I hate routine. Except when it comes to morning routines :) That’s something I try and stick to! ;)
There’s something about starting your day on a number of pre-planned actions that really set your day straight. Below I describe the ‘ideal’ ProductiveMuslim morning routine. (Note: I assume that Fajr Athan is at 5.00am and that work starts at 8am, feel free to ‘adjust’ the routine below to suit your timetable inshaAllah)
4.00AM – 5.00AM: 5 Essential Actions
1. Wake up!
Perhaps the first and most important step to having a great morning routine is waking up early! And it is in that moment of indecisiveness – whether you should wake up immediately or enjoy your nice comfy bed for ‘5 more minutes’- wherein lies the secret to either a great day or a crazy one. Here’s a tip that always works with me for waking up: You know how shaytaan whispers in your ears “just sleep for 5 more minutes”… I simply whisper back to myself “just wake up for 5 minutes” ;) Yup, you can imagine the rest. As soon as you’re awake and begin reciting the Adkhar and making wudhu, you can imagine what happens to sleep – (Gone! Left the building!).
2. Make the Dua(s) for waking up and recite last 10 verses of Surah Al-Imran
Alhamdulillah, we have a beautiful set of “waking up” supplications which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us. A collection of Wake Up Supplications can be found on MakeDua.com. My favorite is the recitation of the last 10 verses of Al-Imran (Chapter 3 of the Quran). You can almost feel your heart coming to life and being ‘juiced’ when the first thing you do as soon as you wake up is remember Allah & recite His Glorious Words from the Quran.
3. Make Wudhu
We can all agree, there’s something about wudhu that really focuses your positive energy and cleanses you inwardly as well as outwardly. I had a friend who used to call this feeling “WuBuzz!” short for the “Buzz” you feel after wudhu ;) Don’t forget to say Bismillah before starting wudhu and the dua after finishing wudhu! The 8 gates of Heaven will be opened for you, (not a bad way to start your day ;) and you’ll feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
4. Tahajjud & Witr
Tahajjud or Qiyaam has been described as the “honour of the believer”, because who else would go through what you just did (wake up, wudhu..etc) just to stand up and pray? The beauty of Tahajjud is hard to describe; from the feeling of tranquility in your heart and understanding the Quran better at this time, to feeling closer to Allah at a time of isolation from others and wishing that you would never get up from that prostration, to self-reflection moments that we rarely get a chance to exercise in our busy world… all of them and more come from Tahajjud! Finally, praying Witr after Tahajjud and making sincere dua to Allah is a true booster to your day!
5. Istighfar moments
Don’t forget to use the last 5-10 minutes before Fajr to ask Allah for forgiveness and making lots of istighfar so that you are among those Allah mentioned in the Quran: “And in the hour of early dawn, they (were found) praying for Forgiveness” (Quran, Chapter 51, Verse 18).
5.00AM – 5.05 AM: Fajr Athan
Say as the muaddhin (The person who calls to Prayer) says and don’t forget the Dua after athan. Supplications Related to Athaan can also be found at MakeDua.com
5.05AM – 5.30AM: Between Athan & Iqama
1. Pray the 2 rak’ahs Sunnah of Fajr
Don’t miss this! Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The two rakahs before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all that it contains. (Riyad-us-Saliheen (Hadith # 1102). Just think about this hadeeth for a moment; 5 minutes of your time to pray 2 short rak’ahs are better than this whole wide world with all its’ lands, people, treasures, nature and beyond! SubhanaAllah!
Also, if this is the importance and merit of the Sunnah of Fajr, what about the obligatory Fajr prayer itself? (There is a heartwarming video reminder to those who neglect Fajr Salah called: ‘Are you neglecting the Fajr Prayer?’)
