I want to propose seven dimensions through which we can measure and increase the weight of our time. Think of these as seven scales nested within each other, from the smallest unit of time to the largest: the moment, the hour, the day, the week, the month, the year, and the lifetime.
I see boredom for someone sincerely trying to get closer to Allah as a stretch of ‘dryland’ between two spiritual oases. The first oasis was when they first tasted the sweetness of that worship. When Salah felt deep, when fasting brought clarity, when dhikr filled their heart with calm. The second oasis is the deeper level of worship waiting for them if they push through the dryness with consistency and sincerity..
A productive Salah helps us become better versions of ourselves: spiritually, physically, and socially. A productive Salah doesn’t just fulfill an obligation; it transforms your day and life.
Alhamdulillah, we are blessed as Muslims to have the five daily prayers that help us pause in the middle of our busy lives and turn to our Creator. But sadly, many of us rush through them trying to catch up with life. The irony is that we rush through our meeting with our Creator, Who has control over everything in our lives, to hurry towards meetings with people or tasks that only Allah can facilitate in the first place!
Time wasn’t “precise” – divided into 24 hours, each hour 60 minutes, and each minute 60 seconds. It was more free-flowing, more natural. Below is a description of how Muslim societies organized their time from a book called “Time Sticks”: How Islam and Other Cultures Have Measured Time by Dr. Barbara Freyer Stowasser:
Mindfulness and Me I had been looking into the western philosophies, concepts, theories, and books to find fulfillment, and now I wanted to learn more about the Muslim perspective on fulfillment, life purpose, and values which led me to the Mindfulness Masterclass at Productive Muslim. Bringing God, soul, and the heart back to Mindfulness, the Masterclass grounded me in my own faith, which was the ingredient I was lacking to be fulfilled.
