such naps. NASA conducted a study on sleepy military pilots and concluded that a forty-minute nap results in a 34 percent increase in performance and a hundred percent increase in alertness. Furthermore, it has also been the practice of greats like Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison.

8- Prioritize and Balance

One of the biggest obstacles of the modern age is knowing how to balance work, school, and personal time. The work just keeps piling up, and everything seems important. But the fact of the matter is that a lot of the things that we feel are important don’t actually need our immediate attention.

A great example of this is Abu Bakr Siddique , who was a successful and wealthy merchant. After the Prophet passed away, the task of khilafah had been appointed to Abu Bakr . After experiencing the demanding nature of this task, he eventually quit his job as a merchant to attend to the needs of the people as khalifah!

Organizing a list of things to do and ranking them according to urgency is a fairly simple task. It doesn’t take very long to do, but will do wonders for your productivity and help you get more out of the limited time you have.

It will also help you decide what things help you move in the direction of your goals and ambitions, and what things hinder you from doing so. Once you see the bigger picture laid out in front of you, it’ll be much easier to cross off any distractions and hindrances from your list.

Having trouble deciding what is worth putting on your list and what isn’t? The book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by George McKeown is an excellent read!

Finally, don’t forget to take some time for yourself! Amidst the chaos of day-to-day life, take a moment to stop and smell the roses. Setting aside some time to appreciate your surroundings and loved ones helps reduce stress and does wonders for your mental health.

[This article was first published here]

Related reading:

– The Six Habits of a Highly Effective Ramadan

– Taking Ownership Of Your Choices