2. Dua
Did you know that the time between the Athan & Iqama is a prime time to make dua? Make the most of it! Narrated Anas ibn Malik: “The supplication made between the athan and the iqamah is not rejected.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, Book #2, Hadith #0521)
3. Lie on your right side
Narrated ‘Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her): “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to pray two light rakahs before the morning (compulsory) prayer after the day dawned and the Mu’addhin had finished his adhan. He then would lie on his right side till the Mu’addhin came to pronounce the Iqama.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book #11, Hadith #599)
4. Brainstorm session
I sometimes use this time to either plan my day, or brainstorm ideas for ProductiveMuslim/articles or just reading and writing. You’ll be surprised how active your brain is at this time! You’re awake, alert and kicking ;)
5. Quran memorization
Speaking of your mind being active, memorizing Quran at this time is incredible as well. I have tried memorizing Quran after Asr/Maghreb when I’m tired and back from work Vs. after Fajr. The difference is overwhelming, SubhanaAllah! After Fajr, your brain is truly like a sponge and it is the best time to memorize verses from the Quran :).
5.30AM – 6.00am: Fajr Salat & Dhikr
If you are a brother, and can get to a mosque no matter how far – go for it! The beauty of praying Fajr in the masjid is hard to describe. I prefer walking to the Masjid Vs. driving (cycling is good as well ;) since you get a chance to breath in the fresh morning air; Allah says in the Quran: “And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness” (Chapter 81, Verse 18)
After Fajr Salah, sit back, relax and enjoy performing the post Salah Dhikr and morning supplications.
6.00 – 6.30am: Recite, Read or Exercise
1. Quran Memorization/Recitation
Recite and/or Memorize Quran as mentioned previously, or if you have a good tafsir book, then reading the meaning of at least one page of the Quran is a great bonus!
2. Reading
Spend this time reading Islamic material. I stress that the reading must be Islamic, because as I mentioned previously, your mind is like a sponge at this time and is highly active. You want whatever you’re reading to be truly embedded into your mind & soul inshaAllah.
Suggested books to read: Hadeeth books, Stories of the Prophets, Seerah, etc…
3. Exercise
Another option is a quick 30 minute exercise. This could be jogging around the block, cycling, using a treadmill, some aerobics/cardiovascular exercises and anything that builds your stamina.
6.30AM – 6.45: Plan Your Day
This is where I plan the rest of my day, of course, using the Taskinator ;). Sometimes I check and send e-mails around this time as well to help me plan my day or set out tasks for myself and team members.
6.45AM – 7.00: Get Ready For Work
Shower, get dressed, and gather your paper work, (although organizing your items the night before makes this 15 minute process of getting ready a lot smoother!) Put things where you can find them so that you don’t waste time searching for them.
7.00AM – 7.10: Duha Prayers.
Nothing sets your day straight like Duha prayer, as mentioned in the “Top 7 Spiritual Productivity Habits” to adopt. Nu`aym ibn Hammar (Allah be pleased with him) relates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Allah Most High says: O child of Adam, don’t fail to perform four rakahs in the beginning of your day, and I shall be your sufficiency at its end.” (Abu Dawud (1289) and Tirmidhi (475).
7.15AM – 7.30AM: Breakfast
Reward yourself for a ProductiveMorning with a big FAT hearty (healthy) breakfast! Try to avoid caffeine and have a fibre filled bowl of goodness to set you in good stead.
7.30AM – 8.00AM: Commute to Work
Don’t forget my tips about commuting ProductiveMuslim style! ;)
Imagine if all your mornings were like the above… how much will you gain spiritually? How much knowledge will you acquire? What will your mood be like for the rest of the day? Try the above, just for one day, and let me know how it goes inshaAllah.
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Hey man this aint no tanzee way of waking up, things have truly changed! lol
Brk A Fk bro, very good reminder, and may Allah keep us on his straight path.
I think i lost your mob again, the skype one. Yep im tight, but send it through email or miss call isA.
HAjj maqbool
Armaj
Assalamu alaikumwarahmatullah. I tried a similar routine out on the advice of our mashaikh who remind us that knowledge does not come to us with a body that is at ease. Masha’Allah tabarak Allah I really admire people who can do a routine like this and stick to it. The only part I struggle with is implementing it alongside the realities of a 9-5 job. When I have woken up at tahajjud time and stayed up, I feel like I could doze off in the middle of the working day. . . and in the summer months – that’s another kettle of fish altogether. Staying awake from maybe 1.30am. . I think in my mind the only solution is to be your own boss, so you can work your own hours?
