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Time Management: Islamic Solutions

Introduction Allocating time Scheduling the time allocations Sample timetable

Introduction to time management in Islam

Time management is an important part of everyone's life. Without time management, corporate life in the (According to the West) modern world does not even start. For students too, the success in exams/assignments/projects is all dependent upon this important part. The Western civilizations have come up with different schemes of time management. However Islam gave the beautiful ways to manage time. Not only does it gives advice on time management, it also provides 5 pegs in the daily timetable when one can relax and also use them as synchronizing one's time. These pegs are the 5 prayers. Although it would take a whole book of several volumes to discuss all the details of this very important topic, we shall suffice to give only a few examples and details Insha Allah (If God Wishes). The Rasool Ullah Sall Allah Ho Alaihe Wa Sallam used to divide His time in three main portions. 1. Time for Himself (Alone) 2. Time for family 3. Time for other people In addition, in the Naqshbandiya Tareeqah, one has to take care of each breath. (Called Hosh Dar Dumm) meaning that one should be careful that one's moments in life are not spent in wasteful activities. Rather at all times, one keeps oneself in the Zikr of Allah. Now, that is only possible if one is aware of the passing of days/hours and minutes. Hence again, we need to have a timetable for ourselves. Our Shayookh ask mubtadee (starter) students even to account for their times and create a daily timetable and routine. As you shall see Insha Allah, the routine can have everything from sleeping to playing sports to giving time to family etc. Similarly, we can manage our time in two steps: 1. Divide time 2. Allocate time In addition, please remember that in Islam, a small thing done with consistency is considered to be much better than a large thing done only a few times. Then "Isteqamah" (Consistency on following Shariah) is considered higher than Karamaah (miracles from Awlia Allah) And Awlia Allah always guide their students (Fuqaraa) to consider sticking to one's routine to be the highest priority as much as possible.

2 Here is a sample timetable. Although this example is for people living in North America but can be easily adapted to map on to any time and place Insha Allah. Please note that there is no hard and fast rules. What works for one may not work for another. Please be flexible and proactive. Monitor your timetable closely and make changes when required. e.g. If you find out that a thing cannot be performed in X number of hours, next time, allocate ample time for it so that your complete timetable overall does not suffer. Please also note that this is for a working person. If one is self-employed, you may want to change the timetable so as to add more sunnahs such as sleeping during the day as well as other times for muraqaba such as between Zuhr/Asr and/or Asr/Maghrib as preferred by the Holy Qura'an. (Wa Sabbehuho Bukratawn Wa Aseela) (And Praise Allah in the morning and the evening) The following sample division of time for a working person or student and especially for the starter of the path (Some things have been taken as maximum time for the sample. Usually they may take lesser time though) In addition, students can change the time for office to time for college/school etc. Insha Allah. top

Step 1: Time allocation:

Sleep: 6 hrs Prayers (To ensure being consistent in Muraqaba, one can do 5-10 minutes of muraqaba with each prayers, other than that one can perform muraqaba whenever one gets even a minute of free time.) Fajr (15 + 5 min) + Zuhr (15 + 5 min) + Asr (10 + 5 min) + Maghrib (10 + 5 min) + Isha (30 + 5 min) + Tahajjud (20 + 45 min) = 1:40 min prayers + 1:10 min. Muraqaba (Blue is Muraqaba) = 2:50 Starting tasbeehat of tareeqah (e.g.) : Darood 2-3 + Kalima 2-3 + Other = :30 (Normally can be completed while performing other tasks or walking around etc. too) Office (including preparation and travel) : 8 hrs. + 1:30 hr preparation + travel (say) = 9:30 hrs. Time for family: playing with kids (1 hr.) + teaching them/spending time or muraqaba etc. 1 hr. = 2 hours Reading Tafseer:30 min Reading other books (Fiqh etc.) :30 Food/Meals: 30 X 3 = 1:30 Exercise/sports :30 Total = 6 + 2:50 + :30 + 9:30 + 2 + :30 + :30 + 1:30 + :30 = 23:50 Note: Why 45 min. minimum longer muraqaba at tahajjad time? Although not necessary to be that much, as a suggestion for people who need to do zikr in lataif , this may be used to give enough time for the longer muraqaba, depending upon one's asbaaq and guidance by one's Shaykh. e.g. Qalb 10 min, (Qalb +) Rooh 5 min., (First 2 +) Sirr 5 min., (First 3 +) Khafi 5 min, (First 4 +) Ikhfaa 5 min., (First 5 +) Nafs 5 min, (First 6 + )Qaalib (Sultan Ul Azkaar) 5 min.

