Have you ever noticed piles of shirts, jackets and other assorted items accumulating slowly on your chairs, bed, floors, and closet? Have you seen stacks of untouched mail, bills, and letters sitting on your table for weeks? What about your desk drawers that are filled with anything and everything? What about your car? Your refrigerator? Your bathroom? Have you stepped back to take a look at the disorganization we are capable of creating?
I want to share with you how living in disorganized spaces has a bad affect on our Iman and happiness.
I call these little messes ‘silent destroyers’- they go unnoticed until the affects have already taken place. Personally, I am a very organized person and it has been the utmost important thing to me since I can remember, but, after marriage and having a child, the utmost important things on someone’s list tend to change. I began noticing the piles of clothing stacked on chairs, the toys hidden under the couch, the unopened mail stuffed away in a drawer out of sight. I realized at that moment how I had been feeling down, how the focus in my Salaah decreased, and how my inspiration and energy to do everyday tasks diminished.
Sakeena is supposed to be in every Muslim’s life, in everything that they do, because peace of mind and peace of heart help us get through our days and focus on our obligatory worship. Living in a world of clutter takes a person’s sakeena away, without them feeling it until it is gone. It can lower the Iman to the point of taking away the khushoo’ in your salaah, your mind aimed at the mess surrounding your place of prayer. How can one be fully happy, satisfied, and productive if they come home to a place chaotic with disorganization? I have always lived off of the saying “a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind” because there is so much truth in it.
Cleanliness in Islam is not only about keeping our hygiene good: it is also about being clean in every aspect in our lives. Allah’s Messenger 
said, “Cleanliness is half of Faith,” so if half of your faith is disorganized and messy, why wouldn’t your Iman decrease with it?
Narrated Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ash’ari 
: “Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean” [Qur’an: 2:222]. Iman increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. Have you realized that by living messily, you are living in state that is also a disobedience to Allah 
? No wonder why our Iman gets so low in such circumstances! Take a second and imagine yourself sitting to read Qur’an, or starting Salaah, and you are surrounded by a messy house. Every Muslim should make an effort to keep a clean home to please Allah and have a peaceful home environment.
6 Steps to Help You Get Organized
- It starts within. You must have the desire to obey Allah
when he ordered us to be clean. By doing so, you are getting reward (insha’Allah), so start with your intention to create a solid foundation that lasts a lifetime, not a week. - Create a plan of organization with your family to maintain a clean home. Help them understand that it is an act of worship. Teach children to keep their own rooms clean and make them feel it is an accomplishment. This will also instill good character for how they take care of their own homes in the future.
- Create simple solutions. Something such as a coat stand for the living room can go very far. Family members are encouraged to hang their items in one place rather than on chairs and couches.
- Create a nice-smelling environment. Scent has been proven to give people energy and optimism, so I suggest buying a plug-in air freshener or candles to keep the house smelling nice.
- Keep the bathroom wiped down everyday. Having nicely stacked towels or a comfortable bathroom mat gives us a peaceful place to do wudu and it clears the mind in preparation for worship.
- Create a special area in the living space designated for worship. Have a prayer mat or two lying neatly or folded. Have all of your tools in that area – Qur’an, Islamic study books, etc. It will give you more khushoo’ having an area designated for prayer and worship, and as we know, having strong Iman and heart makes us more productive in everything else.
I hope you gained benefit from this article and if you did it is purely from the blessing and guidance of Allah . May Allah facilitate this Ummah, keeping us forever productive, InshaAllah.
How do you avoid the clutter and stay organized? Share your helpful tips and thoughts below!
About the Author:
Kara Regan accepted Islam in 2007, and since then has strived to develop correct Islamic knowledge through study. Kara says Islam has encouraged her to share her experiences in hopes that other Muslims may better themselves. Kara has written many articles intended to inspire and encourage Muslims. May Allah bring us all together and increase us in knowledge.