SubhanaAllah, I love what you just said "knowledge does not come to us with a body that is at ease" I can see the wisdom behind that.. I guess, the level of emaan we need to reach is when we draw "energy" from staying up at night for tahajjud and fasting during the day and instead of it being a burden, it becomes a driving force for us inshaAllah.
I agree regarding being your own boss is definitely the best option, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have to work harder or wake up earlier and stay later, it just means you’ll be doing something you love inshaAllah. I can recommend a very good book on this regard, it’s called "Escape from Cubicle Nation" amazing book about transitioning from a corporate guy to enterpreneur ;)
Any reason why you don’t have your breakfast and have a shower as soon as you get out of bed ?
Assalamu’alaikum,
I like to keep an empty/clear stomach before Praying Fajr and only start eating food after I’ve had my ‘spiritual food’ for the day (i.e. Tahajjud+ Fajr + Quran). Don’t like to feel bloated during Salah.
Regarding shower, anytime is fine. But if you’re going to be exercising in the morning, you’ll need to take a shower after that.
Two questions:
1. How would you adjust this (or would you?) if ‘Isha is at like 11 pm and Fajr is at 4:00 am? Especially during Ramadan? Would you use some more of this time to sleep or would you just go on with your day with only a few (like 3) hours of sleep? Similarly, when ‘Isha is really early (right now it’s 6:30 pm where I’m at) and Fajr is nearly 7 am… would you still wake up so early and do all the other stuff first and then pray right before you leave for work?
2. I’m assuming one doesn’t just start doing this routine if they have been struggling with even just waking up for Fajr or are naturally a night owl. Do you have any tips on how to ease into such a drastic departure from their current reality? What would be the first thing to start doing? How did you come into this routine over time? Or are you naturally a morning person? I’d like to hear your story on how you started doing this. Like, first you did this, then when you mastered this, you started doing that, etc.
One of the struggles we face here in the West is the constant changing of prayer times. The closer you get to the tropics, the more stable the sunrise/sunset times are throughout the year. That makes sticking to such a routine pretty challenging, and it’s not something that the Prophet (sallalahu ‘alayhi wassalam) or his Companions would have had to deal with since the variation in time would have been much less extreme.
JazakAllah khair!
Wassalam,
Callista
Jazak Allah for your questions. We’ll get back to you shortly,
Firstly, regarding your second question about how did “I ease into the morning routine”, from a personal perspective, it all started off with Fajr. This was my one goal to never ever ever miss fajr in the Masjid with the Muslims.. I put all sorts of constraints upon me so that I would achieve this including: having multiple alarms in different locations, letting my computer play some Quran around Fajr time, jumping off the bed as soon as I hear the athan and not let shaytaan whisper in my ears “5 more minutes!”. Also, at one point I asked my friends to call me and make sure I wake up, even had a “fajr buddy”, someone who I’d always meet up together for Fajr. All these techniques helped me establish my Fajr and ensure that this basic obligation is fulfilled.
Once Fajr is established in my daily routine, the next step is to build upon this.. so I started staying in the Masjid till sunrise reciting Quran, doing the morning supplications, and making sure that I don’t check my e-mails before I pray fajr, read Quran, and recite some athkar and dua. Then I started to work on my tahajjud and forcing myself to wake up at least 30 minutes before Fajr to pray 2 rak’ah and witr.. and so on.
So yes, it did come in stages and wasn’t an overnight establishment of a morning routine. And I have to admit, I’m constantly reviewing my morning routine, tweaking it and improving and making sure I’m making most of every minute.
Now regarding your first question abour Isha and fajr time changing especially for those who live in the west, I’ll be honest, there’s no easy answer. I used to live in the UK and found it challenging. My advice would be to stay up till isha during summer months, sleep a bit, wake up for fajr, then sleep again till 7am or 1 hour before you need to go to work/school. During Winter on the other hand, sleep early, right after isha so around 7pm and then wake up at 3am and enjoy a quiet and beautiful night of prayer, supplication, witr, brainstorming and reading… I used to love Winter for this purpose.
I hope I answered your query, feel free to ask further!
Jazak Allah khair!