3 (10 minutes = Approximately 500 times Zikr of Ism E Zaat Allah from lataif) top

Step 2: Applying the time allocations

As we can see above, even giving such flexible times to various things, we can still manage to do just about everything as long as each thing is done according to the rules of Islam e.g. Without going to extremes and at the correct time. In addition, if you would look closely, the times above are really flexible e.g. for most people, it does not take :30 min to do Tasbeehat, rather they can be done while doing other chores, driving, kitchen (for housewife sisters) or meetings (for working people) etc. In addition, one can adjust the times so that if one task takes too little time, one can use that time for another too. For scholars who have interaction with other people, they can e.g. add that as an activity etc. Now, the next thing is to convert this to a valid timetable. Please note that we can use the pegs for prayer times to be our guides so that a task can be say 30 minutes before Isha or say 10 minutes after zuhr. Also, if other than this, one gets more free time, one can spend in something like, say doing muraqaba etc. North America (eastern Time) January Prayer times are about: Fajr: 5:30 So, one may sleep before or at the time calculated as following: T = Sleep + tahajjud/Muraqaba = 6 + 1:05 = 7:05 Maximum time to go to sleep = 5:30 AM (Fajr time) - T (Above time) = 5:30 - 7:05 hours = Approximately 10:25 PM (Please note that the preferable time to go to sleep is immediately after Isha though) Then it may take say around 20 minutes for fajr. So, the pointer is now at 5:30 + :20 = 5:50 AM + 1:00 (For Tafseer + fiqh) Now, you can spend :30 minutes for exercise. So, the pointer is at 7:20 AM (One can also do muraqaba or tasbeehat or study of the books till say sunrise around 7:05 AM approximately in case one did not get up for muraqaba at tahajjad so as to compensate. i.e. That means now, the time is around 7:20 AM. Now, you can first take breakfast and prepare to go to office/school etc. and say it takes 9:30 hours for breakfast including travel (You may have some of your prayers and muraqaba and lunch during office now which gives you extra time. )

4 So we are now at 7:20 AM + :30 + 9:30 = 17:20 or 5:20 PM (Zuhr + Asr + Maghrib times come during office/travel so we ensure to say them on time + do associated muraqaba, if possible) Now, you can say e.g. Spend time with family + dinner i.e. 2 hours + :30 and meanwhile say Isha at 6:27 So, now the pointer is at 5:20 PM + 2:00 + :35 + :30 = 8:05 PM If you have not completed tasbeehat till now, complete them or else do whatever is left for you. Especially it is better to do Astaghfaar after Isha or while trying to go to sleep so that one recalls all sins during the day and seeks forgiveness alongside Zikr from the heart. So, e.g. Now, the time would be 8:05 + :30 = 8:35 PM As we have seen above, we still have extra time Insha Allah. top

The Time Table

Now, putting this in a schedule, we have the following example of a timetable for an Eastern time schedule in January. Please note again that this is no hard and fast timetable but rather to serve as an example of how the general schedule can be made. In particular scenarios, these items can be re-arranged: Sleep (At max. by) 10:25 PM -- 4:25 AM Tahajjad + 45 min. Muraqaba: 4:25 -- 5:30 Fajr + Muraqaba : 5:30 -- 5:50 Tafseer: 5:50 -- 6:20 Fiqh etc. 6:20 -- 6:50 Exercise: 6:50 -- 7:20 Breakfast = 7: 20 -- 7:50 Office prep. + travel + Office = 7:50 AM -- 5:20 PM Teaching children and family + combined muraqaba + Isha + playing with them/home work etc. : 5:20 -- (Isha 6:40 -- 7:15) -- 8:05 Left over Tasbeehat: 8:05 - 8:35 PM Thus, one can use similar ideas to generate one's time table and try to stick to it as much as possible, learn from previous mistakes and next time, make a better one and so on Insha Allah. top