Any news on the questions? I’m really dying to implement this but really lost – what do I do first? How can I integrate this into my life? I know if I try to do it all at once I’m going to crash and burn and end up beating myself up and being resentful. I really need some step-by-step guidance and a timeline on how long realistically this should take and some inspiration stories on how others have been able to do this. Otherwise it just sounds like “you should do this” but just makes you feel bad when you can’t. I like to see concrete examples and how-to’s, otherwise this just seems to be like an unattainable lofty goal, another thing to feel guilty about not being able to do. Thanks again.
Wassalam,
Callista
Callista, you just made a very good point here! Can someone answer these questions?
Djazaak Allah ghair!
Wa’salaam Ahlam
I got up this morning, prayed, said il athkar, did some exercises. had my breakfast, got ready and left for work, i took the road overlooking the sea.
This was the best morning i’ve had in years!!! Jazakum Allah Khayran and i truely pray that i can keep it up every single day!!
Jazakum Allah Khayran
ma shallah, i want u guys to suggest a complete routine for the whole day
and maybe another topic about how to plan for a complete week, how to evaluate your self at the end o the week and the most important how to stick to the routine
jazakom allaho khayran :)
Productive days, sleepful nights, and a very happy me!
again ahsana allahu ilaykom
if i just quit the habit of “sahar” i would be in a far better status. although i don’t plan to stay for a late hours of night; but it’s bec i sleep in the morning so i don’t feel sleepy at early night..
i just have one comment about saying: “Peace be upon him”.
u know the ayah which says:
{إِن الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا “صلوا” عليه وسلموا تسليما}
so we’re supposed to say: “Peace and prayers be upon him” not just “Peace be upon him”
thanks a lot
To prepare the night before, start off by using our Taskinator found here: http://www.productivemuslim.com/the-daily-taskinator/ and plan your next day hour by hour.
Secondly, sleep as early as possible, ideally right after Isha and I’d recommend that you sleep a minimum of 4.30hrs to a maximum of 6hrs. That should be enough time to keep you from feeling sleepy during the day.
You may feel a bit sleepy in the first few days you try this, but after a while your body will get accustomed to this and you should be fine.
Also, fill your days with exciting things to do and projects, most of us feel sleepy and tired when we’re bored or have nothing to do.
Hope this helps,
AbuProductive
Also, when you wake up in the morning, you should force yourself not to sleep – instead go for a walk, have a big breakfast, or do something early in the morning that you enjoy and like and soon inshaAllah you’ll be an early bird! :)
Hope this helps,
AbuProductive
JazakAllahu khaira for the great effort by you and your team for establishing and producing the contents in this website. Alhamdulillah, I got to know this website just today. It is truly inspirational especially to me who has been struggling to be a productive muslim. I hope that Allah will reward everyone associated to this website with His great blessings and mercy and I make dua to Allah to make us all able to transform this knowledge into practical actions for the sake of Allah.
When there is a will,Allah will gift you a way. :)
I’ve been trying to stay up after Fajr for more than… 2 years? but I never actually managed. Everytime I did, I ended up feeling super sleepy the moment I was supposed to leave the house and go to uni.
After reading this article, I realise how important it is to have a list of things to do in order to stay awake, and keep your mind off your warm bed. I’ll try my best tomorrow morning, in sha Allah!
G.C.
Ideally, witr prayer should be the last thing you pray in the night before fajr, but if you’re not sure that you’ll wake up before fajr to pray qiyam-al-layl, then best to pray witr before you sleep.
Hope this helps.
May Allah reward the team of this site and their families in this world and akhirah. aameen
Masha Allah, may Allah increase our eemaan and make us better productive muslims, aameen
Somebody please clear things up for me and to the rest who had the same thinking like me. thx.
There is a hadeeth in Sahih Bukhari that states that Paradise has 8 gates:
“Narrated Sahl bin Sad: The Prophet said, “Paradise has eight gates, and one of them is called Ar-Raiyan through which none will enter but those who observe fasting.” The Prophet also said, “If a person spends two different kinds of something (for Allah’s Cause), he will be called from the gates of Paradise.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #479)
I think you are referring to Hellfire which has 7 gates as per the following verse from the Quran:
“And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!
To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.” (Surat Al-Hijr, Verses 43-44)
Hope this helps!
- Abu Productive
Very nice article. May allah reward you with jannath….
i was already following almost the same routine until a few days ago, but from the last few days shaitaan has been quite active. Reading this article has given me a boosted motivation to return to the productive routine. thanks.
I have been trying out the above routine but I struggle with kushoo in tahajud and when trying to undertake othereparts of the routine i feel drowsy and seem to just go through the motions is this normal. I dont feel that i benefefit do to tiredness and lack of concentration
jazakallah .
please try to examine your sleep routine for a few days and conclude for yourself that how many hours sleep you need, what time your should sleep in order to wake up on time and once you are awake do not let these thoughts come to your mind.
please bear in mind that a clear and solid determination and willingness is required in order to have a health routine.
I hope this will be helpful.
dear khaliluk i had the same problems when i started. let me give a few suggestions:
- try to sleep on time. you have to see for yourself how much sleep you think is sufficient for you.
- you need solid and clear determination. any reluctance on your part will either result in missing Fajr salah or drowsiness etc.
- from my experience this lazy and drowsy feeling is due to our own mind set. if we are fully motivated and willing (with no compromise) to get up and pray Fajr salah and continue with the routine, then i think all the problems and issues would be resolved.
I hope this is helpful.
Brother, my husband is doing his molecular bioscience and due to his works, he feels sleepy most of the time.. and i don’t know how to manage. sometimes there will be some argument held between us due to his sleeplessness.. also i don’t know he is weak or his work load is the problem.. am so confused and don’t know how to manage this problem..
could u please advise me..
JazakAllah khair for your work. And may Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) Guide us..
Jazaak Allah Khair!
Jazaks for the wonderful and very beneficial article!
Commentary: We learn from this Hadith [below] that the Prophet (PBUH) used to perform usually four Rak`ah in Duha prayers but sometimes he also performed more. In some of the Ahadith, their number varies from two to eight. One is therefore free to perform two, four or eight Rak`ah according to his convenience
*Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: My Khalil (the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)) directed me to fast three days of each month, and to observe two Rak`ah Duha (optional prayer) at forenoon, and to perform the Witr prayer before going to bed. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
*Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “In the morning, charity is due on every joint bone of the body of everyone of you. Every utterance of Allah’s Glorification (i.e., saying Subhan Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Praise (i.e., saying Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity and every utterance of declaration of His Greatness (i.e., saying La ilaha illAllah) is an act of charity; and enjoining M`aruf (good) is an act of charity, and forbidding Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two Rak`ah Duha prayers which one performs in the forenoon is equal to all this (in reward).” [Muslim].
*`Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to perform four Rak`ah of Duha prayer (at the forenoon) and would add to them whatever Allah wished. [Muslim].
Source: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/08/chap206.htm (Riyad-us Saliheen)
Thanks for useful tips
( ALLAH Hafiz )
this article really awesome…can u share some advice to make us wake up early morning easily?
thank you..
I try this morning and I feel much better slightly more close with ALLAH Throughout the day I was reminded of the beauty of our religion
So i say deeply and sincerely thanks
(i will practise the ” night routine” i am sure it will be beneficent for my faith and my sleep ;D)
And this is from Tafsir Ibn Kathir: ”Allah said: (And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness.) Mujahid and several others said: “They were performing Salah.” Others said that they would stand in prayer during the night and delayed asking Allah for forgiveness until the latter hours before dawn. As Allah, the Exalted the Blessed, said;
(And those who seek forgiveness during the last hours of the night.)(3:17); This is because it is better if asking for forgiveness is done while praying.”
jazakallahukhair to Productive Muslim.
jazak abu productive!!!!!!!!!!!!
This article is really helpfull. Jazaak Allaah khayr.
But What about the people who r living in places that the time of salaat alfajr is in the summer around 3am and in the winter 7am.. Cuz thats my biggest problem of having a morning routine. what should i do? should i just have a morning routine, but not starting with fajr (i mean like waking up for fajr at 3am nd then sleep untill 6am nd then start my morning routine)..? or waking up from fajr nd sleep early ? even if fajr is at 3am?
Excellent blog…
Excellent work you have got performed, this site is admittedly interesting with fantastic info. Time is God’s technique for maintaining everything from occurring simultaneously….
Cheeky, yet cool. Nice1 akhi.
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